Building with Martian Regolith Experimental Research on the Efficient and Sustainable Production Process and Construction Method
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
BUILDING WITH MARTIAN REGOLITH EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH ON THE EFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION PROCESS AND CONSTRUCTION METHOD AGATA MINTUS, 4745523 GRADUATION REPORT BUILDING WITH MARTIAN REGOLITH AGATA MINTUS, 4745523 PERSONAL INFORMATION TELEPHONE NUMBER: EMAIL ADDRESS: STUDIO/TOPIC NAME: Sustainable Design Graduation Studio - Material Science & Structural Design THEME: Experimental research on sustainable production and fabrication of novel material MENTORS: Dr.ir. F.A. Veer (first mentor) 2 Dr. O. Copuroglu (second mentor) Dr.D.P. Peck (third mentor) SUPERVISORS: Layla van Ellen Fernando França de Mendonça Filho GRADUATION PROJECT TITLE: Building with Martian regolith TOPIC: Experimental research on the efficient and sustainable production process and construction method KEYWORDS: Mars | building | ISRU fabrication | sustainability | regolith | efficiency Graduation Report | Agata Mintus PREFACE The main reason for choosing this topic is due to my interest in a hands-on approach and structural design. During my studies, I was developing my skills and knowledge in achieving sustainability in structural design optimization and manufacturing methods. Also, my passion for space architecture pushed me in the direction of experimental research which is possible to perform in the Sustainable Graduation Studio. I didn’t expect at the beginning of thesis studies, that I would be able to propose my own topic for the graduation project, that would be unusual and extreme in terms of the context. The fact, that I was able to focus on my passion and interest towards more scientific aspects like material science during this research made the work enjoyable, challenging and exciting. Therefore I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who helped me accomplish this goal and individual growth. Firstly, I want to thank all the professors and mentors, who offered their knowledge and experience and helped me with the challenges of the research. Special thanks to Fred Veer for the support throughout the whole graduation, who made the research process less stressful when the scheduled plan was extending and shifting, and more exciting during the experimental part. I had learned, that the scientific and experimental research never goes according to the plan and improvisation and mistakes are common elements of the science. I would like to thank Oguzhan Copuroglu, who offered help and allowed me to extend my research with scientific support in the field of material science. The access to the Microlab allowed me to study and analyse the material on the microscopic level and understand more the microstructure formation. Although I couldn’t finish every experiments and analysis within the restricted time, I could experience and learn about the work in a laboratory, which made me understand that this field of studies could be my another passion and hopefully I could develop more in this direction in the future. Also, a big thanks to David Peck, with whom I could discuss very important and challenging aspects of our future life in space – sustainability, and how our approach towards it will influence future issues, politics. This theoretical part of the research showed me how rarely this topic is touched upon and how essential is to implement the sustainable approach within first missions to Mars. Secondly, I want to show my gratitude towards two supervisors, Layla van Ellen and Fernando França de Mendonça Filho, who helped me with the research and offered their time and contribution in the name of mutual passion and interest towards 3 space. The support from Layla at the beginning of my research, was invaluable, as she had experience with a similar project and could share the knowledge regarding the research process. Special thanks to Fernando, who had the patience to explain every detail of the microscopic experiments and analysis and offered help in investigating the material characteristics. Furthermore, I would like to thank the companies and institutions who offered the minerals required to prepare the martian simulant: Sibelco (especially Pim Demecheleer), S3-chemicals, Vulkan Europe BV., Gyvlon Gietvloer. Although the futuristic topic and experimental character of the research, they provided the materials and showed interest in the topic and results. Finally, a great thanks to my beloved Biertje group: Valeria, Alex, Erron and Sofia. Thanks for being my second family in Delft, whom I could always count on to go through tough times and share the best moments of joy. Graduation Report | Agata Mintus ABSTRACT The research is focused on investigating regolith as a building material, while implementing the sustainable approach in terms of energy efficiency and material usage, during production process and construction. The context is located within the first manned missions to Mars, and the requirements, towards testing methods allowing for independence from Earth, are implemented. The requirements for sustainable building on Mars were investigated using a literature review of different aspects regarding manned missions to the Red Planet, as well as of the present understanding of sustainability in space and on Earth. The studied production process is using compression and thermal treatment as the main processes, as they require relatively simple equipment compared to complex 3D printing or sintering technologies currently researched by scientists. The decision was made based on the fact, that the sustainable approach was the essential factor in the determination of programme of requirements. The main final product of the research is a novel approach towards the fabrication of martian regolith. The composition of the material is changed in different ways in order to minimize the energy input and required payload for the production process. The compositions with an additional amount of minerals with lower melting point (plagioclase, ferric sulfate), the ones with smaller particle size distribution (amorphous phase elements) or with additional sulfur powder (which could be brought from Earth or extracted in situ in the future) were studied with mechanical tests and microscopic analysis. The research proved that the change in composition can have a significant impact on the building material characteristics and could be used to optimize the production process. The compressive strength of the produced specimens was ranging between 0,45 – 4,00 MPa. The most promising composition offering relatively good mechanical properties of the material, using 100% in situ resources and allowing for simplification of the production process or decreasing energy demand, is the one with an additional amount of nano-particles od ferric oxide. The structure built in situ was assumed to be external shell structure protecting inflatable, light habitable modules. The outer shell was analysed in terms of resistance towards wind load, gravity and micrometeorites impacts. The construction method 4 and structure type proposed according to the results from experimental research on the material was based on adobe buildings on Earth. The compressive-only structures built with an interlocking system, which protect the crew against wind, radiation and micrometeorites impacts, were studied and designed. Graduation Report | Agata Mintus Content INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................................................... 8 1.1. Report structure ........................................................................................................................................................ 8 1.2. Context ...................................................................................................................................................................... 8 1.3. Problem statement ................................................................................................................................................. 10 1.4. Objectives ............................................................................................................................................................... 11 1.5. Research Questions & sub-questions ..................................................................................................................... 12 1.6. Methodology & Research Design ............................................................................................................................ 13 LITERATURE STUDY ................................................................................................................................................................ 15 2.1. Programme of requirements ........................................................................................................................................ 15 Aspects ........................................................................................................................................................................ 15 Mission conditions ....................................................................................................................................................... 16 Martian conditions ....................................................................................................................................................... 17 Resources – regolith ...................................................................................................................................................