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At least 19 records

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NASA NTRS1972

Development of a solid polymer electrolyte electrolysis cell module and ancillary components for a breadboard water electrolysis system

Solid polymer electrolyte technology in a water electrolysis system along with ancillary components to generate oxygen and hydrogen for a manned space station application are considered. Standard commercial components are utilized wherever possible. Presented are the results of investigations, surveys, tests, conclusions and recommendations for future development efforts.

Porter, F. J., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Electrolysis Performance Improvement Concept Study (EPICS) flight experiment phase C/D

The overall purpose of the Electrolysis Performance Improvement Concept Study flight experiment is to demonstrate and validate in a microgravity environment the Static Feed Electrolyzer concept as well as investigate the effect of microgravity on water electrolysis performance. The scope of the experiment includes variations in microstructural characteristics of electrodes and current densities in a static feed electrolysis cell configuration. The results of the flight experiment will be used to improve efficiency of the static feed electrolysis process and other electrochemical regenerative life support processes by reducing power and expanding the operational range. Specific technologies that will benefit include water electrolysis for propulsion, energy storage, life support, extravehicular activity, in-space manufacturing and in-space science in addition to other electrochemical regenerative life support technologies such as electrochemical carbon dioxide and oxygen separation, electrochemical oxygen compression and water vapor electrolysis. The Electrolysis Performance Improvement Concept Study flight experiment design incorporates two primary hardware assemblies: the Mechanical/Electrochemical Assembly and the Control/Monitor Instrumentation. The Mechanical/Electrochemical Assembly contains three separate integrated electrolysis cells along with supporting pressure and temperature control components. The Control/Monitor Instrumentation controls the operation of the experiment via the Mechanical/Electrochemical Assembly components and provides for monitoring and control of critical parameters and storage of experimental data.

Schubert, F. H.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Water Electrolysis for In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)

Sending humans to Mars for any significant amount of time will require capabilities and technologies that enable Earth independence. To move towards this independence, the resources found on Mars must be utilized to produce the items needed to sustain humans away from Earth. To accomplish this task, NASA is studying In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) systems and techniques to make use of the atmospheric carbon dioxide and the water found on Mars. Among other things, these substances can be harvested and processed to make oxygen and methane. Oxygen is essential, not only for sustaining the lives of the crew on Mars, but also as the oxidizer for an oxygen-methane propulsion system that could be utilized on a Mars ascent vehicle. Given the presence of water on Mars, the electrolysis of water is a common technique to produce the desired oxygen. Towards this goal, NASA designed and developed a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) water electrolysis system, which was originally slated to produce oxygen for propulsion and fuel cell use in the Mars Atmosphere and Regolith COllector/PrOcessor for Lander Operations (MARCO POLO) project. As part of the Human Exploration Spacecraft Testbed for Integration and Advancement (HESTIA) project, this same electrolysis system, originally targeted at enabling in situ propulsion and power, operated in a life-support scenario. During HESTIA testing at Johnson Space Center, the electrolysis system supplied oxygen to a chamber simulating a habitat housing four crewmembers. Inside the chamber, oxygen was removed from the atmosphere to simulate consumption by the crew, and the electrolysis system's oxygen was added to replenish it. The electrolysis system operated nominally throughout the duration of the HESTIA test campaign, and the oxygen levels in the life support chamber were maintained at the desired levels.

Lee, Kristopher A.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Degradation of Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia in Molten Regolith Electrolysis Applications

