Sustainable Manufacturing on the Moon

Lehigh University

4 November 2006

Factory of the Future – Prof. Feiertag

By Timothy Dodge

Why the Moon? Energy

Solar (1365 watts/meter2 available but only 164 reach earth’s surface) 13,000 terrawatts available (apx 113,880,000 TwH) 0.439 terrawatts avg use in USA in 2003 (3843 TwH)

Fusion – Helium3 deposited by solar wind Like $7/barrel Oil by some estimates

Raw Materials Higher levels of Iron & Aluminum

Some things work better on the moon Telescopes – next step beyond Hubble Arthritis, Nanotechnology, some manufacturing processes Far easier to launch a satellite into near-earth orbit from the moon!

BUT… No atmospheric oxygen, in fact a vacuum Temperature swings – fortnight day/night length (133C, -233C) 1/6 gravity – sometimes great, sometimes not. Finding water would be critical for Hydrogen and life – poles?http://www.solarviews.com/eng/moon.htm

Available Raw Materials

Other sources vary only 1-2% -- 800# of total analyzed samples.http://www.neiu.edu/~jmhemzac/mooncomp.htm

Moon (surface) Earth (non-core)

SiO2 44.60% 46.0%

Al2O3 16.49% 4.2%

FeO 13.47% 7.6%

CaO 11.97% 3.5%

S 10.63%

MgO 9.04% 36.8%

Na2O 0.43% 0.39%

Cr2O3 0.30% 0.44%

K2O 0.18%

MnO 0.18% 0.13%

P2O5 0.11% 0.02%

TiO2 0.036% 0.23%http://lifesci3.arc.nasa.gov/SpaceSettlement/Contest/Results/2004/winner/html%20only/Chapter%20V.htm

All others4%

Mg2%

K3%

Ca4%

Fe5%

Al8%

Oxygen46%

Si28%

Earth Composition

Moon vs Earth

Moon has comparable makeup but with higher Iron, Calcium, Magnesium.

All others4%

Mg2%

K3%

Ca4%

Fe5%

Al8%

Oxygen46%

Si28%

http://www.chemsoc.org/networks/learnnet/jesei/minerals/students.htm

Compare and ContrastSimilar chemistries allow application of

already understood methods of extraction and processing. 20 different ways to extract Oxygen from

various lunar ores and mineral compounds Extraction of Al, Fe, Ti straighforward

With energy, all things are possible

Local Resources are Primary Apx $25,000/# shipped from Earth Irregular shipping times and options Basically must make do w/local matl’s. Little oil/plastic -- all carbon is limited Supply Chains more like food chains

Closed Loops Need recyclable processes Need self-replicating machinery to boot-up

Cavemen to modern technology – 10 years? Start with remote controlled robots from earth (1.3sec) –

utilize the Xbox generation! Newsflash – NASA posts $250,000 prize 9/21

Self Sustenance Mining for resources and energy

Mining equipment must be largely built on moon Mining robots, loaders, haulers

Mining technology similar Caveat: Inertia the problem, not weight!

1/6 the gravity on moon Same inertia! (function of mass) Vacuum has higher friction – good and bad.

Smelting Aluminum, Iron, Titanium

http://www.algonet.se/~literat/lunbas.gif

Self Sustaining Economy Manufacturing Processes w/locally available

materials and a minimum of capital equipment Sand/Investment Casting – Aluminum, Iron, Titanium Others?

Machining – build machine tools on the moon Computer chip fabrication? Import to start. Possibly nanotechnology

ANTS (Autonomous NanoTech Swarms) Tetrahedrons that “roll”http://ants.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.html

Energy of course…

Sand Casting On the Moon SiO2 and ceramic materials plentiful on the moon

http://www.uark.edu/campus-resources/metsoc/moon.htm

Aluminum, Iron, Titanium present. Vacuum very positive for aluminum and titanium work!

Al & Ti -- oxide “skin” inhibits metal flow Inert gas required for welding Vacuum for some casting applications

Efforts already underway for low-g casting studies – largely to understand physics of casting processes

http://spaceresearch.nasa.gov/research_projects/commercial_03-2002_lite.html

Low-G Casting Larger casting possible in non-oxygen and

vacuum environments (oxides reduce viscosity – also prevent knitting)

Less gating due to elimination of oxide drosses – yield goes up.

No oxides -> better castings – x-ray quality! Risers must be as large or larger however!

A short course in castings

Earth examples

Moon projections

Our always needed square casting

The gating system – slow down metal to prevent turbulence and oxide formation

Bernoulli’s Law: Only fill casting AFTER thegating is full and therefore laminar and predictable

Most castings have a hot spot

“Feed” the hot spot with still liquid metal

For de-gating, the riser isoften off the casting.

And sometimes multiple risers are needed

The moon however seems ideal for oxidizing metals like aluminum, titanium and iron.

Oxidization is impossible and lower-g preventsMost turbulence. Focus on heat transfer!

A *complicated* moon gating system

SummaryMoon has cheap energyMoon has advantages over earth for

some processes and requirementsGood jump-off point for almost

anywhere, including earth! It could be fun! 1500 yard drives and

slam dunks for everyone…