Preliminary Analysis of a Membrane-Based Atmosphere-Control Subsystem

Controlled ecological life support systems will require subsystems for maintaining the concentrations of atmospheric gases within acceptable ranges in human habitat chambers and plant growth chambers. The goal of this work was to develop a membrane-based atmosphere control (MBAC) subsystem that allows the controlled exchange of atmospheric components (e.g., oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor) between these chambers. The MBAC subsystem promises to offer a simple, nonenergy intensive method to separate, store, and exchange atmospheric components, producing optimal concentrations of components in each chamber.

In this paper, the results of a preliminary analysis of the MBAC subsystem for control of oxygen and nitrogen are presented. Additionally, the MBAC subsystem and its operation are described.