Results for “OXYGEN PRODUCTION” — Page 10

NASA NTRS1991

Experimental data from an oxygen plant for Mars

Experimental data are presented on various aspects of the plant operation intended to produce oxygen from the atmospheric carbon dioxide at any Martian site. A solid electrolytic cell is used in the tubular geometry. Anaerobic carbon dioxide is procured from a gas vendor and is used at a pressure of 1 bar (entrance to the plant). The variables include the voltage applied to the cell, the temperature of the cell, the current density, the flow rate and the duty-cycle. The oxygen production rates have been consistent with the specifications of the cell manufacturer. It is projected that a plant weighing between 145 and 197 kg can be built to produce 10 kg of oxygen per day. Various operational characteristics such as cell poisoning, carbon formation, nitrogen embrittlement, local current densities exceeding the breakdown potential for the cell material, reliability, risk, are all being quantitatively assessed.

Schallhorn, P. A.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Solar photolysis of water

A cyclic process is described for the solar photolysis of water, including a first stage in which water is reduced in the presence of a Eu(+2) photooxidizable reagent producing hydrogen and spent oxidized Eu(+3) reagent. The spent reagent Eu(+3) is reduced by means of a transition metal ligand complex reductant, RuL(+3) in a photoexcited state, such as a ruthenium pyridyl complex. Due to competing reactions between the photolysis and regeneration products, the photooxidation reaction must be separated from the regeneration in space and time by supporting the reagent and/or the reductant on solid supports and utilizing pH, wavelength and flow control to maximize hydrogen and oxygen production.

Ryason, P. R.↗

NASA NTRS2024

NESC Ceramic Oxygen Generator (COG) Technology Development

The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) sponsored a project to accelerate the pace of technology development of a ceramic oxygen generator (COG), for NASA and COVID related medical use. NASA applications for this technology include spacesuit oxygen tank recharge, medical applications include providing medical oxygen in remote and low resource settings. During this project, five full-scale (i.e., 30 wafer) cell stacks were built and tested in prototype systems capable of producing pressurized oxygen. System testing measured oxygen product purity, delivery pressure, production rate, and energy use. This report describes ion transport membrane mechanisms, cell stack configuration, and test results.

Oxygen↗

NASA NTRS2024

NIAC Phase I Final Report Lunar South Pole Oxygen Pipeline (LSPOP)

The Lunar South Pole Oxygen Pipeline (LSPOP) Phase I NIAC, is to analyze the feasibility of constructing a pipeline at the Moon’s South Pole for transporting gaseous oxygen from point of generation to point of use. A lunar pipeline has never been pursued and will revolutionize lunar surface operations for the Artemis program and reduce cost and risk. Our starting concept is for a 5 km pipeline to transport oxygen gas from an oxygen production source, for example from our molten regolith electrolysis (MRE, currently at TRL 5, see references[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6] for technical discussions of the MRE process) extraction site, or any other source, to an oxygen storage/liquification plant near a lunar base. The pipeline is designed to: 1) be constructed robotically from regolith-derived metals with minimal material transferred from Earth, 2) be repairable robotically, 3) have an oxygen flow rate of ~2 kg/hour, which is commensurate with the NASA initial projected need of 10,000 kg/year, 4) operate with minimal power over the lifetime of the pipeline, with a goal of high operational reliability and the ability to survive in the lunar environment for > 10 years. We compare this concept to a pipeline concept with pipe produced on Earth and then transported to and assembled on the Moon. Both approaches will use earth-based compressors, valves, and fittings which are integrated into the pipeline on the Moon.

NIAC Phase I↗

NASA NTRS1988

Oxygen extraction for a mission life support

Research conducted to extract oxygen from air or water with possible applications to oxygen production on Mars, the moon, or the Space Station is discussed. The technology under development involves an electrochemical process which is energy-efficient, regenerative and, in combination with a fuel cell, will provide net positive power, and generate oxygen for life support systems. The history of chemical oxygen separation and details of the oxygen separation technology are presented.

