There is a technology that transforms the wind from Mars into electricity.
Although it may seem like science fiction, the European Space Agency (ESA) is already investigating how to supply energy to future space missions and, eventually, to the first settlers on the red planet. In this project, it accepted a proposal from the Spanish company Tekniker for the first prototype wind turbine adapted to the environmental conditions of Mars. What is this extraordinary invention…?
The exploration of Mars will require complete autonomy from Earth, which means that energy supply will be essential for survival. Due to dust storms on Mars, solar energy is not stable and alternatives must be sought.
The European Space Agency (ESA) accepted the proposal of the technology company Tekniker (Guipúzcoa, Spain), to convert Mars wind into electricity, a company that created its first prototype in 2021.
The aim of the project is to create the first efficient and resilient wind turbine to produce energy with a triboelectric generator, adapting it to Mars conditions, and converting wind energy into electrical energy to be used as an auxiliary source for solar panels.
The research faces challenges such as reducing torque to allow freedom of movement in the Mars wind, adapting to atmospheric pressure, and resisting Martian dust. It must also strike a balance between turbine lifetime and power generation.
Once the two turbines have been manufactured, various tests have been carried out. In addition to the environmental conditions simulator at its technology center, Tekniker also used the Martian wind tunnel at the University of Aarhus (Denmark). There they have observed the rotation of the wind turbine in different wind and pressure conditions, as well as the start-up.
Once the tests have been passed, the turbines will be able to rotate on Mars and wind energy can be used as a secondary energy system. In addition, the triboelectric generators will reduce the size of the turbines, making them easier to transport and more efficient.
The goal now is to further optimize the design through trial/error and achieve a final model by 2027, in addition to the development of a converter that transforms electrostatic energy into electrical energy. In this way, any space system will be able to generate electricity in the future and have an alternative energy source when solar is not enough.
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