DEVELOPMENT OF A MEMBRANE-BASED ATMOSPHERE-CONTROL SUBSYSTEM

INTEGRATED PHYSICOCHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL CLOSED-LOOP LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEMS MUST BE DEVELOPED FOR HUMANS TO UNDERTAKE EXTENDED EXTRATERRESTRIAL MISSIONS. THESE SYSTEMSALMOST CERTAINLY WILL INCLUDE SEPARATE BUT INTEGRATED PLANT AND HUMAN HABITATS, NOT ONLY TO PROVIDE FOOD FOR HUMANS AND RECYCLE THEIR WASTE, BUT ALSO TO REPLENISH THE ATMOSPHERE. NO SUCH SYSTEM CURRENTLY EXISTS. THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP A MEMBRANE-BASED, ATMOSPHERE-CONTROL (MBAC) SUBSYSTEM TO SEPARATE OXYGEN FROM NITROGEN AND TO ENHANCE THE REMOVAL OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND WATER VAPOR FOR CONTROLLED REDISTRIBUTION BETWEEN THE PLANT AND HUMAN HABITATS. THE IMMEDIATE USE OF THIS SYSTEM WOULD BE TO AID NASA IN THE DEVELOPMENTAL STUDIES OF THESE HABITATS. THE AIM OF PHASE I WILL BE TO DEVELOP A COMPUTER MODEL FOR SUCH A SYSTEM AT STEADY STATE, AND TO REFINE THE MODEL THROUGH TESTS OF A BENCH-SCALE APPARATUS THAT SIMULATES THE MBAC SUBSYSTEM. IN PHASE II, THE MODEL WOULD BE FURTHER REFINED TO ADDRESS A MORE REALISTIC, DYNAMIC STATE, WITH THE AIM OF BUILDING A PREPROTOTYPE MBAC SUBSYSTEM. INTEGRATED PHYSICOCHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL CLOSED-LOOP LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEMS MUST BE DEVELOPED FOR HUMANS TO UNDERTAKE EXTENDED EXTRATERRESTRIAL MISSIONS. THESE SYSTEMSALMOST CERTAINLY WILL INCLUDE SEPARATE BUT INTEGRATED PLANT AND HUMAN HABITATS, NOT ONLY TO PROVIDE FOOD FOR HUMANS AND RECYCLE THEIR WASTE, BUT ALSO TO REPLENISH THE ATMOSPHERE. NO SUCH SYSTEM CURRENTLY EXISTS. THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP A MEMBRANE-BASED, ATMOSPHERE-CONTROL (MBAC) SUBSYSTEM TO SEPARATE OXYGEN FROM NITROGEN AND TO ENHANCE THE REMOVAL OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND WATER VAPOR FOR CONTROLLED REDISTRIBUTION BETWEEN THE PLANT AND HUMAN HABITATS. THE IMMEDIATE USE OF THIS SYSTEM WOULD BE TO AID NASA IN THE DEVELOPMENTAL STUDIES OF THESE HABITATS. THE AIM OF PHASE I WILL BE TO DEVELOP A COMPUTER MODEL FOR SUCH A SYSTEM AT STEADY STATE, AND TO REFINE THE MODEL THROUGH TESTS OF A BENCH-SCALE APPARATUS THAT SIMULATES THE MBAC SUBSYSTEM. IN PHASE II, THE MODEL WOULD BE FURTHER REFINED TO ADDRESS A MORE REALISTIC, DYNAMIC STATE, WITH THE AIM OF BUILDING A PREPROTOTYPE MBAC SUBSYSTEM.