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Completed TRL 5 (started at 4, targeting 5)
The HMSM task aims to develop and demonstrate a H2/CH4/H2O separator for NASA’s Martian ISRU processing at a TRL 5. The task will also develop a micro-channel separator based out of permeable copper where the walls are coated with a thin Pd-Ag film to selectively separate hydrogen from methane-hydrogen-water gas mixtures.
Production plants to produce oxygen from lunar regolith or that produce oxygen and methane from Mars atmosphere and soil-water are multi-step chemical processing plants that have several places where separation of intermediate species is required. The HMSM separator will be able to extract a pure hydrogen stream for recycling back to the primary reactor from a mixed-gas stream of hydrogen, methane, and water. This small and lightweight device will perform this key separation step at low mass and requiring no power or regeneration. In addition, by operating at higher temperatures typical of the primary reactor outlet temperature, this separator allows for a thermally efficient integration of components.
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