High Pressure Oxygen Generation for Future Exploration Missions

The proposed innovation is the development of a cathode feed electrolysis cell stack capable of generating 3600 psia oxygen at a relevant scale for future exploration missions. This innovation is relevant to NASA's need for compact, quiet, efficient, and long-lived sources of pressurized oxygen for atmosphere revitalization (AR) and EVA oxygen storage recharge. Present AR equipment aboard International Space Station (ISS) consists of power-intensive, noisy compressors that have service lives less than 2 years. Proton's proposed electrolyzer stack will eliminate the need for these compressors, by developing a cell stack that can produce 3600 psia oxygen via electrochemical compression. This innovation results in a quiet, efficient solid state device with no internal moving parts to service or fail.

Based on Proton's unique experience in commercializing PEM-based products, transitioning to NASA, DOD, and developing civilian commercial applications are important outcomes of this technology development effort. The NASA applications for this technology are clear: providing pressurized oxygen refill capability to a number of scenarios including ISS, EMU, and future lunar surface systems. Civilian commercial derivatives of this technology would be enabling technology for a variety of energy storage applications. High pressure electrolysis provides the key capability for volumetrically dense hydrogen and oxygen storage. Impacts of this technology on military operations include enabling high altitude unmanned aerial vehicle operations and a variety of underwater vehicle operations, especially unmanned underwater vehicles. The similarity between the high altitude and undersea applications is that both require the storage of oxidant in addition to the storage of fuel. High altitude UAV's can be used for missile defense, surveillance and communications. Undersea applications include long-term distributed data gathering with long endurance buoys, transport of special forces personnel, and mine neutralization among others. In short, the proposed effort will support the development of an enabling technology for a variety of applications that require high pressure hydrogen and/or oxygen for energy storage and life support.

The proposed technology will also enable commercial regenerative fuel cell (RFC) systems, which will benefit from high pressure electrolysis for compact reactant storage. Proton is working to commercialize RFC systems for terrestrial back-up power applications. Proton's regenerative fuel cell technology is under development for telecommunications backup power systems as a replacement for valve regulated lead acid batteries and commercial generator sets. This back-up power system provides both ride-through capability and rapid response characteristics at a lower overall life cycle cost than conventional technology. A natural extension of back-up power is the application of RFC's with inherently intermittent renewable energy sources. Additional massive and undeveloped markets are emerging as the two billion inhabitants of the planet now without electricity move toward power connectivity. Small-scale power generation and energy storage will become another distributed technology analogous to cell phones for communications.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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