Low Maintenance Lunar Dust Filtration

Creare proposes an Autonomous Habitat Filtration System (AHFS) that uses an electrostatic precipitator and autonomous regeneration system to effectively remove dust from habitable environments in long duration space missions. Currently, HEPA style filters are a bulky consumable that have a large pressure drop across the filter that increases from particle loading. Crewed lunar missions will generate a lot of dust from EVAs and need to be low maintenance. The AHFS has low pressure drop resulting in a low power draw from a blower. The system is highly efficient in collecting all particles of interest including ultrafine, fine, and coarse. In Phase I, we successfully demonstrated the performance of the AHFS breadboard unit with measured collection efficiencies of 99.97% for all particles. Our system also demonstrated regeneration by collecting and then depositing lunar simulant dust in a bin. In Phase II, we will build a fully automated AHFS and measure its performance under conditions that simulate habitable environments using simulated lunar dust. Dust mitigation is key to future long duration lunar missions. During the Apollo missions, lunar dust became a major issue for equipment but also for the astronaut’s health. Astronaut Harrison Schmitt (Apollo 17) called it ‘lunar hay fever.’ An aerosol collection system is needed that is compact, low power, low maintenance, and most importantly has no consumables while achieving high particle collection efficiencies for all particle sizes. Creare proposes to design, build, test, and deliver a prototype Autonomous Habitat Filtration System (AHFS). The AHFS provides all these attributes using an electrostatic precipitator to collect lunar dust and an autonomous regeneration system. The AHFS is designed to work with lunar gravity and be integrated directly in the cabin’s HVAC system. Creare’s AHFS will dramatically improve on existing technology because ESPs (1) eliminate the need to constantly replace bulky HEPA filters, (2) have a lower pressure drop and use less power compared to HEPA filters, and (3) have very high collection efficiencies on the order of HEPA filters. Our overall objective is to demonstrate an automated low maintenance regenerative dust collection system that is designed for habitable lunar environments. The specific Phase II technical objectives are as follows: Design a compact low power dust collection system with integrated power supplies and controls. Design and test for lunar habitable environment including a closed-loop ducting system to simulate a small, enclosed space. Demonstrate an automated regenerative dust collection system. Demonstrate high collection efficiency using lab air and at least two different lunar dust simulants. Demonstrate robust performance by completing accelerated testing to an expected 10 years of performance. The Phase II deliverables are: Testing Data from the Modified Phase I Prototype including increased sensors. System Modeling Results that predict the collection efficiency for a wide range of particle sizes with expected voltage range of operation, and reduced pressure operation. Prototype System Design Report and Test Data of the system with associated sensors and key components. Prototype System delivery of a working prototype to NASA for evaluation and further testing. Final Technical Report that documents the collection efficiency, regenerate properties, and accelerated testing.

Controlling dust in habitable environments for long duration space missions to the moon is critical for the Artemis and Gateway programs supporting the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate. Creare’s AHFS can improve performance over HEPA style filters while being low maintenance and have no consumables during the mission duration. We have developed the unit for the lunar environment, and the system can be adapted for microgravity including long duration space stations. Commercial space companies that are developing crewed spacecraft can use Creare’s AHFS to gain the same performance benefits as NASA. Our initial discussions with two of these companies have been promising. Beyond supporting the space market, this technology has applications with industrial markets such as healthcare and cleanroom facilities where uptime and maintenance are high priority.

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