Exergy analysis of a lunar based solar thermal power system with finite-time thermodynamics

The exploration of the moon and the construction of the manned lunar outpost are the important parts of the deep space exploration. The continuous supply of thermal energy and power for deep space explorers and scientific equipment is a crucial issue to accomplish manned lunar missions. For most locations on the lunar surface, darkness lasts for periods of about 350 hours, so it is a great challenge for the solar photovoltaic cells and radioisotope thermoelectric generators to launch too much material from Earth. In the mission of manned deep space exploration, it is very necessary to utilize in situ resource effectively and sufficiently to reduce the hardware must be brought from Earth and to meet the requirement of energy and life support system. This paper describes an exergy analysis of a lunar based solar thermal power system using the method of finite-time thermodynamics. The calculations indicate that the system can provide the desired energy for the equipment. The aim of this article is to provide the basis for the design of a solar-powered Stirling engine using thermal energy from the processed lunar regolith. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.