The generation of oxygen from lunar resources is an enabling technology to support a sustained human presence on the lunar surface. Molten regolith electrolysis is a promising process for directly electrolyzing lunar regolith, which is primarily a mixture of oxide minerals. During electrolysis, metallic products (Fe, Si) are formed at the cathode and oxygen is produced at the anode. In order to perform electrolysis, the regolith must be molten to enable ionic transport of metallic cations and oxygen anions, requiring an operating temperature of 1600C. Common refractory oxide materials, such as Al2O3 and MgO, undergo rapid degradation due to the high operating temperature and contact with the corrosive molten regolith. This work investigates yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) for molten regolith electrolysis applications. Corrosion studies are presented to elucidate the degradation mechanism of YSZ powders and crucibles exposed to lunar regolith simulants at 1600C. Two regolith simulants are used to represent regolith from the lunar maria (JSC-1A) and the lunar highlands (LHS-1). Degradation of YSZ in contact with regolith simulants is evaluated using SEM/EDS, XRD, and EBSD. Furthermore, a modified molten regolith electrolysis reactor is presented utilizing YSZ at the anode to enable facile collection of oxygen produced during electrolysis.

Kevin Yu↗

NASA NTRS2009

Gadolinia-Doped Ceria Cathodes for Electrolysis of CO2

Gadolinia-doped ceria, or GDC, (Gd(0.4)Ce(0.6)O(2-delta), where the value of delta in this material varies, depending on the temperature and oxygen concentration in the atmosphere in which it is being used) has shown promise as a cathode material for high-temperature electrolysis of carbon dioxide in solid oxide electrolysis cells. The polarization resistance of a GDC electrode is significantly less than that of an otherwise equivalent electrode made of any of several other materials that are now in use or under consideration for use as cathodes for reduction of carbon dioxide. In addition, GDC shows no sign of deterioration under typical temperature and gas-mixture operating conditions of a high-temperature electrolyzer. Electrolysis of CO2 is of interest to NASA as a way of generating O2 from the CO2 in the Martian atmosphere. On Earth, a combination of electrolysis of CO2 and electrolysis of H2O might prove useful as a means of generating synthesis gas (syngas) from the exhaust gas of a coal- or natural-gas-fired power plant, thereby reducing the emission of CO2 into the atmosphere. The syngas a mixture of CO and H2 could be used as a raw material in the manufacture, via the Fisher-Tropsch process, of synthetic fuels, lubrication oils, and other hydrocarbon prod

Adler, Stuart B.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of a Cold-Walled Molten Regolith Electrolysis Reactor for Lunar Oxygen Production

On the lunar surface, production of commodi-ties to support human presence, such as water, food and oxygen, and sustain the growth of a per-manent outpostwill likely require the use oflocal resources. The moon is covered almost entirely withfragmented oxide minerals known as regolithhundreds of meter thick.As a resource, it is rich in oxygen (> 42 wt.%) bound in a solid state with a variety of metals. The molten regolith electrolysis (MRE)reactor is a promising technology for the production of gaseous oxygen from the lunar reg-olithin a simple, single-stepreaction that requires minimalconsumable materials, produces oxygen and metals with high electrical efficiency and high yields from any regolithcomposition.This process involvesmelting regolith to~1600°C then electro-lyzing the molten pool to separate metal and oxy-gen ions that are then collected as liquid metal and gaseous oxygen at the respective electrodes. Lab-scale demonstrations of the MRE technology have previously reliedon external heating sources to bring the entirety of the reactor up to the operating temperaturewhich creates corrosive interfaces be-tween the molten regolith and the containment ma-terial in the reactor, limiting the overall lifespan of a reactor[1]. The Gaseous Lunar Oxygen from Regolith Electrolysis (GaLORE) project is focused on the development of a “cold-walled” or “Joule-heated” reactor design in which an internal heating source is used to selectively melt a pool of regolith between the electrodes of the reactor, leaving a shell of solidified regolith between the molten pool and the containment vessel of the reactor. This next generation reactor concept has been under development as molten oxide electrolysis (MOE) by MIT and Boston Metal for the production of iron from pure ores for terrestrial application [2]. The GaLORE project in engaged in early development of the technology for use with varying lunar regolith compositionsin the lunar environment. Thermal modelling of a proposed cold-walledreac-tor design were used as a scaffold to develop pa-rameters for a feasible reactor shape and size as well as target energy consumption[3]. The current development effort for the cold-walled reactor de-sign will be presented as a trade study of the most promising techniques for melting regolithwithin the constraints imposed by the lunar environment.Heater devices are designed to accommodate lim-ited electrical power availabilityon the moon, a wide range of regolith compositions that may be seen on the moon, limited metals available for re-placing consumed parts,and the low thermal con-ductivity of granular regolith in vacuum.Heater de-vices will be down-selectedbased on performance measurements within the above operationalcon-straints,and selected devices will be integrated into a reactor with electrodes to begin producing oxygen. [1]Sibille,L.,Sadoway, D.R.,Sirk, A., Tripathy,P.,Melendez, O., Standish, E., Dominguez, J. A., Stefanescu, D.M.,Curreri, P.A., Poizeau,S.,2009. “Recent Advancesin Scale-up Development of Molten Regolith Electrolysis for Oxygen Production in support of a Lunar Base.”AIAA 2009-659, 47th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, 5 -8 January 2009, Orlando, FL. [2] Boston Metal, https://www.boston-metal.com/moe-technology/#moe-process[3]Schreiner, S.S.,Sibille, L., Dominguez, J.A., Hoffman, J.A., 2016. "A parametric sizing model for Molten Regolith Electrolysis reactors to pro-duce oxygen on the Moon." Advances in Space Research 57.,7,1585-1603.

