Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer
Advanced Mars Water Acquisition System
Project Description
The Advanced Mars Water Acquisition System (AMWAS) recovers and purifies water from Mars soils for oxygen and fuel production, life support, food production, and radiation shielding in support of human exploration missions. The AMWAS removes water from Mars soils using hot, recirculating carbon dioxide gas to provide rapid heat transfer. The AMWAS evaporates water from ice and salt hydrates, leaving dissolved contaminants in the soil residue. The water distilled from the extraction vessel is condensed, treated with activated carbon to remove residual volatiles and organic material, filtered to remove suspended solids, and subjected to deionization in preparation for proton exchange membrane electrolysis. Recuperative heat exchange is employed to minimize heat losses from recirculating carbon dioxide gas. Cold temperatures of the Mars atmosphere are used to facilitate condensation and separation of water from recycled carbon dioxide gas. A vacuum jacket is used to minimize heat losses from the extraction vessel. Much of the net heat input to the AMWAS can be supplied by solar concentrators or waste heat from radioisotope thermoelectric generators. The AMWAS vessel is equipped with a single, stationary seal that facilitates materials handling automation and minimizes potential leakage over the nominal operating period of up to 480 days.
More »
Anticipated Benefits
The primary application of AMWAS is for production of clean water from Mars soils for electrolysis, fuel and oxygen production, food production, and radiation shielding. The AMWAS can provide a reliable, low-cost, low-mass technology to produce water, hydrogen, and liquid oxygen on the surface of Mars out of indigenous materials at low power. The ability to extract water from Mars could also serve to supply the crew of Mars missions with water, which is the second most massive logistic component of a Mars mission. Smaller versions of the AMWAS could be used to help make the return propellant for a Mars sample return mission on the Martian surface, thereby making such a mission both cheaper to launch and much easier to land.
The AMWAS could be implemented in arid terrestrial climates for recovery of water from soils. Even in the driest regions of Earth, the regolith is several times wetter than on Mars, and the AMWAS can operate efficiently under those conditions. Regions that are too far from the coastline to economically pipe water may be potential markets. Units sized for vehicles traveling in desert regions could reduce logistical requirements for the military and civilians operating in remote areas, since it is very lightweight, cheap, and portable. By enabling agriculture in arid areas the AMWAS could also support the production of renewable energy in the form of biofuels. More »
The AMWAS could be implemented in arid terrestrial climates for recovery of water from soils. Even in the driest regions of Earth, the regolith is several times wetter than on Mars, and the AMWAS can operate efficiently under those conditions. Regions that are too far from the coastline to economically pipe water may be potential markets. Units sized for vehicles traveling in desert regions could reduce logistical requirements for the military and civilians operating in remote areas, since it is very lightweight, cheap, and portable. By enabling agriculture in arid areas the AMWAS could also support the production of renewable energy in the form of biofuels. More »
Project Library
Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneer Astronautics | Lead Organization | Industry | Lakewood, Colorado |
Glenn Research Center
(GRC)
|
Supporting Organization | NASA Center | Cleveland, Ohio |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
Colorado
-
Ohio
Suggest an Edit
Recommend changes and additions to this project record.