German team produces solar cells from moon dust
In order to realize a manned lunar base, an on-site energy supply is essential. Researchers in Berlin and a company in Braunschweig are developing a process to produce solar cells from moon dust. They are not alone; a company founded by Jeff Bezos is competing with them.
A lunar base is no longer just science fiction; NASA and ESA, among others, are planning to set up manned stations on the Earth's satellite. Mars missions are to be launched from these stations and further space research is to be advanced. In addition to building materials and construction, the energy supply for such a facility poses a major challenge. Bringing everything from Earth is not an option; it currently costs around one million euros to transport one kilogram of material to the moon.
Partly because of the sustainability of a lunar mission, one current focus of space research is the so-called in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). This involves the production of products and operating materials such as water, oxygen, building materials or electricity from materials and resources available on site.
An important contribution to the energy supply on the moon could come from Germany. Together with Braunschweig-based JPM Silicon GmbH, the Technical University of Berlin is developing a process with which moon dust (regolith) can be used to produce solar cells. According to a paper by Washington University in St. Louis, lunar regolith consists of around one fifth silicon dioxide. Oxygen makes up the largest proportion at up to 45 percent, while the rest is a mixture of oxides of various metals, including aluminum, magnesium and iron.
The project is called "SoMo - An innovative manufacturing process for solar cells made of lunar regolith". It is being funded by the German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), which is receiving money from the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK). The aim is "to ensure the most self-sufficient energy supply possible for exploration projects on the moon and at the same time achieve an appropriate level of efficiency for the solar cell," says project manager Juan Carlos Ginés Palomares.
Artificial moon dust for experiments
Strictly speaking, it is a silicon cell on a buffer layer of aluminum oxide. However, no real lunar regolith can be used for research on Earth, as there are only very small quantities of it. According to the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST, lunar missions have so far only brought back around 360 kilograms. A team led by Enrico Stoll, head of the Department of Space Technology at TU Berlin, has therefore developed various simulators. These powders mimic the properties of various soil samples that were brought to Earth as part of the Apollo program.
First, a glass substrate is produced by melting the simulants at very high temperatures of more than 1500 degrees Celsius, whereby silicon and metals separate. Oxygen is a welcome by-product on the moon. The glass obtained is shaped and post-processed by the TU Berlin team. JPM Silicon GmbH then produces a silicon layer from the glass substrate, which is then converted into a solar cell.
Competitor or partner?
The project participants have not yet specified a time frame, but they cannot afford to dawdle. Because none other than US multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos is giving them a run for their money. The aerospace company Blue Origin, which he founded, also presented a process for manufacturing solar cells from regolith in February last year.
According to the company, its process purifies silicon to more than 99.999 percent, which is necessary for the production of efficient solar cells. Blue Origin uses by-products from the process to produce a protective glass that is intended to give the solar cells on the moon a service life of ten years.
It is also possible that the two projects are cooperating instead of competing. Blue Origin writes that in order to live off local resources on the moon or Mars, the entire ISRU community needs to work together.
Difficult mining
Incidentally, the mining of regolith on the moon is already a challenge that is being researched by the RWTH Aachen University, among others. A summary of the problems and possible solutions can be found at"Mining Report".
For example, heavy machinery cannot be brought to the moon due to the high transportation costs. In addition, the equipment must not only be designed for the low gravity, extreme temperatures or radiation, but must also be extremely resistant due to the properties of the lunar regolith.
The fine lunar dust is extremely abrasive. This means that it is a natural abrasive, which can cause machines to wear out quickly. Furthermore, regolith is electrostatically charged and sticks to surfaces. Among other things, this makes it difficult to use cameras.
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- Despite the competition from Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, the German team and the Technical University of Berlin are pushing forward with their project to produce solar cells from moon dust. They aim to create a self-sufficient energy supply for future lunar missions.
- The team in Berlin is not relying on real lunar regolith for research; they're using simulators developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST, which mimic the properties of various soil samples from the Apollo program.
- NASA and ESA, among other organizations, are planning to set up manned stations on the moon, which will serve as a launchpad for Mars missions and other space research. However, the high cost of transporting materials from Earth makes it necessary to develop in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technologies, such as the production of solar cells from moon dust.
Source: www.ntv.de
