(2019 Archived) - Methodologies of Generating Water on Venus

Having written this in 2019, and originally published in 2021.. when I was 15 and 17, there would be inaccuracies that I would correct here. Having removed it, I'm publishing  again, for sake of completion so that the efforts wouldn't have gone to vain:

Despite being transparent colourless and, typically tasteless and odourless and seemingly unexciting- Water plays a major role in maintaining life as we know it. Most Earth life – extinct and alive – cannot live without it, and it is technically what makes-up most of living bodies – including ourselves. The chemical structure, eccentric charge distribution and seamless formation of Hydrogen Bonds, makes water quite unique in its own right. Unique, in the specific sense of being quite ‘friendly’ to life, that is. Out of most of its unique properties, what makes water so ‘friendly’ to life is its versatility as a solvent, which makes it quite a good biological medium. That isn’t to mention even in how many useful industrial reactions water could be used in – specifically for hydration.

Similarly, water would be quite a good source of Hydrogen, which is not only quite a nice combustible fuel, but also a substance used in many reactions too: For instance, the catalytic Hydrogenation of alkenes into alkanes, Lindlar’s Reaction (The controlled catalytic hydrogenation of alkynes), the catalytic Hydrogenation of alkynes into alkanes, the Bosch reaction, and etc.

No matter where humanity ventures into, we would still be quite dependant on the presence of Water. Being on the Earth, we are quite accustomed to seeing Water almost everywhere – the amount of Earth’s water seems seemingly indefinite. But, isn’t as abundant in the universe as we might anticipate it to be – In fact, it’s quite rare. Going back to our original topic, let’s take Mars as our first example: I do not know any way of extracting Water on Mars and I didn’t bother researching, as many might have found ingenious ways of doing so. In this chapter, we’re going to see some ways of doing so on Venus: Wait, Water in the Venusian atmosphere? Isn’t that what scientists were hopeful for before the exposition of her true nature. If we were to recall clearly (PI-CIII), the astronomical spectroscopy of the upper Venusian atmosphere from the Mount Wilson Laboratory during the 1920s revealed not a hint or trace of Water vapour ^[4]. How are we to extract Water, even if its vapour is absent in the Venusian upper atmosphere? Well, that has a simple answer. But before that, have you ever heard the saying “water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink”? I assume you do. There seems to be a similar equivalent of a situation on Venus. Indeed, water is technically everywhere up-above the Venusian cloud-tops, but not a drop to drink. Why? It’s because it resides in the Venusian atmosphere, chiefly as Sulphuric acid. Yes, we’re extracting Water from Sulphuric acid. You see, H₂SO₄ is technically Hydrogen Sulphate – that is when it’s dry. But as an aqueous solution, H₂SO₄ is Sulphuric acid. So technically, if we can filter-out Water from atmospheric Sulphuric acid!

H₂SO_{4 (aqueous)} → H2SO4 _(solid) + H₂O                                                               

  Sulphuric acid → Hydrogen Sulphate + Water

Considering how much Sulphuric acid is present in the Venusian atmosphere, there is an almost as-large quantity of Water extractable from it. For a more philosophical outlook, there is a large ocean of Water – perhaps even a larger ocean than all Earth-oceans combined – suspended within the Venusian atmosphere as magnificent cloud-decks of concentrated Sulphuric acid. Moreover we get; to get anhydrous (1) Hydrogen Sulphate as a bonus! Still, this water ideally has to be neutralised for a neutral pH and voluntary mineralization, in order to be determined as being ‘safe for consumption’. Well, however Martian Water is extracted, I doubt whether it would be as easy or convenient like this methodology, which is applicable only in the context of Venus. Furthermore, The Venusians would be lucky to have Water extraction in a liquid medium, which is quite convenient. Any waters on Mars – if any – would theoretically be ice, and would be less convenient to find.

Filtering Water from the atmospheric bodies of Sulphuric acid is quite very effective and convenient, which would make it successful in its purpose. Still, it would be nicer to have some variety in methods, perhaps to be in a safer side.

H₂SO₄ + (∆Heat) → SO₃ + H₂O   

Sulphuric Acid + (∆Heat) → Sulphur Trioxide + Water    

One such back-up or additional methodology would be the thermal decomposition of Sulphuric acid: Under the influence of heating, Sulphuric acid breaks-down into (2) Sulphur Trioxide and more importantly, Water. The Sulphur Trioxide could be reused by further thermally decomposing it, as a means of generating Water. The Water, on the other hand, is again safe for consumption once determined with a neutral pH and mineralized. This reaction is typically as effective as the filtration methodology, and it has an advantage of using the abundance of Sulphuric acid in the Venusian atmosphere – the Venusian atmospheric ocean of Water.

CO₂ + 2H₂ + (∆Heat) → C + 2H₂O                                                       

Carbon Dioxide+ Hydrogen + (∆Heat) → Carbon + Water

The Bosch reaction is another methodology of producing Water – This time, with the usage of the more abundant Carbon Dioxide. The practically indefinite amount of Carbon Dioxide, along with the practically indefinite amount of Hydrogen (producible via electrolysis of Sulfuric Acid) in the Venusian atmosphere means that – there is a practically indefinite amount of raw material obtainable for this reaction. Still, it would need a catalyst like Iron and reaction temperatures of ~450-600^oC. That might sound demanding, but it could be done quite okay – There is enough energy to get Iron from Venusian Haematite-Essence in Basalt, and to raise temperatures high for the reaction to take place.

Again, Water retrieval via the thermal decomposition of Sulphuric acid is endemic and feasible on Venus – because there’s no Sulphuric acid on Mars. As for the Bosch reaction: it might be able to be done using ~5164 times less Carbon Dioxide. But, the energy needed to heat it up – it might simply be too expensive on Mars, for a glass of water and lumps of (3) Carbon.

In this chapter, we’ve managed to find 3 ideal ways of obtaining Water from the Venusian atmosphere:

1.      Filtration of Water from atmospheric Sulphuric acid.

2.      Thermal Decomposition of Sulphuric Acid.

3.      The Bosch Reaction.

We’ve even managed to get other useful products from them:

1.      Anhydrous Hydrogen Sulphate.

2.      Sulphur Trioxide.

3.      Carbon.

Using them, as much water as necessary could be obtained from Venus quite effectively, efficiently, conveniently and cheaply.  

Bibliography

Achinthya Nanayakkara (31.03.2025)

Originally written - 2019