Unconventional systems for lunar base power generation and storage

Recent advances in thin film solar photovoltaic converters (PV's) can furnish multimegawatt power levels during lunar daylight periods with only modest mass requirements. The extended duration of lunar night (ca. 354 hr) and the high specific mass of earth-imported energy storage systems (regenerative fuel cells, batteries, etc.) render PV plus import storage power systems non-competitive with nuclear power plants for lunar bases. However, power storage or generation methods which can be constructed using primarily lunar materials, used either alone or with lightweight PV's, can be attractive alternatives to nuclear power. Three separate generic systems which can provide favorable low import mass goals have been identified and studied. These are: gravitational energy generation using lunar soil, thermal energy storage using basalt rock or glass, and electrochemical storage using lunar derived electrodes or fuels. Design, structural and operational features of these methods are described