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Completed TRL 3 (started at 3, targeting 4)
As exploration of our solar system progresses, development of life support technologies with limited Earth reliance is vital. One key component of life support is the supply of oxygen to the crew. Oxygen (O2) may be resupplied from Earth but may also be recovered from carbon dioxide (CO2) generated by the crew. The state of the art (SOA) Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) O2 recovery system is capable of recovering ~50% of O2 from metabolic CO2. For future long duration missions, a minimum of 75% recovery is required with a target recovery goal of 90%. Investigations into various technologies to help meet these requirements for exploration are ongoing; however, most of these proposed technologies ultimately result in a more complex system. For future long duration missions, O2 recovery systems will need to be highly reliable and efficient and recover maximum metabolic CO2. This research focuses on the development of a Macrofluidic Electrochemical Reactor (MFECR) that converts CO2 and water into O2 and ethylene. The MFECR operates at standard conditions and is designed to interface directly with the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) and Water Processing Assembly (WPA). This allows for a less complex and more reliable system than the current SOA as well as reduced power, weight and water consumption of ECLS systems.
The MFECR operates at standard conditions, giving it an advantage over other technologies being investigated for future long duration missions which require high temperatures resulting in higher mass reactors and higher power consumption. The MFECR would replace three pieces of hardware for future ECLS architectures: the current Carbon Dioxide Reduction Assembly (Sabatier reactor), the Plasma Pyrolysis Assembly (PPA), and the Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA). It is designed to interface directly with the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) and Water Processing Assembly (WPA). This allows for a less complex system and higher reliability than the current SOA as well as reduced power, weight and water consumption of ECLS systems.
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