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Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research Proceedings of a Workshop (2022) / Chapter Skim
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4 Power and Energy for Polar Research
Pages 31-38

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From page 31...
... In this session, workshop participants explored technology options both to increase the power supply for research instrumentation and activities and to increase the efficiency of research instrumentation and activities to minimize power requirements. Session speakers with polar field experience were asked to discuss technologies and strategies currently used to provide power in Antarctic research and the biggest problems and limitations of these systems.
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From page 32...
... Some active areas of technology development include improving power regulation management and control (e.g., improving the firmware design to optimize sampling, scheduling, and data processing) , and considering a full systemwide design to improve all areas of power consumption.
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From page 33...
... . For power generation, one technology of interest that is already being used in some places is stationary fuel cells, which are good for minimizing noise and mission footprint, maximizing fuel efficiency, and minimizing maintenance needs.
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From page 34...
... Robert Clauer, Virginia Tech, discussed his experience with low-power autonomous instruments on the East Antarctic plateau. Clauer and his team's instruments use solar panels and lead acid-absorbed glass mat (AGM)
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From page 35...
... Similarly, low temperatures increase the viscosity of lubricants and fuels used for internal combustion engine generators, resulting in excessive maintenance requirements, so there is a growing interest in fuel cells. A typical proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC)
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From page 36...
... present environmental concerns and the loss of valuable instruments. Chao's work aims to find more sustainable and scalable solutions to power these systems by harvesting ocean thermal energy associated with temperature differentials between warm surface waters and cold water at depths.
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From page 37...
... Seatrec is currently partnering with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on a project (funded by the Office of Naval Research) to harvest this air-sea temperature difference in the Arctic to generate continuous power on the order of 50 watts.
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Key Terms

  • solar panels
  • phase change
  • renewable energy
  • energy technologies
  • south pole

  • solar power
  • polar science
  • antarctic research
  • antarctic plateau
  • research instrumentation

  • fuel cells
  • low temperatures
  • lead acid
  • energy harvesting
  • energy densities

  • thermal energy
  • cold regions
  • cold water
  • polar regions
  • power consumption

  • harvesting technology
  • ocean robotic
  • warm surface
  • power generation
  • cold climates

  • temperature difference
  • robotic platform
  • helped develop
  • surface waters
  • acid batteries


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