Background
Vehicle
Size and Composition
Suspension
Wheels
Steering/Brakes
Power
Modular Trailer System
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Galileo Radioisotope Thermoelectric
Generator
Courtesy of NASA |
It has been decided that the vehicle will be powered through an
battery/RTG (Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator) combination.
The RTGs generate energy continuously through nuclear decay. Though
very risky sounding, this process is controlled and safe for the
astronauts. When this energy is not being consumed by the vehicle
it will be stored in batteries to provide emergency and/or supplementary
power. It will also be provided to charge the batteries at the main
habitat in case of extreme power demands. The standard RTGs that
are in use are 56kg, 1.13m long and have a diameter of .43m. They
carry 10.9kg of plutonium dioxide fuel and produce 888 Watts of
electrical energy and 13,000 Watts of heat, which can also be harnessed
and stored as useable energy. Our vehicle will carry 3 RTG units
that are slightly modified from the standards. They will carry 12kg
of fuel each and be slightly more short and squat at just over 1m
in length. The power they generate will not only power the vehicle
itself, but also any communications equipment or experiments that
need supplementary power.
Solar power was discarded as an option because of the required surface area and its inability to draw power during severe dust activity. Fuel cells were also investigated but deemed less practical for the long-duration mission. Battery-only power is not practical as it further limits the range of the vehicle.
