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Benjamin Rupp

Publications and source records attributed to Benjamin Rupp.

4 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Bosch Carbon Catalyst Regeneration in Water I: Bosch Carbon Removal from Reacted Beads Utilizing Mechanical Agitation

The ability to recover oxygen from metabolic carbon dioxide is crucial for crewed long duration missions in which the atmosphere must be recycled. Two physiochemical methods are primarily employed for this purpose: the Bosch process and the Sabatier reaction. This paper focuses on the Bosch process. It utilizes hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst to form water and solid carbon out of metabolic carbon dioxide. The solid carbon product deposits onto the catalyst and eventually causes reactor over pressurization issues. Multiple methods are currently being investigated to regenerate the catalyst’s surface and break up the pressure causing carbon clogs. This paper explores whether water and mechanical abrasion would work to remove Bosch carbon by testing multiple washing conditions. The different washing conditions involved agitation intensity, heating, duration, and volume of water. It was found that it is possible to break up the clumps of carbon formed in the reactor through agitation with room temperature water in one hour and shows promise for completely cleaning the carbon off the beads’ surface.

Agitation↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Bosch Carbon Catalyst Regeneration in Water II: Analysis of Bosch Catalyst Beads Throughout the Initial Regeneration Process

Catalyst integrity is an important factor in reactor longevity since it changes the effectiveness of a reaction. A Carbon Formation Reactor (CFR), used within Series Bosch (S-Bosch), utilizes an iron alloy catalyst to convert carbon monoxide and hydrogen into water and solid carbon. The catalyst promotes the formation of carbon to such an extent that pressure-causing clogs form within the reactor and reaction sites on the catalyst become limited. To remove carbon from both the reactor and the surface of the iron alloy catalyst, a technique was developed that utilizes water, an In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Resource, and agitation to regenerate the reactor. To ascertain catalyst integrity throughout this regenerative process, sample catalyst beads were taken before and after the carbon formation reaction, and then after the regeneration process. Additionally, wastewater from the regeneration process was sampled. The sampled beads and wastewater were observed under a Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) microscope and the beads were chemically etched to determine if the catalyst had degraded at any point during this process, and if catalyst was lost. Minimal catalyst degradation was observed after carbon formation in the CFR.

regeneration↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Investigating Laser Beam Welding as an In-Space Joining Technique via Thermal Vacuum and Microgravity and Vacuum Experiments

In-space joining technologies are crucial for stimulating an in-space economy and for enabling sustained space exploration by in-space manufacturing and repair of metallic structures. Compared to brazing or soldering, in-space welding (ISW) can provide highly hermetic, strong, and complex joints, potentially without introducing additional material. However, the influence of extreme temperatures, reduced pressure, and reduced gravity on ISW is not yet fully elucidated. Several efforts at NASA are investigating laser beam welding (LBW) as a joining and repair method in both thermal vacuum (TVAC) and combined vacuum & reduced gravity environments. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) shepherded several ISW projects in its past, including the 1973 electron beam welding on Skylab, the 1989 low-power LBW on parabolic flights, and the unflown 1990s-era In-Space Welding Experiment. Recent parabolic flights and 3 degree-of-freedom ground testing build upon this heritage. A collaboration with the Ohio State University using NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) hardware retrofitted for LBW achieved the first high-powered laser welds under vacuum and low gravity and developed a workforce capable developing such experimental hardware. A ground testing campaign at the MSFC Flat Floor simulated fit-up and welding representative of ISW in 3 degrees of freedom to emulate microgravity effects on inertial systems. One ongoing effort is a NASA Early Career Initiative project – Lunar Assembly and Servicing by Autonomous Robotics (LASAR). Ruggedized LBW components were developed by an external partner for use in TVAC. A TVAC-rated robotic arm was procured by MSFC and used in the first known robotic laser weld where all components save the laser generator were under vacuum. NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) is advancing supervised autonomy of ISW. NASA LaRC continues to adapt their unique snowflake joint geometry, suitable for connecting segments in trusses and other structures, to LBW. Upcoming TVAC campaigns will focus on testing extreme temperatures, proving out autonomous operations, and demonstrating weld repair. Weld inspection will occur via a non-contact nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technique – electromagnetic acoustic transduction (EMAT). Another ongoing effort based at MSFC is the DISCMAN -- DIsk-Shaped Configurable and Modular vAcuum uNit – which seeks to development a compact, modular payload that can provide a vacuum environment while in a reduced gravity condition. This payload could support multiple in-space manufacturing developmental efforts, with the first demonstration technology being LBW. Currently, the design is targeting operations in the pressurized volume of a space station, but the payload could readily be adapted to other flight platforms such as parabolic or even suborbital vehicles. LASAR elucidates the effects of temperature and vacuum on LBW while DISCMAN probes those of vacuum and gravity. Through these complementary efforts, NASA is addressing the primary challenges of ISW across the space environment while simultaneously developing and maturing technologies including robotic systems and inspection methodologies for future practical implementation on the Moon and beyond. This approach is timely, as upcoming missions requiring sustained human presence in space will depend on reliable ISW capabilities to create robust metallic joints currently unproven in the space environment and to perform repairs in situ .

hypogravity↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Bosch Carbon Catalyst Regeneration in Water II: Analysis of Bosch Catalyst Beads Throughout the Initial Regeneration Process

Catalyst integrity is an important factor in reactor longevity since it changes the effectiveness of a reaction. A Carbon Formation Reactor (CFR), used within Series Bosch (S-Bosch), utilizes an iron alloy catalyst to convert carbon monoxide and hydrogen into water and solid carbon. The catalyst promotes the formation of carbon to such an extent that pressure-causing clogs form within the reactor and reaction sites on the catalyst become limited. To remove carbon from both the reactor and the surface of the iron alloy catalyst, a technique was developed that utilizes water, an In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Resource, and agitation to regenerate the reactor. To ascertain catalyst integrity throughout this regenerative process, sample catalyst beads were taken before and after the carbon formation reaction, and then after the regeneration process. Additionally, wastewater from the regeneration process was sampled. The sampled beads and wastewater were observed under a Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) microscope and the beads were chemically etched to determine if the catalyst had degraded at any point during this process, and if catalyst was lost. Minimal catalyst degradation was observed after carbon formation in the CFR.

Series Bosch↗