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CO2 Removal from Mars EMU

Award Information
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Branch: N/A
Contract: NNX11CB43C
Agency Tracking Number: 095482
Amount: $599,145.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: X2.01
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2009
Award Year: 2011
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2011-06-02
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2013-12-01
Small Business Information
12345 W. 52nd Ave.
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033-1916
United States
DUNS: 181947730
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Gokhan Alptekin
 Principal Investigator
 (303) 940-2349
 galptekin@tda.com
Business Contact
 John Wright
Title: Vice President
Phone: (303) 940-2347
Email: krhodus@tda.com
Research Institution
 Stub
Abstract

A practical CO2 control system for ExtraVehicular Activity (EVA) on Mars have not yet been developed. TDA Research, Inc. proposes to develop a durable, high-capacity, continuously regenerable sorbent that can remove CO2 from the breathing loop. The energy for regeneration is provided by the metabolic load, and the sorbent can be regenerated at or above 6 torr, eliminating the potential for Martian atmosphere to leak into the regeneration bed and into the breathing loop.In Phase I, we demonstrated the feasibility of the concept in a series of bench-scale experiments and by conducting a preliminary system analysis. We showed the sorbent regeneration can be accomplished with a temperature swing of only 17ºC, The entire system runs at near ambient temperature, and the sorbent can be regenerated at 13 torr (well above the Martian atmospheric pressure). We also performed over 1,000 adsorption/regeneration cycles to demonstrate the life of these sorbents. The major objective in Phase II is to design and fabricate a full-scale breadboard prototype unit to demonstrate the merits of the new technology. We will also improve the sorbent formulation.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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