A device that will absorb wasted heat from space equipment and reflected sunlight and convert it into an energy source for spacecrafts and Mars rovers is being developed for the U.S. Air Force by a Northeastern University researcher.
“Even if it can supply only 10% to 15% of backup energy to the electronics, we can extend the lifetime of both electronics and a spacecraft,” says Yi Zheng, an associate professor of mechanical and industrial engineering and the director of Nano Energy Laboratory at Northeastern.
Zheng will work on the thermal device in collaboration with Faraday Technology Inc., an Ohio-based company that specializes in developing applied electrochemical engineering technology for the U.S. government and commercial clients.
“Our goal is to design a high-performance thermal absorber and thermal emitter that can absorb, convert and emit the energy at the desired wavelength,” Zheng says.
This technology will be suitable for short- and long-term space travel, he says, including use on the moon, Mars or even satellites launched out of our galaxy.
To read more, click here.