NASA Night Rover Challenge

[ckhorne]

I'm not sure if should be posted in "off grid", "battery technology" or "solar energy technology". Anyway, I thought it was interesting:

http://www.nightrover.org/technical-competition

Basically, NASA is holding a competition for ideas on how to design an energy storage system for a rover that works on the moon. Two weeks of light, and then two weeks of dark.

The highlights:

• Design a system to store 30kWh over two weeks (and supply 85w continuously over that time)
• 100kg maximum mass
• 2m x 1m x 1m maximum size
• Solar input is available during the two weeks that the rover is facing the sun

I did some back of the napkin calculations. Using LiCoO₂ batteries, you're looking at 250kg of batteries. And that's assuming 100% DoD and no other electronics. RTG's not allowed, so you're left with something chemical / exothermic with off gassing.

Yes, NASA is effectively outsourcing new energy storage technology on the cheap. But... it's an interesting problem...

[Naptown]

This does not take into account the extreme temperature differences between day and night.