The acquisition and storage of buffer gases (primarily argon and nitrogen) from the Mars atmosphere provides a valuable resource for blanketing and pressurizing fuel tanks and as a buffer gas for breathing air for manned missions. During the acquisition of carbon dioxide ( CO 2 ), whether by sorption bed or cryo-freezer, the accompanying buffer gases build up in the carbon dioxide acquisition system, reduce the flow of CO 2 to the bed, and lower system efficiency. It is this build up of buffer gases that provide a convenient source, which must be removed, for efficient capture of CO 2 . Removal of this buffer gas barrier greatly improves the charging rate of the CO 2 acquisition bed and, thereby, maintains the fuel production rates required for a successful mission. Consequently, the acquisition, purification, and storage of these buffer gases are important goals of ISRU plans. Purity of the buffer gases is a concern e.g., if the CO 2 freezer operates at 140 K, the composition of the inert gas would be approximately 21 percent CO 2 , 50 percent nitrogen, and 29 percent argon. Although there are several approaches that could be used, this effort focused on a hollow-fiber membrane (HFM) separation method. This study measured the permeation rates of CO 2 , nitrogen ( N 2 ), and argon (Ar) through a multiple-membrane system and the individual membranes from room temperature to 193 K and 10 kPa to 300 kPa. Concentrations were measured with a gas chromatograph. The end result was data necessary to design a system that could separate CO 2 , N 2 , and Ar.


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    Title :

    Buffer gas acquisition and storage


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    Space Technology and Applications International Forum - 2001 ; 2001 ; Albuquerque, New Mexico


    Published in:

    AIP Conference Proceedings ; 552 , 1 ; 133-138


    Publication date :

    2001-02-02


    Size :

    6 pages





    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English



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