Reactive-Separator Process Unit for Lunar Regolith

NASA's plans for a lunar habitation outpost call out for process technologies to separate hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide gases from regolith product gas streams. A low-pressure drop separation unit is needed to remove these sulfur compounds from regolith process streams that is compact and lightweight. To this end, Reactive Innovations, LLC proposes a Phase II SBIR program to continue the development of an electrochemical reactive-separation unit to selectively bind and remove the sulfur compounds into a separated stream of sulfur-based compounds. During the Phase I program, we developed and successfully demonstrated an electrochemical reactive-separation platform that binds sulfur compounds via a charge transfer process to a redox carrier that is subsequently transported across a membrane separator releasing the sulfur components. The Phase II program will continue to develop the membrane electrode assemble to improve the separation process as well as transition this technology to RIL's advanced reactor platform for more extensive testing. The Phase I effort has brought this lunar regolith reactive-separator unit to a Technology Readiness Level of 3. The Phase II program will deliver an operational prototype at a TRL of 4-5. More »