K D Grossman↗

NASA NTRS1977

Technology advancement of the static feed water electrolysis process

A program to advance the technology of oxygen- and hydrogen-generating subsystems based on water electrolysis was studied. Major emphasis was placed on static feed water electrolysis, a concept characterized by low power consumption and high intrinsic reliability. The static feed based oxygen generation subsystem consists basically of three subassemblies: (1) a combined water electrolysis and product gas dehumidifier module; (2) a product gas pressure controller and; (3) a cyclically filled water feed tank. Development activities were completed at the subsystem as well as at the component level. An extensive test program including single cell, subsystem and integrated system testing was completed with the required test support accessories designed, fabricated, and assembled. Mini-product assurance activities were included throughout all phases of program activities. An extensive number of supporting technology studies were conducted to advance the technology base of the static feed water electrolysis process and to resolve problems.

Schubert, F. H.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Advancements in oxygen generation and humidity control by water vapor electrolysis

Regenerative processes for the revitalization of manned spacecraft atmospheres or other manned habitats are essential for realization of long-term space missions. These processes include oxygen generation through water electrolysis. One promising technique of water electrolysis is the direct conversion of the water vapor contained in the cabin air to oxygen. This technique is the subject of the present program on water vapor electrolysis development. The objectives were to incorporate technology improvements developed under other similar electrochemical programs and add new ones; design and fabricate a mutli-cell electrochemical module and a testing facility; and demonstrate through testing the improvements. Each aspect of the water vapor electrolysis cell was reviewed. The materials of construction and sizing of each element were investigated analytically and sometime experimentally. In addition, operational considerations such as temperature control in response to inlet conditions were investigated. Three specific quantitative goals were established.

Heppner, D. B.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Three-Man Solid Electrolyte Carbon Dioxide Electrolysis Breadboard

The development of the Three-Man (2.2 lb CO2/man-day) Solid Electrolyte CO2 Electrolysis Breadboard consisted of a Phase 1 and 2 effort. The Phase 1 effort constituted fabrication of three electrolysis cell types and performing parametric testing, off-design testing, and cell life testing. The Phase 2 consisted of the preliminary design, incorporation of palladium (Pd) tubes for hydrogen separation from the electrolyzer cathode feed gases, design support testing, final design, fabrication, and performance testing of the breadboard system. The results of performance tests demonstrated that CO2 electrolysis in an oxygen reclamation system for long duration space-based habitats is feasible. Closure of the oxygen system loop, therefore, can be achieved by CO2 electrolysis. In a two step process the metabolic CO2 and H2O vapor are electrolyzed into O2, H2, and CO. The CO can subsequently be disproportionated into carbon and CO2 in a carbon deposition reactor and the CO2 in turn be recycled and electrolyzed for total O2 recovery. The development effort demonstrated electrolyzer system can be designed and built to operate safely and reliably and the incorporation of Pd tubes for hydrogen diffusion can be integrated safely with predictable performance.

