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Electrolytic production of oxygen from lunar resources
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Keller, Rudolf |
| Copyright Year | 1991 |
| Description | Oxygen is a valuable commodity in space. Substantial savings have been projected for future missions if oxygen could be produced on the moon from local resources. Some of the most promising approaches to extract oxygen from lunar resources involve electrochemical oxygen generation. In a straight-forward concept called "magma electrolysis", suitable oxides (silicates) are molten at 1300-1500 °C and the melt electrolyzed. Residual melt can be discarded after partial electrolysis. Alternatively, lunar soil may be dissolved in a molten salt and electrolyzed. In this approach, temperatures are lower and melt conductances higher, but electrolyte constituents need to be preserved. Both possibilities are being studied in the laboratory. In a different approach, ilmenite is reduced by hydrogen and the resulting water electrolyzed (Carbotek Process TM). Although know-how from terrestrial technology can be applied, the process task is unconventional and requires many innovative solutions. Time and effort needed for successful development should not be underestimated. |
| File Size | 266548 |
| Page Count | 6 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_19910023236 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t5hb41p62 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 1991-09-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Inorganic, Organic And Physical Chemistry Oxygen Electrolysis Lunar Resources Molten Salts Lunar Soil Silicates Ilmenite Lunar Exploration Oxygen Production Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
