[ExI] 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2017

[BillK]

On 23 February 2017 at 11:19, Gregory Lewis wrote:
> I'd defer to Anders, but my understanding is it is paradoxically challenging
> to keep things cold in space. Space is also a vacuum as well as at ~ 3k,
> thus objects principally lose energy by thermal radiation, which is much
> slower than convection etc. on earth.
>
> (I note the ISS has a pretty involved cooling system, for example).
>

Agreed, but that is because humans are involved and the ISS is close to the sun.
The ISS solar panels need their own cooling system to stop them getting too hot.
Without thermal controls, the temperature of the orbiting Space
Station's Sun-facing side would soar to 250 degrees F (121 C), while
thermometers on the dark side would plunge to minus 250 degrees F
(-157 C).
So insulation is required. and thermal radiators to get rid of
internal heat generation.

A space quantum computer system with no requirement to support humans
could be further away from the sun, on the dark side of an asteroid,
with solar panels on the sunlit side to provide energy. (And probably
solar panels then would be much more efficient than we have today).
Assuming quantum computers use little energy and generate little heat,
then thermal radiators should easily get rid of any excess heat.

But it would be useful to get Anders opinion!  :)

BillK