Can we use the temp extremes to generate energy?

[djenkins]

This is a random thought I had while taking a break from working on the animations. I am no engineer but here is my thought just in case it's helpful. Every idea is worth talking about, right?

Could we utilize the changes in temperature to harness the expansion and contraction of a fluid to generate power? I was thinking of some way that lunar night could be our friend and not our enemy and i thought about the force that water freezing has on earth. Would it be possible to use a fluid on board the lander or rover to create energy? The temp is going to change, can we use it to our advantage? Is there a fluid that has an extreme change in volume at these temperatures that would give us a useful amount of energy?

-Dan

[scasey]

There has been some discussion on this:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=354&p=5329&hilit=heat+pipe&sid=6d09decbf0b9c4a1a84e8697c8c6c078#p1838

I believe the analysis eventually moved over to the wiki (although I can't find it right now).

SC

Correction: We discussed this in the survey group via e-mails and I don't think it ever moved over to the wiki.

[Humble]

This might be something to look into?

Thermal harvesting ...
http://www.micropelt.com/

[chartracer]

Thermoelectric (peltier) devices are used by some deep space probes for this purpose. Sometime last year there was some forum discussion on how to use regalith heat for power generation on the lunar surface at night. If a large surface area was covered during the day with an insulating blanket that had a series of peltier wafers where the trapped heat would escape through the wafers into the lunar night space, electrical power would be generated.

[tristancho]

Well, you know, PicoRover will use Thermoelectric cels instead of solar cells.
Best,
Joshua