Dirty Salty Arches with an X-ray rating and maybe Hemp as well.

Void · 2019-04-18 18:20:39

Well, I actually feel I have something that will bear the light of day.

Alright, the proposal is to use Salt, and dirt and plant fiber to make ??Roman Arches??

And why?

Well, I want to collect water from the atmosphere, and also provide an interface between habitats, and the outer Martian environment. And some other things as well, along the way.

I guess next I will try to include some supporting materials from others.

OK, a bit old, but interesting, maybe a potential to collect water on Mars, where we might want.
https://qz.com/382278/scientists-believ … -tatooine/
OK, what about making buildings using salt as a glue? (Plant fibers, maybe even evil Hemp too).
https://gizmodo.com/buildings-you-can-l … -o-5992613
Alright scary things in the shadows, I don't like *****, don't want them and don't have them. But I like plant fibers on Mars. So, don't waste the taxpayers dollars on me.

So, with the above, we could wonder can we use Martian dirt and Martian Salt, and plant fibers, to make something of use on Mars?

The various dirt on Mars is presumed. The salts somewhat identified. Plant fibers, would need to be grown in some hospitable chamber.

And then potentially we could make arches on the Martian surface from a recipe of the ingredients mentioned. Some small amount of cement could be also considered, but I want these arches to be permeable at least to moisture.

I have chosen plant fibers, as they may be more obtainable than basalt fibers, and less toxic.

What mixture of salts to use is going to have to be pondered. It is notable that plant fibers mixed with Martian dirt and salts, are not presumed to be very quickly biodegradable, which is in our favor if we want to build arches that will last for a useful period of time.

What I have in mind is the chances of a relatively cheep construction process that will be valid for perhaps 100 years on Mars, until terraforming makes it more warm an moist than it is now. Can't really say what the bounds of time are for that, just an estimate.

So the notion is we want to capture moisture in the night into the outer layer, and to cause it to migrate inwards by a greater internal heat. That is the approximate notion. For now I consider it a possibility.

OK, so I my mind catalogs things from the past and retrieves them rather efficiently as may be useful. Hopefully true for others as well.

I recall GW wanting a shed or something like that, that he could use a spacesuit that uses compressive elements in, where he could do work, in that suit, but be protected from radiation. So this could be. Details another time, I am fading fast.

And then to exercise cleanness per toxic Martian dust, these arches could be connected to habitat airlocks, and robots could sweep them clean.

And then there is the possibility that solar cell arrays could be attached to these arches, so that they may by heliostat manipulation may gather solar power. I am a bit against that actually, as I think keeping it more simple may be a desire. Perhaps dumb reflectors on the sunward side on the ground to bounce extra photons onto static solar arrays.

And inside the arches perhaps diode displays to produce light. Short pathways from the solar arrays through the arch materials by conductive metals of any kind easy.

And as you might like, perhaps inflatable bladers inside the arches.

That sort of describes it. I have about had it, goodnight.

Done.

Last edited by Void (2019-04-18 19:15:23)

Void · 2019-04-19 12:34:08

Well, I think it is worth a try.
Solar cell panels have to be mounted on something, so this notion if it actually works offers that use.

So, in the case where a bladder were placed inside of such an arch, there are some interesting potentials.

Obviously for it to be worth it, this arch has to be durable under Martian conditions. So, unless that need is satisfied this will probably be useless. The answer to that question will be obtained with testing, and experiments.

Such a bladder, being inflatable and inside of such an arch will not be directly exposed to the surface environment of Mars. So, at least parts of it may be of a transparent material, and might endure without degradation for a suitable period of time. This means that if you have diodes on the interior of the arch, they can be in the relative vacuum between the bladder and the interior surface of the arch.

In fact it should be possible to arrange to provide a relatively greater vacuum in the thin space between the outside of the bladder and the inside of the arch.

This would allow an air pressure less than Martian ambient on the outside of the bladder. That along with relative heat in the inside layers of the arch, will help to move moisture from the outside of the arch into the suction. The discharge of the suction could be discharged into the inside of the bladder,

This is not unlike forced distillation, used on here on Earth. In that process, a greater partial vacuum is used to promote boiling of a water supply. Condensation is induced by pressurization of the vapors. Heat produced in that is shunted back to the boiling process.

So, this might work.

……

I think that the thickness of the arch might be ~3 Feet (~0.9144 Meters).

So, to use advice from Robert, I hope to fill the bladder to a pressure of ~70 mb. Diodes shining into the bladder may provide a method to grow crops inside of the bladder. It will also help to heat the bladder, and so the inside of the arch.

And the intention is to provide the electric power by solar panels on the outside of the arch. And the metal for conduction can be of a poor quality as the circuit would potentially be only maybe 6-10 feet long. Some less useful metal, but easily obtained I hope.

…..

But the arch can also be shelter for small robots at night, and during dust storms.

I think that that is enough for now.

Done.

Last edited by Void (2019-04-19 13:10:57)

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#1 2019-04-18 18:20:39

Dirty Salty Arches with an X-ray rating and maybe Hemp as well.

#2 2019-04-19 12:34:08

Re: Dirty Salty Arches with an X-ray rating and maybe Hemp as well.

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