Carnevale, Steven J.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Oxygen-enriched air for MHD power plants

Cryogenic air-separation process cycle variations and compression schemes are examined. They are designed to minimize net system power required to supply pressurized, oxygen-enriched air to the combustor of an MHD power plant with a coal input of 2000 MWt. Power requirements and capital costs for oxygen production and enriched air compression for enrichment levels from 13 to 50% are determined. The results are presented as curves from which total compression power requirements can be estimated for any desired enrichment level at any delivery pressure. It is found that oxygen enrichment and recuperative heating of MHD combustor air to 1400 F yields near-term power plant efficiencies in excess of 45%. A minimum power compression system requires 167 MW to supply 330 lb of oxygen per second and costs roughly 100 million dollars. Preliminary studies show MHD/steam power plants to be competitive with plants using high-temperature air preheaters burning gas.

Ebeling, R. W., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Lyman-alpha observations of Comet West /1975n/

The rate of hydrogen production of Comet West is studied through rocket observation of solar Lyman-alpha radiation resonantly scattered by the escaping hydrogen atoms. Two sets of Lyman-alpha exposure sequences are used to obtain computer-smoothed brightness contour (isophote) maps covering a density range of 100:1. A simple radial outflow model is applied to the contour maps to determine the rate of hydrogen production (3.2 by 10 to the 30th power atoms/sec.) Discrepancies between the observed shape of the outer isophotes and predicted models may be explained by optical depth effects, or by the presence of small pieces of the comet's nucleus distributed along the orbit. Hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen production for Comet West and Comet Kohoutek are compared; differences may be accounted for by variations in the composition or evolution of the two comets.

Opal, C. B.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Extraterrestrial surface propulsion systems

Lunar traction systems, Mars oxygen production, and Mars methane engine operation were the three topics studied during 1992. An elastic loop track system for lunar construction operations was redesigned and is being tested. A great deal of work on simulating the lunar environment to facilitate traction testing has been reported. Operation of an oxygen processor under vacuum conditions has been the focus of another design team. They have redesigned the processor facility. This included improved seals and heat shields. Assuming methane and oxygen can be produced from surface resources on Mars, a third design team has addressed the problem of using Mars atmospheric carbon dioxide to control combustion temperatures in an internal combustion engine. That team has identified appropriate tests and instrumentation. They have reported on the test rig that they designed and the computer-based system for acquiring data.

Ash, Robert L.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Hydrogen from renewable energy - Photovoltaic/water electrolysis as an exemplary approach

A feasibility study has been conducted for a NASA Kennedy Space Center liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen production facility using solar cell arrays as the power source for electrolysis. The 100 MW output of the facility would be split into 67.6 and 32 MW portions for electrolysis and liquefaction, respectively. The solar cell array would cover 1.65 sq miles, and would be made up of 249 modular 400-kW arrays. Hydrogen and oxygen are generated at either dispersed or centralized water electrolyzers. The yearly hydrogen output is projected to be 5.76 million lbs, with 8 times that much oxygen; these fuel volumes can support approximately 18 Space Shuttle launches/year.

Sprafka, R. J.↗

NASA NTRS2026

Prototype Demonstration of Solar Carbothermal System to Extract Oxygen from Regolith

The Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) project was an effort to develop a prototype system to demonstrate the extraction of oxygen from simulated lunar regolith using concentrated solar energy and a carbothermal reaction. The prototype consisted of a deployable solar concentrator capable of tracking the sun, carbothermal reactor, fluid system, gas analysis, and a solar concentrator control system consisting of avionics and software. These subsystems were developed by multiple NASA centers and a private industry partner, Sierra Space. The various teams worked together to define requirements and interfaces to successfully assemble the complex system and demonstrate an integrated solar carbothermal process. The solar concentrator developed at Glenn Research Center (GRC) was designed to be stowed for a launch environment then deployed on the lunar surface. It utilized a crossed dragone configuration of composite mirrors to direct horizontal sunlight onto a target 90° from the incoming sunlight. The key performance parameters for the solar concentrator were efficiency and power density. The carbothermal reactor was developed by Sierra Space through a separate project called the Carbothermal Oxygen Production Reactor (COPR) where it successfully demonstrated a fully automated process in a thermal vacuum environment. The fluid system needed for the carbothermal reaction was also developed by Sierra Space and successfully demonstrated in the same thermal vacuum test. The gas analysis system was developed at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and was required to determine the amount of oxygen extracted during each test. The gas analysis system was based on the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO) instrument. Avionics and software for the CaRD prototype were also developed at KSC and based on experience with MSOLO avionics and software. The control system was designed to stow, deploy, track the sun, and perform beam alignment of the concentrated light. The prototype subsystems were integrated and tested at Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Energy Systems Test Area. A heliostat was used to direct sunlight toward the prototype in a way that is representative of the sunlight conditions at the south pole of the Moon. When concentrated sunlight was focused on simulated lunar regolith within the reactor, the gas analysis team confirmed the presence of carbon monoxide gas, which confirmed that a solar carbothermal reaction took place. The key performance parameter for the integrated prototype was grams of oxygen extracted per kilowatt hour of energy arriving at the concentrator primary mirror. The prototype design successfully demonstrated end-to-end capability and further steps to achieve a flight capable system have been defined. With lunar data, engineers would be able to design a scaled-up system capable of extracting oxygen from regolith at useful quantities for crew life support and rocket propellant. On the long term, this method of In-Situ Resource Utilization could be used to drastically reduce the cost and risk of a sustained human presence on the Moon by reducing the amount of oxygen that would have to be delivered.

