Lunar Volatiles Extraction Technology for Future Fusion Power and Multi-Outpost Scale Human Space Exploration

The goal for this research was the measurement of helium release in a prototype volatiles extraction system designed for releasing solar wind implanted 3He from lunar regolith. This 3He could be used in future nuclear fusion power plants that would produce power with little to no radioactivity. This method of volatiles extraction also leads to the release of valuable life support and fuel volatiles that could support multi-outpost scale human space exploration in the future. For this research, the flow induced agitation release of helium from lunar regolith simulant within a heat pipe heat exchanger was measured. The experimental approach implemented for this research was to 1) implant lunar regolith simulant with helium, 2) process the implanted simulant by flowing it at a mass flow rate of up to 9 g/s through the tube array of a heat pipe heat exchanger and, 3) analyze samples of the processed implanted simulant for its remaining helium content with a vacuum furnace and mass spectrometer system. The experimental results of this research constitute the first measurements and quantification of the amount of agitation caused gas release from helium implanted regolith simulant in a heat pipe heat exchanger. The amount of agitation release increased with simulant flow rate. Appropriately incorporating agitation loss, by means of regolith flow over obstacles like the tubular elements of a heat pipe heat exchanger or otherwise, could lead to less complex or energy intensive future lunar volatiles extraction systems.