Center Innovation Fund: ARC CIF
Developing Cryogenic Heat Exchangers for Selective Cabin Air Separation
Project Description
Two HExs will be designed that will interface with in-house Stirling cryo coolers: the residual H2O/VOC cold trap, and the CO2 deposition chamber. We'll calculate surface area requirements for the subscale system using flow rates and cooling power, generate multiple CAD designs, and thermally model select ones to confirm performance of the design. Successful designs will be 3D printed in Cu and installed in the subscale cryo CO2 removal system. Performance and power savings will be compared to determine the most efficient prototypes. Next steps include incorporation of deep space passive thermal radiators to further reduce power. Proposal of full-scale CO2 removal ground system testing and eventually flight test system, as well as submission of technical papers, patent applications, and collaboration with industry partners that perform selective air separation processes.
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Anticipated Benefits
Any group invested in CO2 collection may benefit from this technology, including spacecraft cabin scrubbing on future missions (e.g. Gateway), Mars ISRU, EPA and sequestration efforts, industry gas separation, etc. Methods employing cryocoolers to collect CO2 are already being developed by some of these groups.
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Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Ames Research Center
(ARC)
|
Lead Organization | NASA Center | Moffett Field, California |
Marshall Space Flight Center
(MSFC)
|
Supporting Organization | NASA Center | Huntsville, Alabama |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
Alabama
-
California
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