Aaron Paz↗

NASA NTRS2026

Prototype Demonstration of an Integrated Solar Concentrator System and Carbothermal Reactor Using Solar Energy to Extract Oxygen from Regolith

The Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) project was an effort to develop a prototype system to demonstrate the extraction of oxygen from simulated lunar regolith using concentrated solar energy and a carbothermal reaction. The prototype consisted of a deployable solar concentrator capable of tracking the sun, carbothermal reactor, fluid system, gas analysis, and a solar concentrator control system consisting of avionics and software. These subsystems were developed by multiple NASA centers and a private industry partner, Sierra Space. The various teams worked together to define requirements and interfaces to successfully assemble the complex system and demonstrate an integrated solar carbothermal process. The solar concentrator developed at Glenn Research Center (GRC) was designed to be stowed for a launch environment then deployed on the lunar surface. It utilized a crossed dragone configuration of composite mirrors to direct horizontal sunlight onto a target 90° from the incoming sunlight. The key performance parameters for the solar concentrator were efficiency and power density. The carbothermal reactor was developed by Sierra Space through a separate project called the Carbothermal Oxygen Production Reactor (COPR) where it successfully demonstrated a fully automated process in a thermal vacuum environment. The fluid system needed for the carbothermal reaction was also developed by Sierra Space and successfully demonstrated in the same thermal vacuum test. The gas analysis system was developed at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and was required to determine the amount of oxygen extracted during each test. The gas analysis system was based on the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO) instrument. Avionics and software for the CaRD prototype were also developed at KSC and based on experience with MSOLO avionics and software. The control system was designed to stow, deploy, track the sun, and perform beam alignment of the concentrated light. The prototype subsystems were integrated and tested at Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Energy Systems Test Area. A heliostat was used to direct sunlight toward the prototype in a way that is representative of the sunlight conditions at the south pole of the Moon. When concentrated sunlight was focused on simulated lunar regolith within the reactor, the gas analysis team confirmed the presence of carbon monoxide gas, which confirmed that a solar carbothermal reaction took place. The key performance parameter for the integrated prototype was grams of oxygen extracted per kilowatt hour of energy arriving at the concentrator primary mirror. The prototype design successfully demonstrated end-to-end capability and further steps to achieve a flight capable system have been defined. With lunar data, engineers would be able to design a scaled-up system capable of extracting oxygen from regolith at useful quantities for crew life support and rocket propellant. On the long term, this method of In-Situ Resource Utilization could be used to drastically reduce the cost and risk of a sustained human presence on the Moon by reducing the amount of oxygen that would have to be delivered.

Oxygen from Regolith↗

NASA NTRS2026

Prototype Demonstration of Solar-Carbothermal System to Extract Oxygen From Regolith

The Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) project was an effort to develop a prototype system to demonstrate the extraction of oxygen from simulated lunar regolith using concentrated solar energy and a carbothermal reaction. The prototype consisted of a deployable solar concentrator capable of tracking the sun, carbothermal reactor, fluid system, gas analysis, and a solar concentrator control system consisting of avionics and software. These subsystems were developed by multiple NASA centers and a private industry partner, Sierra Space. The various teams worked together to define requirements and interfaces to successfully assemble the complex system and demonstrate an integrated solar carbothermal process. The solar concentrator developed at Glenn Research Center (GRC) was designed to be stowed for a launch environment then deployed on the lunar surface. It utilized a crossed dragone configuration of composite mirrors to direct horizontal sunlight onto a target 90° from the incoming sunlight. The key performance parameters for the solar concentrator were efficiency and power density. The carbothermal reactor was developed by Sierra Space through a separate project called the Carbothermal Oxygen Production Reactor (COPR) where it successfully demonstrated a fully automated process in a thermal vacuum environment [1]. The fluid system needed for the carbothermal reaction was also developed by Sierra Space and successfully demonstrated in the same thermal vacuum test. The gas analysis system was developed at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and was required to determine the amount of oxygen extracted during each test. The gas analysis system was based on the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO) instrument. Avionics and software for the CaRD prototype were also developed at KSC and based on experience with MSOLO avionics and software. The control system was designed to stow, deploy, track the sun, and perform beam alignment of the concentrated light. The prototype subsystems were integrated and tested at Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Energy Systems Test Area. A heliostat was used to direct sunlight toward the prototype in a way that is representative of the sunlight conditions at the south pole of the Moon. When concentrated sunlight was focused on simulated lunar regolith within the reactor, the gas analysis team confirmed the presence of carbon monoxide gas, which confirmed that a solar carbothermal reaction took place. The key performance parameter for the integrated prototype was grams of oxygen extracted per kilowatt hour of energy arriving at the concentrator primary mirror. The prototype design successfully demonstrated end-to-end capability and further steps to achieve a flight capable system have been defined. With lunar data, engineers would be able to design a scaled-up system capable of extracting oxygen from regolith at useful quantities for crew life support and rocket propellant. On the long term, this method of In-Situ Resource Utilization could be used to drastically reduce the cost and risk of a sustained human presence on the Moon by reducing the amount of oxygen that would have to be delivered.

Koorosh R Araghi↗

NASA NTRS1974

Energy input to the lower thermosphere

The asymmetry in solar heat input to the upper atmosphere at the solstice, and the asymmetry in atomic oxygen production, are largely compensated by a large scale wind system towards the winter polar region. At magnetically disturbed times, atmospheric composition at high winter latitudes changes in such a way as to indicate that polar region heating by magnetic variations, energetic particle inputs, and current systems is more intense than solar heating at low latitudes, thus leading to a reversal of the normal pattern of upper atmospheric circulation. Uncertainties in the intensity of solar radiation responsible for upper atmospheric heating and oxygen dissociation, and uncertainties in the degree of oxygen dissociation in the upper atmosphere, are such that the average rates of eddy mixing may be significantly lower than frequently assumed for the lower thermosphere.

Johnson, F. S.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Effect of vibrationally excited oxygen on ozone production in the stratosphere

Photolysis of vibrationally excited oxygen produced by ultraviolet photolysis of ozone in the upper stratosphere is incorporated into the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory two-dimensional zonally averaged chemical-radiative-transport model of the troposphere and stratosphere. The importance of this potential contributor of odd oxygen to the concentration of ozone is evaluated based on recent information on vibrational distributions of excited oxygen and on preliminary studies of energy transfer from the excited oxygen. When energy transfer rate constants similar to those of Toumi et al. (1991) are assumed, increases in model ozone concentrations of up to 4.0% in the upper stratosphere are found, and the model ozone concentrations are found to agree slightly better with measurements, including recent data from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite. However, the ozone increase is only 0.3% when the larger energy transfer rate constants indicated by recent experimental work are applied to the model. An ozone increase of 1% at 50 km requires energy transfer rate constants one-twentieth those of the preliminary observations. As a result, vibrationally excited oxygen processes probably do not contribute enough ozone to be significant in models of the upper stratosphere.

Patten, K. O., Jr.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of the Volatile Monitoring Oxygen Measurement System

Extracting resources from the Lunar Regolith for oxygen production is a primary focus for the NASA in-situ resource utilization technology developments for the Artemis missions. The need to identify, separate, and purify extracted resources continuously evolves around state-of-the-art technology research and development and will also enable more sustainable space human exploration. A research team at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center comprised of the Applied Chemistry Laboratory and the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Laboratory have developed a versatile system able to focus on the extraction and quantification of oxygen. The system, Volatile Monitoring Oxygen Measurement System (VMOMS), can identify extracted oxygen from regolith processing technologies such as molten regolith electrolysis. The technology can quantify oxygen levels from a few parts per million, ppm, up to a 95% oxygen environment and detect other volatiles.

