On-orbit Testing of the Advanced Closed Loop System ACLS

Date

2020-07-31

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

2020 International Conference on Environmental Systems

Abstract

"The Advanced Closed-Loop System ACLS is a regenerative life support system for closed habitats. With regenerative processes the ACLS covers the life support functions of CO2 removal, Oxygen generation and CO2 Reprocessing. The ACLS Flight Model (FM) was launched to the ISS with HTV7 in September 2018 and was installed in the Destiny Module. In-Orbit Commissioning has been finalised for CO2 removal, oxygen generation and parallel CO2/O2 operation demonstrating good performance even at low CO2 levels. Further commissioning is still in process and is expected to be finalised later in 2020. During commissioning tests several unexpected problems had to be overcome mainly related to interfaces.

ACLS is operated via a Ground Segment (GS) infrastructure installed at Airbus in Friedrichshafen, Germany, where also the ACLS Engineering Model is maintained and operated as ground reference model. The paper reports on the in-orbit installation, commissioning and troubleshooting of ACLS."

Description

Johannes Witt, European Space Agency (ESA), NL
Scott Hovland, European Space Agency (ESA), NL
Daniele Laurini, European Space Agency (ESA), NL
Carsten Matthias, Airbus Defence and Space, DE
Frank Boettcher, Airbus Defence and Space, DE
Tiziano Bevilacqua, Airbus Defence and Space, DE
Carlos Redondo, Airbus Defence and Space, DE
ICES302: Physio-chemical Life Support- Air Revitalization Systems -Technology and Process Development
The proceedings for the 2020 International Conference on Environmental Systems were published from July 31, 2020. The technical papers were not presented in person due to the inability to hold the event as scheduled in Lisbon, Portugal because of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Keywords

Life support, Air revitalisation, Regenerative

Citation