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The Utility of Geothermal Energy on Mars

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The Utility of Geothermal Energy on Mars JounuL .f Th. Btitish lntetplanetarr Sui.tl, Uol.49, pp. 443122, 19qb THE UTILITY OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY ON MARS MARTYN J. FOGG Prohdbilitylleseaft* Group,c/.) 11 Ho,tdtthCau,l, Fauntain Dnt", Lidon SEl9 luv lntetnet:n|bgg@cix conpulinkco-uk. The exploikrion of geothermxl enerrry has been absent f.oin previous considerations of providing power for selllements on Mars. The reasonfor rhis is the plevailing paradigmthal placesall ofMars'v(tcrDic activity in the rcmotepast and hence postulates a crust that is liozen to great depths. It is ,rgued in ihis paper that this view nay be truc in geneirl, but false ;n particular.Geological cvidence is reviewedthat suggeslsihat magmatismmay havebeen actjve on Mars trntil recenitimes and may heDccslill be ongoing.Thus. thc Fesence of significant,localizcd, hyperthernal arcxscannot be ruled out on tbe bas;sof rhe low meanheatflows prcdictedby global heatflow modcls.The possibility ofthe Fesence of usefulgcolhermat ficlds is further srrengrhened by observations offluvial outflows that seem to have becn associated with cerlxin magmatic cxrrusionslrnd which rhereforchinl arlavourablegroundwatcf conditions. Such a geothcmal energysource would be of geat poienrial economic value, bcing of use for the genef.ttun ol electricity and direct heating lbr industry and habilalion. The addition of this energyoplion to rhoseofsolar wind and nuclear,cannot but enhancethe prospectsof a marlian civiljzatbn that must srartafrcsh. {,ithout an equivalcDLLo the Earlh's stocl of foisil fuels. Au thinss aft an ertha .seJorfrre, and lirc lor al.l thins', evn as wdr?slbr sold and sotd Jb ware'. Heraclifirs of Ephesus I. INTRODUCTION Mars pronises to be both a genercusandchalie.sing placelbr sible by thc net energy providcd by the combustion of our futurc exploers to visil. Generous,becansc il is the onlyhown phncl's rich stock offossil fuels. Oil, coal, naturalgas, and rhe ext.atenestrialhcality possessingan acccssibleabundance of oxygen-rich atmosphcrc in which to bum thcm, are not present just the matcrirl pre-requisilesof iife; challenging,because ihis on Mars- ln settling Mars thereforehumaDity will not be endowmcnl |empts us ioward a lNgerlenn strategy where conlionied by the alicn rigours of Mars ilselI, bui will have to nranned visits evolve in() a pemnnent and self sufiicicnl faceihe challcngeof providingan allemativeenergetic basis for civilisatnrn. The validity of expk)ittug indigenous relourccs on Mars to In thispaper,proposedmcthods of generatirrgpowcroD Mars supportmanned expk)raLory missions is now widely accepied. nre bicfly discussed heforc embarking on a morc delailed Using matian sunlighl:rnd wind to gendale auxiliary powef. discussionof the potentialofnartian geothcmal energy.Con mafirn volatilcs as feedstocksfor lifc supporisystems and the sideraiionofthis optbn hasprobably beenncglecied untilnow maDufactur oftuels, and nrnrtiansoils androcks lbr construc becauseof the prcvailing paradignroi Mtus rs a geologic{lly ri(n, will enhancethe duration, flcxibility and safety of n;s deadand deep f.ozen world. Howevcr.it will be arguedthat this paft'culxr. stunsto Mlrrs t1-31.This. howcvcr is'living o1Tthe land" in a viewpoint. whilst true in general.may be false in restrictedsense. since it is only madepossiblewith an expcnsive Hypefhennal arexsprobably still exist on Mars and night be teclrnological infrastructure manufactured on and supplied profitabl] "rnined" for their hca1. liom the Eafth. For nrfftian settlements to prcgress lowards self sutriciency as they musl do to bc rcalistic at all this 2. OPTIONS FOR POWER SUPPLY ON MARS depeDdcnccon a net subsidyfrom thc Earth nusteventually be eliminatcd rnd replacedby a rcl,tlionshipof two independent Terresrrialcjvilisxlion relies on four power sourceslor almosl tmding econonies t4l. aI its consumpttunof pdmary energy.These are. in descelding -eqr A fJrd.urentdt rrcnenr,'fJr ) eco )5rernor ecun.im\i. order thecom buslion of fossil fuelsi tbccombustion of biom,tss an internal llow ofenergy.In addition,for such systens 1()be (mostly fuelwood); hydroelechic power: and nuclear fission. viable over the long tem and fbr growtl to be possible, energy SomedcLails of thesesourccs (applicable to lhe lxlc i980's) are resouces must be hanressedprofltably that is, nore usetul giveDin Table l Also listed area variety ofrltemative pdmarf alJ) energymust be liberatcdttl:n workconsumcdin theFocess of erirf) \uurce\!hrl 1Ir.r"l\ errber r ninrr or oon liberatnm.Thns,tbcre must be acontnluing suPplyof,el.rr€r8) cxislent, e,ronomicrolc, but which are uidcr consideratlonas andthe higherthc net energyratio (usefulcnergy provided/work futurc replacements for fossit tuel.A rough