Re: The moon, solar power and 'dark pollution'.

henry@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (Henry Spencer) writes:

I don't think you quite grasp just *how* much energy nuclear fuel carries.
U-235's fission energy content is about 23,000,000_kWh/kg. A small
reactor will convert energy inefficiently, and unless it uses unusual
technology it won't achieve particularly complete fuel burnup either, but
even at (say) 25% efficiency and 50% burnup, we're still looking at circa
2,900,000_kWh/kg. So if that 10-man base is completely nuclear powered
(no solar during the day), it uses a kilogram of U-235 about every three
years. That's less mass than the vitamin pills for the crew. A storage
system is going to have to be awfully damn good to compete with that.
:-)

Well, there's the reactor and the shielding, too... What about solar
energy and fuel cells, maybe using large bags or "balloons" for storing
hydrogen and oxygen? Space is cheap up there and you have a nice
environment for that (especially when you use sunshades to avoid the gas
being heated up in the day).


Jochem

--
"A designer knows he has arrived at perfection not when there is no
longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery
.

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