NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Modeling Separate and Combined Atmospheres in BIO-PlexWe modeled BIO-Plex designs with separate or combined atmospheres and then simulated controlling the atmosphere composition. The BIO-Plex is the Bioregenerative Planetary Life Support Systems Test Complex, a large regenerative life support test facility under development at NASA Johnson Space Center. Although plants grow better at above-normal carbon dioxide levels, humans can tolerate even higher carbon dioxide levels. Incinerator exhaust has very high levels of carbon dioxide. An elaborate BIO-Plex design would maintain different atmospheres in the crew and plant chambers and isolate the incinerator exhaust in the airlock. This design easily controls the crew and plant carbon dioxide levels but it uses many gas processors, buffers, and controllers. If all the crew's food is grown inside BIO-Plex, all the carbon dioxide required by the plants is supplied by crew respiration and the incineration of plant and food waste. Because the oxygen mass flow must balance in a closed loop, the plants supply all the oxygen required by the crew and the incinerator. Using plants for air revitalization allows using fewer gas processors, buffers, and controllers. In the simplest design, a single combined atmosphere was used for the crew, the plant chamber, and the incinerator. All gas processors, buffers, and controllers were eliminated. The carbon dioxide levels were necessarily similar for the crew and plants. If most of the food is grown, carbon dioxide can be controlled at the desired level by scheduling incineration. An intermediate design uses one atmosphere for the crew and incinerator chambers and a second for the plant chamber. This allows different carbon dioxide levels for the crew and plants. Better control of the atmosphere is obtained by varying the incineration rate. Less gas processing storage and control is needed if more food is grown.
Document ID
20000121173
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Jones, Harry
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Finn, Cory
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Kwauk, Xianmin
(Sverdrup Technology, Inc. Moffett Field, CA United States)
Blackwell, Charles
(Lockheed Martin Engineering and Science Services Moffett Field, CA United States)
Luna, Bernadette
Date Acquired
August 19, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2000
Subject Category
Man/System Technology And Life Support
Meeting Information
Meeting: Life Support and Biosphere Science
Location: Baltimore, MD
Country: United States
Start Date: August 6, 2000
End Date: August 9, 2000
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 131-20-10
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available