Mass and Volume efficient CO ₂ Removal and O ₂ Generation System

A system that combines CO₂ removal with the generation of O₂ and electrical power has been designed as a mass and volume efficient air revitalization approach in closed habitats intended for scientific research applications with small rodents (mice) in microgravity conditions. It is based on the chemical adsorption of CO₂ by metal superoxide (KO₂) to remove the CO₂ generated by mice. The system has been dimensioned for an unmanned 35-day duration mission and for a population of 40 mice. The analysis shows that this system is competitive in terms of mass, volume and power consumption with respect to systems based on CO₂ removal by LiOH absorption or zeolite molecular sieves, complemented with O₂ delivery by pressurized gas bottles, and dimensioned for the same mission conditions. A technology demonstrator breadboard has been built and experimental results have been obtained.