Highlights Experimental determination of H2O(v) transport through packed beds of Lunar Highland and Lunar Mare Simulants. Piecewise model developed to predict H2O(v) transport in slip and Knudsen flow regimes. Diffusion and viscous flow permeability dependent on simulant particle size distribution.
Abstract H2O(v) transport through packed beds of lunar mare and lunar highland simulants was examined for relevant in-situ resource utilization conditions to inform volatile H2O extraction from the lunar surface. Experiments were conducted with different packed beds at average bed pressures of 105 and 3,960 Pa at ∼ 350 K for different flow regimes in the range of 0.47 < < 20.7. A piecewise model was used to describe the transition between the advective flow regime and the Knudsen flow regime. Non-linear regression was used to determine a tortuosity shape factor of 2.6175 ± 0.0092 and 0.0937 ± 0.0008, a transition Knudsen number of 1.5984 and 4.0995, and a viscous flow permeability of 0.8238 ± 0.0010 × 10-12 m2 and 5.4805 ± 0.0061 × 10-12 m2 for the lunar mare and lunar highland simulants, respectively. The resulting Knudsen diffusivities were 6.6530 ± 0.0018 cm2·s−1 and 18.9008 ± 0.0100 cm2·s−1, respectively. These results are necessary for informing the development of in-situ resource utilization technologies for the thermal extraction of H2O.
Characterization of H2O vapor transport through lunar mare and lunar highland simulants at low pressures for in-situ resource utilization
Advances in Space Research ; 72 , 2 ; 614-622
2023-03-10
9 pages
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
NTRS | 2018
|SAE Technical Papers | 1994
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