Isenberg, Arnold O.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Endurance Test and Evaluation of Alkaline Water Electrolysis Cells

The overall objective of this program is to assess the state of alkaline water electrolysis cell technology and its potential as part of a Regenerative Fuel Cell System (RFCS) of a multikilowatt orbiting powerplant. The program evaluates the endurance capabilities of alkaline electrolyte water electrolysis cells under various operating conditions, including constant condition testing, cyclic testing and high pressure testing. The RFCS demanded the scale-up of existing cell hardware from 0.1 sq ft active electrode area to 1.0 sq ft active electrode area. A single water electrolysis cell and two six-cell modules of 1.0 sq ft active electrode area were designed and fabricated. The two six-cell 1.0 sq ft modules incorporate 1.0 sq ft utilized cores, which allow for minimization of module assembly complexity and increased tolerance to pressure differential. A water electrolysis subsystem was designed and fabricated to allow testing of the six-cell modules. After completing checkout, shakedown, design verification and parametric testing, a module was incorporated into the Regenerative Fuel Cell System Breadboard (RFCSB) for testing at Life Systems, Inc., and at NASA JSC.

Kovach, Andrew J.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Electrolysis Propulsion for Spacecraft Applications

Electrolysis propulsion has been recognized over the last several decades as a viable option to meet many satellite and spacecraft propulsion requirements. This technology, however, was never used for in-space missions. In the same time frame, water based fuel cells have flown in a number of missions. These systems have many components similar to electrolysis propulsion systems. Recent advances in component technology include: lightweight tankage, water vapor feed electrolysis, fuel cell technology, and thrust chamber materials for propulsion. Taken together, these developments make propulsion and/or power using electrolysis/fuel cell technology very attractive as separate or integrated systems. A water electrolysis propulsion testbed was constructed and tested in a joint NASA/Hamilton Standard/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories program to demonstrate these technology developments for propulsion. The results from these testbed experiments using a I-N thruster are presented. A concept to integrate a propulsion system and a fuel cell system into a unitized spacecraft propulsion and power system is outlined.

deGroot, Wim A.↗

NASA NTRS2003

From Oxygen Generation to Metals Production: In Situ Resource Utilization by Molten Oxide Electrolysis

For the exploration of other bodies in the solar system, electrochemical processing is arguably the most versatile technology for conversion of local resources into usable commodities: by electrolysis one can, in principle, produce (1) breathable oxygen, (2) silicon for the fabrication of solar cells, (3) various reactive metals for use as electrodes in advanced storage batteries, and (4) structural metals such as steel and aluminum. Even so, to date there has been no sustained effort to develop such processes, in part due to the inadequacy of the database. The objective here is to identify chemistries capable of sustaining molten oxide electrolysis in the cited applications and to examine the behavior of laboratory-scale cells designed to generate oxygen and to produce metal. The basic research includes the study of the underlying high-temperature physical chemistry of oxide melts representative of lunar regolith and of Martian soil. To move beyond empirical approaches to process development, the thermodynamic and transport properties of oxide melts are being studied to help set the limits of composition and temperature for the processing trials conducted in laboratory-scale electrolysis cells. The goal of this investigation is to deliver a working prototype cell that can use lunar regolith and Martian soil to produce breathable oxygen along with metal by-product. Additionally, the process can be generalized to permit adaptation to accommodate different feedstock chemistries, such as those that will be encountered on other bodies in the solar system. The expected results of this research include: (1) the identification of appropriate electrolyte chemistries; (2) the selection of candidate anode and cathode materials compatible with electrolytes named above; and (3) performance data from a laboratory-scale cell producing oxygen and metal. On the strength of these results it should be possible to assess the technical viability of molten oxide electrolysis for in situ resource utilization on the Moon and Mars. In parallel, there may be commercial applications here on earth, such as new green technologies for metals extraction and for treatment of hazardous waste, e.g., fixing heavy metals.

