Analysis of Solar-Heated Thermal Wadis to Support Extended-Duration Lunar Exploration

The realization of the renewed exploration of the moon presents many technical challenges; among them is the survival of lunar-surface assets during periods of darkness when the lunar environment is very cold. Thermal wadis are engineered sources of stored solar energy using modified lunar regolith as a thermal storage mass that can supply energy to protect lightweight robotic rovers or other assets during the lunar night. This paper describes an analysis of the performance of thermal wadis based on the known solar illumination of the moon and estimates of producible thermal properties of modified lunar regolith. Analysis has been performed for the lunar equatorial region and for a potential outpost location near the lunar south pole. The calculations indicate that thermal wadis can provide the desired thermal energy and temperature control for the survival of rovers or other equipment during periods of darkness.

[1]  A. Wesselink.  Heat conductivity and nature of the lunar surface material , 1948 .

[2]  J. C. Jaeger.  Conduction of heat in a solid with periodic boundary conditions, with an application to the surface temperature of the moon , 1953, Mathematical Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society.

[3]  Anthony J Colozza.  Analysis of lunar regolith thermal energy storage , 1991 .

[4]  Grant Heiken,et al.  Book-Review - Lunar Sourcebook - a User's Guide to the Moon , 1991 .

[5]  D. Ming.  Lunar sourcebook. A user's guide to the moon , 1992 .

[6]  W. D. Carrier,et al.  Oxygen Production on the Moon: AN Overview and Evaluation , 1993 .

[7]  D. Mitchell,et al.  Microwave Imaging of Mercury's Thermal Emission at Wavelengths from 0.3 to 20.5 cm , 1994 .

[8]  A. Vasavada,et al.  Near-Surface Temperatures on Mercury and the Moon and the Stability of Polar Ice Deposits☆ , 1999 .

[9]  A. Tewarson.  Generation of Heat and Chemical Compounds in Fires , 2002 .

[10]  Lee,et al.  [American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 46th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference - Austin, Texas ()] 46th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference - Aeroelastic Studies on a Folding Wing Configuration , 2005 .

[11]  L. Taylor,et al.  Microwave Sintering of Lunar Soil: Properties, Theory, and Practice , 2005 .

[12]  Thermal Energy Reservoirs from Processed Lunar Regolith , 2007 .

[13]  James Fincannon,et al.  Lunar Polar Illumination for Power Analysis , 2008 .

[14]  Thermal Wadis in Support of Lunar Science & Exploration , 2008 .

[15]  K. Sacksteder,et al.  Analysis of Solar-Heated Thermal Wadis to Support Extended-Duration Lunar Explorations , 2009 .