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TonyTMarsBeginner

Banned

Registered: 2016-09-29

Posts: 36

Mars Temperature and TEG

“A Thermoelectric generator, or TEG (also called a Seebeck generator) is a solid state device that converts heat (temperature differences) directly into electrical energy through a phenomenon called the Seebeck effect (a form of thermoelectric effect). Thermoelectric generators function like heat engines, but are less bulky and have no moving parts.”

“Thermoelectric generators have a variety of applications. Frequently, thermoelectric generators are used for low power remote applications or where bulkier but more efficient heat engines such as Stirling engines would not be possible. Unlike heat engines, the solid state electrical components typically used to perform thermal to electric energy conversion have no moving parts. The thermal to electric energy conversion can be performed using components that require no maintenance, have inherently high reliability, and can be used to construct generators with long service free lifetimes. This makes thermoelectric generators well suited for equipment with low to modest power needs in remote uninhabited or inaccessible locations.”

I know that nuclear fission and solar power are probably the first choices for power on Mars, which got me thinking about good possible redundant systems once things get to be more established on the Red Planet. The things I like about the TEG is that they seem to have high reliability with no maintenance but they seem somewhat inefficient and more for low power uses which I imagine there might be on Mars.

A question I have is whether it is possible to exploit the large temperature swings on Mars and produce energy by use of TEG technology or some hybrid thereof?
Also, is there a way to collect falling cosmic radiation, harvest the heat off it, and couple it to TEG technology?

RobertDyck

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From: Winnipeg, Canada

Registered: 2002-08-20

Posts: 7,814

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Re: Mars Temperature and TEG

That's also known as a Peltier device, named for the guy who discovered it: Jean Charles Athanase Peltier. NASA and the Russian space agency have already worked with this. They use it to convert heat from a RTG into electricity. Solid state, no moving parts.

Using temperature swings on Mars? Good idea. You would need a heat sink burried into the ground, then a Peltier device, then a heat sink with fins in the air. Computers use either aluminum or copper for their heat sink or heat pipes. Aluminum is cheaper, apparently copper conducts heat a little better. At least heat pipes are made of copper. But aluminum is cheaper. You would need a heat transfer engineer to work out how much power you could get.

But cosmic radiation? There's actually not much of that. In fact, over 90% of heavy ion galactic cosmic radiation is blocked by the atmosphere of Mars. At a low altitude location like Elysium Planetia, 98% is blocked. Light ions are not blocked as much, and the vast majority of proton radiation gets through. That means most of the radiation that reaches the surface of Mars is from the Sun, not cosmic. There is something called a beta-voltaic cell. It works similar to a photovoltaic cell aka solar cell, but beta-voltaic is designed to work with beta radiation. However, there's not much of that on Mars either. I don't know of anything that can use proton radiation. May as well stick to solar. But your first idea has promise, temperature change.

TonyTMarsBeginner

Banned

Registered: 2016-09-29

Posts: 36

Re: Mars Temperature and TEG

That's also known as a Peltier device, named for the guy who discovered it: Jean Charles Athanase Peltier. NASA and the Russian space agency have already worked with this. They use it to convert heat from a RTG into electricity. Solid state, no moving parts.

Using temperature swings on Mars? Good idea. You would need a heat sink burried into the ground, then a Peltier device, then a heat sink with fins in the air. Computers use either aluminum or copper for their heat sink or heat pipes. Aluminum is cheaper, apparently copper conducts heat a little better. At least heat pipes are made of copper. But aluminum is cheaper. You would need a heat transfer engineer to work out how much power you could get.

But cosmic radiation? There's actually not much of that. In fact, over 90% of heavy ion galactic cosmic radiation is blocked by the atmosphere of Mars. At a low altitude location like Elysium Planetia, 98% is blocked. Light ions are not blocked as much, and the vast majority of proton radiation gets through. That means most of the radiation that reaches the surface of Mars is from the Sun, not cosmic. There is something called a beta-voltaic cell. It works similar to a photovoltaic cell aka solar cell, but beta-voltaic is designed to work with beta radiation. However, there's not much of that on Mars either. I don't know of anything that can use proton radiation. May as well stick to solar. But your first idea has promise, temperature change.

Thanks for the feedback and I am glad to learn that the atmosphere blocks so much of the radiation. If you were to pick a general location for the heat sinks where would it be?

SpaceNut

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From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,017

Re: Mars Temperature and TEG

There are 2 types of these devices to which one creates energy while the other is used for cooling and consumes it.

The thermoelectric effect is the direct conversion of temperature differences to electric voltage and vice versa.

Peltier Thermo-Electric Cooler Module - 5V 1A

Notice that the image shows semiconductor junction materials exposed to the temperature is used to create power..

THE HEATSINK GUIDE: Peltier Guide, Part 1 for cooling

TEGs, Seebeck generators
These devices utilize the Seebeck effect (the opposite of the Peltier effect) to generate electrical energy. For the device on the page its performance values....

Power generation efficiency can reach 6% with 300C hot side and 25C or cooler cold side.

More on how the energy creation from temperature differential works: http://electronicdesign.com/energy/use- … or-s-power