Khetpal, Deepak↗

NASA NTRS2009

Production of Oxygen from Lunar Regolith by Molten Oxide Electrolysis

This paper describes the use of the molten oxide electrolysis (MOE) process for the extraction of oxygen for life support and propellant, and silicon and metallic elements for use in fabrication on the Moon. The Moon is rich in mineral resources, but it is almost devoid of chemical reducing agents, therefore, molten oxide electrolysis is ideal for extraction, since the electron is the only practical reducing agent. MOE has several advantages over other extraction methods. First, electrolytic processing offers uncommon versatility in its insensitivity to feedstock composition. Secondly, oxide melts boast the twin key attributes of highest solubilizing capacity for regolith and lowest volatility of any candidate electrolytes. The former is critical in ensuring high productivity since cell current is limited by reactant solubility, while the latter simplifies cell design by obviating the need for a gas-tight reactor to contain evaporation losses as would be the case with a gas or liquid phase fluoride reagent operating at such high temperatures. Alternatively, MOE requires no import of consumable reagents (e.g. fluorine and carbon) as other processes do, and does not rely on interfacing multiple processes to obtain refined products. Electrolytic processing has the advantage of selectivity of reaction in the presence of a multi-component feed. Products from lunar regolith can be extracted in sequence according to the stabilities of their oxides as expressed by the values of the free energy of oxide formation (e.g. chromium, manganese, Fe, Si, Ti, Al, magnesium, and calcium). Previous work has demonstrated the viability of producing Fe and oxygen from oxide mixtures similar in composition to lunar regolith by molten oxide electrolysis (electrowinning), also called magma electrolysis having shown electrolytic extraction of Si from regolith simulant. This paper describes recent advances in demonstrating the MOE process by a joint project with participation by NASA KSC and MSFC, and Ohio State University and MIT. Progress in measuring cell efficiency for oxygen production, development of non reacting electrodes, and cell feeding and withdrawal will be discussed.

Curreri, Peter A.↗

NASA NTRS2010

The Concept and Analytical Investigation of CO2 and Steam Co-Electrolysis for Resource Utilization in Space Exploration

CO2 acquisition and utilization technologies will have a vital role in designing sustainable and affordable life support and in situ fuel production architectures for human and robotic exploration of Moon and Mars. For long-term human exploration to be practical, reliable technologies have to be implemented to capture the metabolic CO2 from the cabin air and chemically reduce it to recover oxygen. Technologies that enable the in situ capture and conversion of atmospheric CO2 to fuel are essential for a viable human mission to Mars. This paper describes the concept and mathematical analysis of a closed-loop life support system based on combined electrolysis of CO2 and steam (co-electrolysis). Products of the coelectrolysis process include oxygen and syngas (CO and H2) that are suitable for life support and synthetic fuel production, respectively. The model was developed based on the performance of a co-electrolysis system developed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Individual and combined process models of the co-electrolysis and Sabatier, Bosch, Boudouard, and hydrogenation reactions are discussed and their performance analyses in terms of oxygen production and CO2 utilization are presented.

McKellar, Michael G.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Microbial Challenge Testing of Single Liquid Cathode Feed Water Electrolysis Cells for the International Space Station (ISS) Oxygen Generator Assembly (OGA)

