High-Level Project Summary
We are inspired by the space rover design that land on the surface of Venus and generate electric power by using wind energy which is considered as the most economical way of generating energy. Our energy storage system consist of five main parts:1. Silicon Carbide protective covering: -Silicon carbide is not attacked by any acids or alkalis or molten salts up to 800°C. -Wide bandgap.-Excellent thermal stability.2. Fiber Glass insulation:-It limits the heat exchange.3. Energy Storage Tank:-It consists of Silicon capacitors and Thermally stable resistors.4. Shock Generator:-It consists of capacitors and inductor to generate a shock to recharge battery.5. Li-Al Alloy battery
Link to Final Project
Link to Project "Demo"
Detailed Project Description
Problem Statement :
Design an energy storage system to power a surface lander on the surface of Venus so that there is energy storage capability for long duration missions.
Objectives:
-To design an efficient energy storage system that can with stand the harsh conditions of Venus.
-To minimize the usage of stored energy.
Proposed Solution:
-Collection of energy through wind turbine
-Silicon Carbide covering Glass Fiber Insulating layer
-Energy Storage System
-Shock Generator
-Lithium Aluminum Alloy Battery
Methodology:
-Protective covering:
Silicon Carbide square box Insulating layer made-up of fiberglass to protect heat transfer Pressure generation between two layer Joule Thomason effect of cooling to decrease the temperature Inner porous silicon carbide box that can bear vibrations and pressure containing Energy storage chamber, Shock generator and rechargeable battery
Reason for choosing SiC as a protective layer:
Silicon carbide is not attacked by any acids or alkalis or molten salts up to 800°C. Wide bandgap. Excellent thermal stability.
Energy Storage System:
Our Energy Storage System consists of:
- Energy Storage Tank
-Shock Generator
-Lithium Aluminum Alloy Battery
Silicon capacitors
Silicon capacitors would be connected parallel to each in order to increase capacitance. Which would be connected to 10МΩ (RN73R2E) resistors that are particularly designed for high temperatures.
Calculations:
Time constant = RC τ = ( [50 𝑋10] ^ 6 )(1000 x [10] ^ (−6) x15) τ = 750000s
It means that the energy storage system containing capacitors will be fully charged after approximately 44 earth days, but as the wind energy is constant and energy utilization is minimum, therefore the energy produced by the shock generator could easily be used for at least 90 days. Now because, the process of energy generation and usage would be continuous, therefore our system would let the space rover stay on the surface of Venus for 90 days (according to our challenge) and even more.
Shock Generator
Shock Generator consist of Silicon capacitor, step up transformer, diode and inductor. The time constant of capacitor is small so that it can charge and discharge quickly hence create a sudden shock to recharge the battery.
Lithium Aluminum Alloy Battery:
The development of high-temperature batteries based on lithium alloy (e.g., Li-Al) anodes, molten salt electrolytes. These cells have shown good recharge ability by operating continuously over 150 days at 475 degree Celsius.
Benefit To NASA:
Useful for long missions on Venus.
Economically beneficial.
Can bear the landing and descent shock and vibrations.
Conclusion:
Our idea fulfills all the potential considerations that are provided by NASA for our particular challenge (Exploring Venus Together). The solution we provided is more efficient and economically efficient way of energy storage on Venus which has a highly dense atmosphere made up of Carbondioxde and Sulphuric acid along with high temperature and crushing pressure.
Space Agency Data
We used the articles provided by NASA as a literature review and did not use any space agency data. And the whole project is based on our research of different materials and resources present on the planet Venus.
Hackathon Journey
Before we got into this journey we did not have precise knowledge about the possible problems that could make a space journey impossible. Taking part in hackathon allowed us to study relevant literature and gain knowledge from previous Venus missions. This made us understand how to modify the already existing ideas and use the resources available on Venus for thinking about possible solutions.
References
1. Ndukwu, M., Onyenwigwe, D., Abam, F., Eke, A., & Dirioha, C. (2020, July). Development of a low-cost wind-powered active solar dryer integrated with glycerol as thermal storage. Renewable Energy, 154, 553–568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2020.03.016
2. Silicon Capacitors – Development and Space Pre-Evaluation. (n.d.). Retrieved October 1, 2022,
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Shaping_the_Future/Silicon_Capacitors_Development_and_Space_Pre-Evaluation
3. Hu, Chuanbo; Li, Ying; Zhang, Ning; Ding, Yushi (2017). Synthesis and characterization of a poly(o-anisidine)–SiC composite and its application for corrosion protection of steel. RSC Adv., 7(19), 11732–11742. doi:10.1039/c6ra27343b
Tags
#Venus #Resources of Venus #Energy Storage System #Silicon Carbide #Venus Resources