|
Accession Number
|
N20120004021
|
|
Title
|
Finite Element Analysis of Three Methods for Microwave Heating of Planetary Surfaces.
|
|
Publication Date
|
Jan 2012
|
|
Media Count
|
49p
|
|
Personal Author
|
E. Ethridge W. Kaukler
|
|
Abstract
|
In-Situ Resource Utilization will be Ground Breaking technology for sustained exploration of space. Volatiles are present in planetary regolith, but water by far has the most potential for effective utilization. The presence of water at the lunar poles and Mars opens the possibility of using the hydrogen for propellant on missions beyond Earth orbit. Likewise, the oxygen could be used for in-space propulsion for lunar ascent/descent and for space tugs from low lunar orbit to low Earth orbit. Water is also an effective radiation shielding material as well as a valuable expendable (water and oxygen) required for habitation in space. Because of the strong function of water vapor pressure with temperature, heating regolith effectively liberates water vapor by sublimation. Microwave energy will penetrate soil and heat from within, much more efficiently than heating from the surface with radiant heat. This is especially true under vacuum conditions since the heat transfer rate is very low. The depth of microwave penetration is a strong function of the microwave frequency and to a lesser extent on regolith dielectric properties. New methods for delivery of microwaves into lunar and planetary surfaces is being prototyped with laboratory experiments and modeled with COMSOL MultiPhysics. Recent results are discussed.
|
|
Keywords
|
Dielectric properties
Finite element method
Heat transfer
Heating
Lunar surface
Microwaves
Planetary surfaces
Propellants
Soils
Space tugs
Vapor pressure
Water heating
|
|
|
Source Agency
|
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
|
|
NTIS Subject Category
|
54 - Astronomy & Astrophysics
|
|
Corporate Author
|
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Huntsville, AL. George C. Marshall Space Flight Center.
|
|
Document Type
|
Conference proceedings
|
|
Title Note
|
N/A
|
|
NTIS Issue Number
|
1220
|
|
Contract Number
|
N/A
|