The International Space Station (ISS) Oxygen Generator Assembly (OGA) operational performance may be adversely impacted by microbiological growth and biofilm formation over the electrolysis cell membranes. Biofilms could hinder the transport of water from the bulk fluid stream to the membranes and increase the cell concentration overpotential resulting in higher cell voltages and a shorter cell life. A microbial challenge test was performed on duplicate single liquid-cathode feed water electrolysis cells to evaluate operational performance with increasing levels of a mixture of five bacteria isolated from ISS and Space Shuttle potable water systems. Baseline performance of the single water electrolysis cells was determined for approximately one month with deionized water. Monthly performance was also determined following each inoculation of the feed tank with 100, 1000, 10,000 and 100,000 cells/ml of the mixed suspension of test bacteria. Water samples from the feed tank and recirculating water loops for each cell were periodically analyzed for enumeration and speciation of bacteria and total organic carbon. While initially a concern, this test program has demonstrated that the performance of the electrolysis cell is not adversely impacted by feed water containing the five species of bacteria tested at a concentration measured as high as 1,000,000 colony forming units (CFU)/ml. This paper presents the methodologies used in the conduct of this test program along with the performance test results at each level of bacteria concentration.

Roy, Robert J.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Ground-based Design of a Test System to Evaluate Static Vapor Feed Electrolysis for Oxygen Generation

NASA designed a test facility to evaluate the performance of a Static Vapor Feed Electrolysis (SVFE) cell stack to determine its viability as an alternative technology to the state-of-the-art Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) to generate oxygen for habitable spacecraft environments. Static Vapor Feed Electrolysis differs from the liquid cathode-feed process utilized by the OGA in that the electrolysis process occurs entirely in the gas phase, operates at a higher pressure than OGA, and potentially requires a simpler balance-of-plant system. Pressurized liquid water is statically-fed, i.e. dead-headed, through a vapor-permeable membrane into the electrolysis chamber of the cell stack. The water vapor is then electrolyzed into hydrogen and oxygen in the cathode and anode chambers, respectively, all the while maintaining above-ambient pressures to eliminate water condensation in the oxygen and hydrogen product streams. This paper presents the design of the test facility and accompanying required balance-of-plant that will be used to test the SVFE cell stack.

Zeeshan Khawar↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Feasibility Testing of Silver Electrolysis for Disinfection of Spacecraft Potable Water Systems

Anodic dissolution of silver electrodes, or “silver electrolysis,” is being investigated as a means of introducing biocidal silver into potable water on exploration spacecraft. A proof-of-concept prototype of a silver electrolysis reactor was developed, and feasibility was demonstrated for imparting a target silver concentration into a spacecraft water system. Prototype testing showed that the primary initial concerns related to the technology - inefficiencies of electrolysis in low conductivity water, the potential formation of resistive oxides on the electrode surfaces, and the potential for release of electrolytically-generated silver particles to the effluent water - were not problematic over the duration of the feasibility testing. The testing also demonstrated advantages of the technology, including the ability to consistently deliver silver at targeted concentrations and the ability to directly correlate the silver concentration to measurements of water conductivity. On the other hand, the reliability of the system has not yet been demonstrated. During prototype testing, intermittent periods of poor reactor performance manifested as a decrease in voltage accompanied by a decrease in silver output. It was determined that the cause of this behavior was silver-based deposits on inter-electrode wetted surfaces forming a conductive “bridge” between electrodes. Ongoing testing and refinement of the prototype reactor design seek to elucidate the root cause the bridging phenomenon and identify associated mitigation strategies. Once resolved, long-term performance testing is planned as part of continued development of the electrolytic silver dosing system.

Silver↗

NASA NTRS1975

Solid polymer electrolyte water electrolysis system development

Solid polymer electrolyte technology used in a water electrolysis system (WES) to generate oxygen and hydrogen for manned space station applications was investigated. A four-man rated, low pressure breadboard water electrolysis system with the necessary instrumentation and controls was fabricated and tested. A six man rated, high pressure, high temperature, advanced preprototype WES was developed. This configuration included the design and development of an advanced water electrolysis module, capable of operation at 400 psig and 200 F, and a dynamic phase separator/pump in place of a passive phase separator design. Evaluation of this system demonstrated the goal of safe, unattended automated operation at high pressure and high temperature with an accumulated gas generation time of over 1000 hours.

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