Ontopic Mission to Uranus

(Possibly) random thought: How efficient are Peltiers at generating electricity? Could the Parker probe use something like that, since one side will be really hot and the other really cold?
 
fly said:
(Possibly) random thought: How efficient are Peltiers at generating electricity? Could the Parker probe use something like that, since one side will be really hot and the other really cold?
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Interesting thought. I didn't read anything if they have Peltiers on it, but maybe 1400C degrees of difference on two sides is too much?
 
MacG said:
Interesting thought. I didn't read anything if they have Peltiers on it, but maybe 1400C degrees of difference on two sides is too much?
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Probably won't be a full 1400 degree difference, but generally the greater the temp difference the more you get out of your generator. The only way I can think of a massive cold reservoir being an issue is if the system designed to transfer heat from hot to cold does it too efficiently and the heat doesn't enter the system long enough to do its job.

Whether there is a current thermoelectric generator optimized for those temps and being sent up on a satellite is a different matter, though.
 
fly said:
(Possibly) random thought: How efficient are Peltiers at generating electricity? Could the Parker probe use something like that, since one side will be really hot and the other really cold?
Click to expand...
there are two ways of generating perpetual electricity in deep space. the primary one is a peltier which turns the heat from isotope decay into electricity. They work pretty much perpetually.
 
Domon said:
there are two ways of generating perpetual electricity in deep space. the primary one is a peltier which turns the heat from isotope decay into electricity. They work pretty much perpetually.
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So they do use them! I'd always thought about it, but never knew for sure. That explains how they actually turn plutonium into energy. ;)
 
fly said:
So they do use them! I'd always thought about it, but never knew for sure. That explains how they actually turn plutonium into energy. ;)
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Kinda disappointing, isn't it? Growing up I always thought that nuclear energy used some sort of glowy weirdness to gain power. Nope, just heat transfer.
 
Domon said:
there are two ways of generating perpetual electricity in deep space. the primary one is a peltier which turns the heat from isotope decay into electricity. They work pretty much perpetually.
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Wait, is it called peltiers that are used in radioisotope thermoelectric generators on space craft?

Had no idea, I should have taken a thermo-something class at one point.
 
Mr. Asa said:
First plants grown in Antarctic green house without sunlight, pesticides, or soil. Project was designed to help make sure Matt Damon doesn't only have to eat taters.

https://apnews.com/bb14d1bf3a6143118ba9910b11adb5d8
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This is cool, but I'd only need taters to survive on Mars for making vodka and fries.

Makes me wonder if they'll ever send a station onto Mars or the Moon that is an automatized greenhouse to see if the plants can grow.

Would be neat if the first colonizers landed on the Mars and had water and food beforehand.
 
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MacG said:
This is cool, but I'd only need taters to survive on Mars for making vodka and fries.

Makes me wonder if they'll ever send a station onto Mars or the Moon that is an automatized greenhouse to see if the plants can grow.

Would be neat if the first colonizers landed on the Mars and had water and food beforehand.
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No natural yeast on Mars, I bet. Plan accordingly for best fermentation.
 
MacG said:
This is cool, but I'd only need taters to survive on Mars for making vodka and fries.

Makes me wonder if they'll ever send a station onto Mars or the Moon that is an automatized greenhouse to see if the plants can grow.

Would be neat if the first colonizers landed on the Mars and had water and food beforehand.
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A guy did live for a year only eating potatoes. He was obese and lost 100 lbs and a bunch of diseases. I think I remember that he did drink a little vodka. Now I have to look for the story when I have time

Sorry ^ OT, but I was glad to read that about the veg in the article above; maybe we'll be vegan in space ;)
 
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Ledboots said:
A guy did live for a year only eating potatoes. He was obese and lost 100 lbs and a bunch of diseases. I think I remember that he did drink a little vodka. Now I have to look for the story when I have time

Sorry ^ OT, but I was glad to read that about the veg in the article above; maybe we'll be vegan in space ;)
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I'm stoked about lab meat.
 
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we're all gonna live on soylent in space for a while. Sure, space aristocrats will have fancy things that resemble food, but the workers? Nutritional sustainment in whatever the easiest form is.
 
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Ledboots said:
A guy did live for a year only eating potatoes. He was obese and lost 100 lbs and a bunch of diseases. I think I remember that he did drink a little vodka. Now I have to look for the story when I have time

Sorry ^ OT, but I was glad to read that about the veg in the article above; maybe we'll be vegan in space ;)
Click to expand...

I hope you mean he got rid of a bunch of diseases. Because vodka does that, it cures things.
 
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