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Author: Joshua Neubert Publisher: ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 37
Book Description
This research thesis compares the major, most feasible methods of providing the needed amounts of oxygen on the lunar surface for a future human mission. Past studies are combined to provide a comprehensive look at each process and their processing requirements (for example, the mass a processing plant requires, the speed at which the oxygen could be produced, and the cost of setting up such a processing system). There are three methods of in-situ oxygen production that will be researched: hydrothermal reduction, carbothermal reduction, and water/ice electrolysis. Transportation from the Earth is also noted as a basis of comparison. These three methods were chosen because they are the three simplest, most studied methods of regolith reduction to produce oxygen. There have been several studies done on these methods from which I base my research. Pure electrolysis is being studied because of the possibility of water ice at the lunar poles. All three processes are compared and analyzed under various lunar constraints. These constraints limit the feedstock of the system at different locations on the lunar surface. It is found that the water ice concentrations estimated at the north-pole are significantly above that needed to make ice electrolysis the most beneficial method of extraction. However, in mid-latitudes and the south-pole such a definite conclusion is not yet seen. In the south polar regions if the water ice concentration is in the lower half of the bound estimated then ice electrolysis is not the most beneficial, yet if it is in the upper half it will be at least more beneficial than the hydrothermal process, if not the most beneficial. More research must be conducted on the carbothermal system to make definite analysis quantitatively conclusive.
Author: Joshua Neubert Publisher: ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 37
Book Description
This research thesis compares the major, most feasible methods of providing the needed amounts of oxygen on the lunar surface for a future human mission. Past studies are combined to provide a comprehensive look at each process and their processing requirements (for example, the mass a processing plant requires, the speed at which the oxygen could be produced, and the cost of setting up such a processing system). There are three methods of in-situ oxygen production that will be researched: hydrothermal reduction, carbothermal reduction, and water/ice electrolysis. Transportation from the Earth is also noted as a basis of comparison. These three methods were chosen because they are the three simplest, most studied methods of regolith reduction to produce oxygen. There have been several studies done on these methods from which I base my research. Pure electrolysis is being studied because of the possibility of water ice at the lunar poles. All three processes are compared and analyzed under various lunar constraints. These constraints limit the feedstock of the system at different locations on the lunar surface. It is found that the water ice concentrations estimated at the north-pole are significantly above that needed to make ice electrolysis the most beneficial method of extraction. However, in mid-latitudes and the south-pole such a definite conclusion is not yet seen. In the south polar regions if the water ice concentration is in the lower half of the bound estimated then ice electrolysis is not the most beneficial, yet if it is in the upper half it will be at least more beneficial than the hydrothermal process, if not the most beneficial. More research must be conducted on the carbothermal system to make definite analysis quantitatively conclusive.
Author: Publisher: ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 71
Book Description
Increasing efficiency of future space exploration will require that missions utilize non-terrestrial resources for propellant manufacture. The vacuum pyrolysis method of oxygen production from lunar regolith presents a viable option for in situ propellant production because of its simple operation involving limited resources from earth. Lunar regolith, the fine layer of pulverized rock across the entire lunar surface, is composed of approximately forty percent oxygen in the form of metal oxides. Employing concentrated solar radiation to heat raw regolith beyond its respective vaporization temperatures will dissociate the regolith minerals and agglutinates into reduced oxides and gaseous oxygen. Once dissociated, rapid quenching will cause the reduced oxides to condense, releasing gaseous oxygen to be isolated and stored. Vacuum solar pyrolysis experiments involving terrestrial representatives of lunar regolith were completed at temperatures between 1000 degrees Celsius and 2000 degrees Celsius at a rough vacuum. A large Fresnel lens was employed to focus solar radiation on a small sample of regolith simulant, located in a vacuum chamber. Pyrolysis measurement data collected included pressure, temperature, mass loss, residual gas analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The complexity of the lunar environment presents new engineering challenges to a terrestrially proven pyrolysis system. The lunar pyrolysis oxygen production plant meets these challenges by a robust design that takes advantage of all the lunar resources. The technology readiness of an oxygen production plant will be demonstrated on an evolutionary path. Oxygen production yields are estimated at 6-23% of regolith mass depending upon oxide dissociation and condenser efficiency. This study provides an analysis of the infrastructure needed for an oxygen production plant through vapor phase pyrolysis on the lunar surface.
Author: Grant Heiken Publisher: CUP Archive ISBN: 9780521334440 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 796
Book Description
The only work to date to collect data gathered during the American and Soviet missions in an accessible and complete reference of current scientific and technical information about the Moon.
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