1:1:H. HABITATS

Aurora Station modules will be elongated domes composed of a number of different materials. 'Habitat' is a general term for the standard base structures; not all of them will be slated for habitation. The common building specs, as well as design, mean modules can be adapted for different uses with minimal modification. The proposed construction method involves shotcrete and an inflatable form.

Approximate hab profiles:

Fig 1. hab module side views

Construction will proceed thusly:

1) Form is inflated, providing structure and shape

2) Rigid elements are placed

3) Shotcrete is applied to rigid elements, creating permanent structure

4) Form is deflated & removed

5) Insulation is applied to inner walls / added within structure (depending on type)

6) Interior walls are applied over insulation layer

7) Infrastructure is added, including pipes and electrical lines

Modules will require airlock outer doors to prevent excessive heat loss.

Arrangement: certain modules can be arranged radially around community spaces to allow easy passage from one to the other without unnecessary heat loss to the outside. This also reduces the number of personnel outside structures at any given time, which is a good thing in terms of safety.

In all, designing for Antarctica is a lot like designing for space.

Heating Requirements:

A habitat module's heating requirements will be determined by:

1) its outside surface area

2) its walls' insulation value

3) its level of air exchange with the outside

4) the temperature outside the hab

The surface area of the elongated dome pictured above, including the floor, can be represented by:

A_s = w(πl/2 + πw/4 + l - w)

where

w = the module's width at its widest point, IE, the base

l = overall length of the module

A [hypothetical] standard Aurora module has dimensions w = 5 m, l = 10 m. This provides a surface area of approximately 123.13 m² (using a value of 3.14 for π). Various configurations based on different parameters for insulation value, wall / floor thickness, and outside temperatures are shown in the tables below. Floor thickness is assumed to be equivalent to wall thickness. Insulation values below represent the lower performance estimates of various materials, in SI units (m² K/W):

1) Cellulose, loose-fill or wet-spray: RSI 0.52 / 2.54 cm

2) High-density fiberglass batts: RSI 0.63 / 2.54 cm

3) High-density extruded expanded polystyrene (XPS): RSI 0.88 / 2.54 cm

Temperatures used in the tables below were collected at the Soviet/Russian Russkaya station from 1980-1990; the data was chosen because of Russkaya's proximity to the planned Aurora site.

Table 1: Estimated heating requirements for an outside temperature of -47° C (lowest temperature recorded):

Table 2: Estimated requirements for an outside temperature of -20° C (mean temperature July-August):

Table 3: Estimated requirements for an outside temperature of -12° C (yearly average):

The heating requirements above do not take into consideration air exchange with the outside; some heat from vented air can be reclaimed using an air-to-air heat exchanger, but much will be lost. The estimates above, therefore, are a lower limit, although remain fairly accurate for unoccupied habs.

SOP will be to have enough non-reserve energy resources on hand to deliver enough power for the coldest estimate continuously, for 8 months, until the next supply ship can bring more fuel.