Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!cca!ima!pbear!peterb From: peterb@pbear.UUCP Newsgroups: net.space Subject: Re: Moon chemicals/energy storage Message-ID: <77@pbear.UUCP> Date: Sat, 2-Mar-85 05:19:14 EST Article-I.D.: pbear.77 Posted: Sat Mar 2 05:19:14 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 6-Mar-85 02:43:55 EST Lines: 21 Nf-ID: #N:pbear:27600004:000:1097 Nf-From: pbear!peterb Mar 1 10:02:00 1985 In order to create massive amounts of heat on the moon, I think that a working fluid can be obtained (aka sodium, water, air, or whatever is handy) and use a solar mirror to focus suns energy into a confined zone and pass the working fluid through it. using smaller "furnaces" to drive sterling engines to pump the stuff around would make it work pretty well. The only problem I can forsee is finding enough sodium before the first night fell. This would be a real drag on the idea. I wonder if there is free silicon on the moon (pure enough to smelt) that can be used to produce solar panels. Also are the base chemicals around that would be useful for making batteries (lead and H2SO4 type of battery or lithium, or even better: nickel cadium). There are a lot of problem to overcome before an operation like this could become scientifically or even economically possible. Lets start thinking about it. Could someone post the chemical breakdown of the rocks brought back from the moon? I think this would help direct the dicussion and the ideas. Peter Barada ima!pbear!peterb