Electrical Power and Heat from Crew Waste Using an Integrated Solid Oxide Fuel Cell and Fixed-Bed Gasifier, Phase I

ITN Energy Systems, Inc., along with the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC), proposes to develop a highly efficient power generation system capable of converting habitat crew waste from NASA space habitats into electricity and heat. The system will consist of ITN's novel, low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology, integrated with a revolutionary, highly efficient gasifier developed by EERC. The waste to energy converter will be specifically designed and engineered to efficiently convert onsite habitat crew waste into electricity and heat. The tight thermal integration of an SOFC to the gasifier will enable the operation of a sub-stoichiometric air gasifier at an elevated temperature (1000^oC). At this temperature, the high levels of moisture inherent to habitat crew waste will function as an essential carbon gasifying medium, reducing the equivalence ratio at which the gasifier can operate with complete carbon conversion. By utilizing the moisture content of the food waste and the high temperature heat from the SOFC, the gasifier will operate with the addition of little or no air, generating producer gas that has not been heavily diluted with nitrogen. This high quality producer gas is an optimal fuel for a solid oxide fuel cell.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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