D. E. Essumang↗

NASA NTRS1976

Atmospheric engineering of Mars

The feasibility of creating a breathable atmosphere on Mars was studied. Assuming that indigenous life is absent, and that human habitation will prove economically justifiable, several methods of introducing oxygen were considered. On the basis of energy requirements, photosynthetic oxygen production appears to be reasonable, assuming that the amounts of water, carbon dioxide, and mineral nutrients available on the Martian surface would be adequate for the growth of photosynthetic microorganisms. However, optimum rates of O2 formation could occur only after a significant increase in average temperature and in atmospheric mass. The generation of a runaway greenhouse/advective effect was considered. However, neither the energy requirement nor the time constant for initiation could be calculated. There appear to be no insuperable obstacles to the conversion of the Martian atmosphere to one containing oxygen, but the conversion would require many thousands of years.

Macelroy, R. D.↗

NASA NTRS2011

A Review of Lunar Regolith Excavation Robotic Device Prototypes

The excavation of lunar regolith is desirable for use as a feedstock for oxygen production processes as well as civil engineering purposes and for the fabrication of parts and structures. This is known as In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). More recently, there has been mounting evidence that water ice exists at the poles of the Moon, buried in the regolith where thermally stable conditions exist. This means that regolith excavation will be required to mine the water ice which is believed to be. mixed in with the regolith, or bonded to it. The mined water ice can then be electrolyzed to produce hydrogen and oxygen propellants which could form the basis of a cis-lunar transportation system using in-situ derived propellants. In 2007, the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) sponsored a Lunar Regolith Excavation Competition as part of its Centennial Challenges program, The competition was not won and it was held again in 2008 and 2009, when it was won by a university team. A $500,000 prize was awarded to the winning team by NASA. In 2010, NASA continued the competition as a spinoff of the Centennial Challenges, which is restricted to university participation only. This competition is known as the "Lunabotics Mining Competition" and is hosted by NASA at Kennedy Space Center. Twenty three American university teams competed in the 2010 Lunabotics Mining Competition. The competition was held again in May 2011 with over 60 teams registered, including international participation. The competition will be held again in May 2012 at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. . This paper contains a thorough review of the various regolith eX,cavation robotic device prototypes that competed in these NASA competitions, and will. classify the machines and their methods of excavation to document the variety of ideas that were spawned and built to compete at these events. It is hoped that documentation of these robots will serve to help future robotic excavation designers and provide a historical reference for future lunar mining machine endeavors.

Mueller, Robert P.↗

NASA NTRS2019

A Multidisciplinary Modeling Approach of Plant Gas Exchange in Reduced Gravity Environments

In-situ food production is a necessary step for human exploration of the solar system and requires a deep understanding of plant growth in reduced gravity environments. In particular, the lack of buoyancy-driven convection changes the gas exchange at the leaf surface, which decreases photosynthesis and transpiration rates, and ultimately biomass production. To understand the intricate relations between physical, chemical, and biochemical processes, the following methodology combines the development of a mechanistic model of plant growth in reduced gravity environments, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, and experiments in different time frames.The model presented here is a coupled mass and energy balance using the single round leaf assumption, including gravity as an entry parameter, and the leaf surface temperature as an output variable. Measures of the leaf surface temperature using infra-red cameras allow for a computation of the transpiration rate. This approach was followed to design a parabolic flight experiment, which performed 7 flights, and enabled data collection for model validation in different gravity and ventilation settings on a short time frame. Current measures of carbon assimilation and transpiration rate at the leaf and canopy level using an infra-red gas analyzer (Li-6800) in 1g lab conditions on several species will enable a validation on longer time frames and further calibration of the model. CFD studies both on the parabolic flight and on the lab experimental set-up allow the precise assessment of ventilation above the canopy and plants' leaves.Ultimately, this work will provide recommendations for the design of future plant growth hardware, especially on the lowest adequate ventilation for optimal plant growth in reduced gravity environments, as well as assessing biomass and oxygen production rates on planetary surfaces and space stations. This work was funded by CNES, CNRS, Clermont Auvergne Metropole, and NASA Space Biology through NASA postdoctoral program / USRA.

Poulet, Lucie↗