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Power Generating Spacesuits
Posted by
samzenpus
on Wed Feb 14, 2007 10:14 PM
from the the-electric-slide dept.
from the the-electric-slide dept.
Maggie McKee writes "Piezoelectric sensors could help power future space missions. Astronauts' spacesuits may one day be covered in motion-sensitive proteins that could generate power from the astronauts' movement, according to futuristic research being conducted by a new lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US. Such 'power skins' could also be used to coat future human bases on Mars, where they could produce energy from the Martian wind. Eventually, the biologically derived suits might even be able to heal themselves."
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NASA Engineers Work on New Spacesuits 105 comments
NotCoward writes "In labs at Johnson Space Center, away from the buzz about NASA's new spaceship and its new missions to the moon and Mars, a group of engineers are plodding away at another piece of the puzzle: spacesuits. Astronaut apparel has evolved over the decades from Mercury's aluminum foil-looking outfits to the bulky, 275-pound whites now used on jaunts outside the space station. While it's too early in the process to know how the new space suits will look, the space agency is hoping to make new suits both high-tech and low-maintenance."
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Wouldn't this make it harder to move? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Wouldn't this make it harder to move? (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:Wouldn't this make it harder to move? (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
The energy doesn't come from nowhere (Score:4, Interesting)
Sure this would give them a much needed work-out, but that is far better to do inside where there is better oxygen supply, waste heat/water processing etc.. Rather use an exercise bike driving a generator which is likely to be far more efficient.
Basically this sounds far more like a solution looking for a problem that anything really useful.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
My thoughts exactly. The amount of power possible is just minute - enough to run a few LED lights and maybe a micro-radio. (and then only as long as you don't broadcast)
Whoopie!
It's like the guy who wanted to generate power from the falling water in his rain gutters....
Power generating? (Score:3, Insightful)
Anyway, I just love the capitalisation of "Could" in mid-sentence.
Great, but ask the astronauts first... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Great, but ask the astronauts first... (Score:5, Funny)
Plus, that'd be kick-ass great for loading ships and fighting the occasional alien queen.
Parent
"wind power", if you know what I mean... (Score:5, Funny)
But what about producting power from the Astronauts' wind?
Brilliant Idea (Score:2, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars (Score:2)
Re:Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
could may might (Score:3, Funny)
Every geek on
Why piezo-electric? (Score:5, Interesting)
The apocryphal story of NASA spending millions of dollars to invent a pressurized ball point pen that would work in zero gravity and USSR deciding to use a pencil comes to my mind.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
>pressurized ball point pen that would work in zero gravity and USSR
>deciding to use a pencil comes to my mind.
Every try sharpening a pencil in space? The bits of graphite and wood shavings floating around are quite annoying.
snopes.com, please... (Score:4, Informative)
The apocryphal story of NASA spending millions of dollars to invent a pressurized ball point pen that would work in zero gravity and USSR deciding to use a pencil comes to my mind.
The one that's a blatantly not true? I'm against space exploration for many reasons, but even I know this story is utter bullshit [snopes.com].
1)Fisher developed the space pen without a dime from NASA, and sold them to NASA at a reasonable price.
2)Both the US and USSR used pencils.
3)Both stopped using them because the dust/filings/broken tips floating around were bad for people and equipment.
Incidentally, I have a Fisher pen; it's the smallest one they make (I think), a two-piece unit where the cap flips around to make it a full-length pen. It's a great pocket pen; the ink seems to be quick-drying (left-handed people will appreciate this and know what I mean), not too pricey ($10 I think? Maybe $15?) small, always works, and with the cap off, it's a full-size writing implement and very sturdy when "assembled." Not like one of those cheesy telescoping jobbies that bend and are too thin to hold. An o-ring-like seal keeps the cap on firmly when stored and keeps the laundry detergent out (yes, proven more than once.)
It's quick to whip out (cough) and always works, unlike half the pens at cashiers which a)can't be found and b)barely work. It also garners the occasional impressed comment. My only beef is that the clip came off after a month or so in my pocket- would have been nice if they had spot-welded it on instead of just press-fitting it.
Parent
google.com, please... (Score:4, Informative)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
The problem is, they can't. You can't get something for nothing. If the suit generates electricity when the astronaut moves, then it will offer resistance to the astronaut's movement; that's basic conservation of energy. The question is, how *much* will it hamper the astronaut? If it's to
T-1000 (Score:3, Funny)
Allowing them to continue their pursuit of John Connor despite multiple shotgun hits.
A more sensible plan (Score:3)
Interstellar vapor (Score:2, Insightful)
Sorry, got carried away a little. So, this guy, who actually patented the naturally occurring protein which generates electricity in response to vibration, and so presumably knows what he's talking about, has no earthly clue how this power could be utilized. What is the article about then, exactly? Is it to draw attention to an interesting peculiarity of some organic compound? T
No free lunch (Score:2)
It's likely more efficient to simply have a small fuel cell.
That's the problem with many "new energy sources" they aren't really sources.
Energy efficiency, not generation. (Score:5, Interesting)
The point is that a lot of energy is already wasted by normal movement. It goes into things like crushing your shirt sleeves, friction, sound etc.
You have to make the space suits out of something... it may as well be something that can recapture energy normally wasted in motion.
Some have brought up the notion that these types of devices use more energy to make than they can capture. If it costs more energy to make the suits than they can generate... well that is irrelevant. The energy would be expended on Earth, so the mission gains some energy efficiency for "free." This becomes a consideration only if the suit has to be manufactured during the mission... perhaps as a replacement.
Don't get me wrong... this is far from the primary way to get energy. Take the example from the article of using this to generate energy from the Martian wind. Instead we might use this "wind mill" technology. However, if you have wind buffeting a static structure, it makes some sense to capture some of that energy if (and that's a huge IF) you can do so just by changing the materials used on the exterior. It may make more sense to coat the windmills with this stuff, and build the shelters underground.