impression ofthe net e\prnJrd in pro';sioo'rfe herlcr.5'. Nerenerg) pro\i.i. n i. energy provided by thesesystems (wbilst ignoring argunrents thus crLrcill to ihe lbasibil ity of thc setilement of Mars ^nd is fxr over hidden subsidiesetc) can bc gxined by looking at the from being arrivial questioD.Mantind only hasthc cxperience quoted cost of the generation oI electricity in general, the of bujlding one technohgicrl civilisation our own rnade pos- cheaper thc price, rhe grericr the relevant net energy ratio. TLBLE l. A Conparison o.fEnery! Sources(Iate t9S0,s) Energy Source TJpicalCost of rypical Unit Sizes World Primary Applicationto Mars: Electricity Ceneration Encrgy Use 500 1000MWc per large 15.6Io No Hydfopower -39lkwhr 1000MWe perlargc dam s.5% No Bionass "5dlkwhrr < 100MWe 14.11o' No Nnclear fissbn 500 1000MWe per large 4-l9a Tidal energy 0.4 240 MWe pd hJrragel Negligible No Ocean thennal energy 12-25clkWtu l0 - 100MWe perlargc planC Nune convenion (OTEC) -9dlkwhr Solar ihennal 10 100 MWe l]ef large planC Negligible 25 35d/kWhf 0.03 6.5 MWe pcr large Negligible 6-15q/kWhr 0.1 - 0.5MWe pertulbine6 Smrll Geotherm.tl .l 109/kwhf 10 - 100 MWe per large plant O.19o 5000MWe per l.,r!e srrellire Yes sarellite(SPS)l 4.',,, /J B ^it d iJa t, .8.4,td:q.\., opo4taL, ! P]z\ert pilai pldnt! aE Dortlr af ldt.r upa.:ir^. (nat yt ' trittztt ptn ti.el). Erptttut to fdll to lt-t 5 dkwht bt 1A(tututt ].\|s iato the 2tsj Gntury 1 M.elt ih.]iL ietu r J,elvoal .onhunnL in lLnlw.n.t.:oun iet wihd lanlL\ onti,, af d tunho 4 :ach turbitu\. Dda n st,\.rllallnn Ref t6l. When consideringpower generaiionon Ma|s. we lrc frced estimate lbr lhe per capjta power consunprion olapermanently wilh a doubleproblem. Firstly, Mars does nor havea nalurat, eslablishedmartian popularion mighr be ardved aiby assnming uncontained,bnrsphere which provides sfdrts life-snpport. : dc n,,ndfofeleLnir:r\ ,iTilar o rhepur. Jpiup.;&n rnerg) Altificial lite-supporr, wherher entirely rncchanicat,or conslrmption of the fiist world narions, multiplied by a factof , b.oregcrerrtire.i. ,, omple\rad eqeG)inrer.i\e t-oLe.. rellectiDg the need to synlhesise alrernarivc energy carriers. and Estimatesof rhe electrical power consumprionon Mars to incrementcdfurher due lo rhe needsof lrrificial life-support. supporthu'nan beings vary from on p.ipercaiculat;ons for a Such a calculationwould enrbodyihe Deedsof basic survivxt_ tcmporary 8 manoutpost which obtain a figufeas low as- i.2 jndusty and a faif siandardof living. Thepublishedfigure rhar kwe/person i7l, to theerpericDce ofrunning Biosphere 2 which perhaps comes closest to realily is ihe calculatedelectdcal needs - anenornous l00kwe/pe$on[8]-This compares tothe power demand of the 150-man Mars base designedby the - il kwperson - and the 3 kwe/personconsumption of JapancseOhbayashi coryorarion, inrended specificalll as a primfiy andelectrical energyrespcctivety of the avcraseNncn beachheadforpemane.t seulemenrli0l.Although thcircalcu- can.The rcality ol livingand prospering on Mars will probably larions werc not tull) displayedin thc cited reference,their involvea per capitapower constrnption berwecn rhese t-100 esiimrle of an all inclusive power denand of - 20-50 kwe/ kwe/person extremes.The former is muchtoo low 6 rrqoes nor personhas an airofplarsibility- ffwe assumcthis to be realislic. include rexlistichearing re.tuiremenrs and the denrandsof thenwe mighl .easonablyexpect a g.owing civi lisationon Mars pernanent habitationand growth. including rhose of indusry needrng a supply of electdcal encrgy abour 2-5 rimes ds gear as and qxalily the of 1ife.On the otherhand, we might reasonably theconsnmptionofprimary energyof the firsr wortd narionsof expecttuture enclosed habitats to be mxch moreeconomical the Earth. and practical than Biospheft 2. which was nor designedwith The secood problem inherent in the energerics of marian efiicicnt energyuse in mind. seillcment!is that, iookirg back ai Tablc I, it is seenthar oniy On the Eafh, direct fuel useis economicallyvery imporrmr. one of the big foul power sowces is likely to be avaitabte. On Mars,it is not an optionand fucls andoxidiscrs musr be namely nuclear fission. To be broughr inlo operation, nuclexr synthesisedfrom basic raw materiais13.91. Thus, a rcasonabte power requires an elaborate inffastrucrufe in place. Nrclear rh. Utititr 4 c?.thlmat EncB ar Mat.l fncls mustbe prospected.mnrcd, punfied andthen consumed rn (1) A powerfrl sonrceof natual subte'raneanheai reactors that are themselvcs the products of sophisticatcd manutacturing.Spent fuel mxst be properly disPoscdof, or l:2) An adcqrale water suPPlY reprocessed,furthef.tdding ro the rvork involved.Thus,in order to commence thc prcgressiontowards self suflicienl energy (3) An aquitbr of permeablercservoir rock use, martianscttlc|s musi have accessto morc inelaborateand avril.tblc cncrgysources,
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