Advanced CO2 Removal System for Space Habitats

Description: Design and package an efficient, low power CO2 removal system for space habitats. In previous CERES graduate project sections, an ionic liquid-based CO2 removal system was developed. Characterization of thermal-, ultrasonic- and microwave-facilitated vacuum desorption of CO2 from the ionic liquid loop continues.  Also, HIVE and LOCCS graduate project teams constructed a low-to-moderate fidelity mockup of a lunar surface space habitat with a deployable airlock.  Building upon the work of these previous sections, the AY26/27 Human Space Flight team will characterize CO2 desorption from ionic liquids and package the ionic liquid-based CO2 removal system for implementation into the HIVE/LOCCS space habitat. 

Building upon the work of these previous sections, this Human Space Flight Graduate Projects section for AY26/27 has two research objectives:

1. Conduct fundamental research with the CERES test rig to characterize the efficacy of low power methods for CO2 removal.  Specifically, investigate these methods for CO2 desorption from ionic liquids:
   1. Adsorption/desorption efficiencies and rates
   2. Degradation over time
   3. Sizing and removal rate for crew load
   4. Humidity & trace contamination effects
   5. Evaluate materials for ionic fluid compatibility, durability, and maintainability for long-duration (i.e., 3-year) space exploration missions
2. Package and mockup the ionic liquid-based CO2 removal system for implementation into the HIVE/LOCCS lunar surface space habitat. 
   1. Design and package the CERES CO2 removal system to meet form, fit and functional requirements. 
   2. Assess for human factors 

Advisor: Stuart Tozer