Pyrometer for Regolith-Extracted Oxygen

Hedgefog Research Inc. (HFR) is developing a multicolor Pyrometer for Regolith-extracted Oxygen (PyRO) for use in foundries designed to extract oxygen from lunar regolith on the surface of the Moon. The flexible design of the sensor allows for accurate temperature determination for systems with well-known emissivity values as well as accurate high-temperature measurement for systems in which the temperature- and wavelength-dependent emissivities are unknown. Crucially for this application, the sensor will be constructed to operate in a dust-proof, non-outgassing package under significant radiant heating loads and a highly corrosive environment without polluting extracted oxygen/water/metals. While optimized for several methods of resource extraction from lunar highland regolith, PyRO is adaptable for non-contact temperature measurement of any practical system. The vacuum-compatible design and low size, weight and power requirements will allow for a portable version to be developed for use by human or robotic settlers beyond Earth. In Phase I, HFR built a PyRO prototype, evaluated its performance in non-contact temperature measurement, and down-selected key components and enabling technologies for future development. We have also produced a preliminary design for the fully-packaged PyRO prototype optimized for temperature stability, corrosion resistance, and lunar deployment that will be constructed during the Phase II effort.