Speaker
Description
With current propulsion capabilities, the trip to Mars takes around 6 to 8 months during which astronauts, plants, seeds, and electronics are exposed to energetic cosmic rays and solar flares that exceed acceptable radiation limits. This presents a critical challenge for future human interplanetary missions. In this work, we present a conceptual design for an innovative dual-purpose system utilizing High Temperature Superconductors (HTS) Coated Conductors (CC) coils. These coils are configured in a toroidal shield-craft attached to the exterior of a vessel providing magnetic shielding against radiation during transit. A similar system on planetary surfaces serves the alternative function of Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES).
The system can also supply emergency energy to the ship during the journey, or function as a radiation shield for habitats on celestial bodies with no magnetosphere and a thin or non-existent atmosphere (e.g., the Moon). Recent improvements in HTS-CC performance driven by the interest in magnetically confined fusion energy, have enabled the routine construction of magnets operating at T20K and B20T using commercial CCs.
A key advantage of our proposed system is the modular design. The identical coils can be independently mounted, energized, and replaced, allowing for reconfiguration to accommodate various ship geometries, shielding needs, and energy storage requirements. Furthermore, the system enables operation of the shield and the SMES at different magnetic field strengths. The shielding figure of merit is characterized by the fraction of incident particles deflected, which scales as B × toroid radius. For the SMES, it is the stored energy, ~ B^2 × volume. While he SMES can operate at 20T-20K, the shield requires only B ~ 3T, allowing for higher operating T and reduced structural support to sustain the magnetic pressure.
