Promising Phase Change Material for use in Space Habitats
- Kate Green
- Aug 31, 2024
- 2 min read
The potential of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) to control the internal temperature of space habitats is a promising innovation, particularly given the extreme temperature fluctuations that occur in space environments like the Moon. With temperatures soaring to 121 °C during the lunar day and plummeting to -133 °C at night, maintaining a stable internal climate within a habitat is a formidable challenge. Traditional heating and cooling systems would need to work on an unprecedented scale, making passive temperature regulation methods like PCMs incredibly valuable.
PCMs are already utilized in various industries on Earth, including in batteries, solar power plants, and even building insulation, due to their ability to absorb and release heat over time. This capability stems from their large thermal inertia, which allows them to absorb significant amounts of energy during phase changes, such as from solid to liquid or liquid to gas, and then gradually release that energy as temperatures decrease. For instance, n-octadecane, a PCM mentioned in the study, transitions at around 28 °C, making it ideal for stabilizing room temperatures close to that level.
The research conducted by the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid involved modeling the effects of incorporating PCMs into the walls of a space habitat. The results indicated that the heating and cooling demands could be significantly reduced, potentially enabling passive temperature control under optimal conditions. This would be a major breakthrough in designing energy-efficient space habitats, especially in environments where energy resources are scarce.
However, several challenges remain. The practicality of using PCMs in conjunction with local materials like lunar regolith is still uncertain, and the cost and logistics of transporting enough PCM to regulate a large habitat's temperature could be prohibitive with current technology. Despite these hurdles, the ongoing development of materials and technologies suggests that PCMs could play a crucial role in future space habitats. While they might not be part of the initial habitats built by humanity in space, they are likely to be integrated into more advanced designs as our capabilities evolve. This research marks an important step toward realizing that future.
Video: https://youtu.be/Hduqx4ttm0Q
Video: https://youtu.be/ZffFUMtJ3FI
Journal Article:
Borshchak Kachalov A, Salgado Sánchez P, Martínez U, Ezquerro JM. Preliminary Design of a Space Habitat Thermally Controlled Using Phase Change Materials. Thermo. 2023; 3(2):232-247. https://doi.org/10.3390/thermo3020014
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