Critical Factor Identification for Vacuum Regenerated Carbon Dioxide and Water Vapor Adsorption Beds

As the architecture of environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS) transitions to moderate-length missions, accommodating transports such as the crew exploration vehicle (CEV), vacuum regenerated carbon dioxide and water vapor removal systems becomes more practical. Carbon dioxide and water vapor partial pressure may be controlled through the use of zeolite molecular sieve adsorption systems as previously demonstrated by the Skylab missions. The design and performance of vacuum regenerated adsorption systems are governed by many factors, including process interface conditions, operational and interface configurations, and adsorbent bed configurations. The effects of these various factors were simulated using a transient adsorption model, and the results were correlated through design of experiments (DOE) methodology to identify the most critical factors.