Trace Contaminant Control Test Bed for Evaluation of TCC Prototypes with Vacuum Regenerable and Non-Regenerable Sorbents

As a new Space Suit Exploration Portable Life Support System (xPLSS) is being designed, built, integrated, and tested into the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) Design, Verification, and Test. The Trace Contaminant Control (TCC) system is a component in the oxygen ventilation loop of xPLSS that removes contaminants generated by the crewmembers� metabolic processes. The primary trace contaminants that must be removed include ammonia (NH3), carbon monoxide (CO), formaldehyde (CH2O), and methyl mercaptan (CH3SH). The current state-of-the-art TCC sorbent is non-regenerable activated carbon. As a non-regenerable sorbent, its use negatively impacts the logistics for future missions. Thus, an ideal solution can be a vacuum-regenerable sorbent integrated with the xPLSS CO2/H2O removal system. To this end, XploSafe has constructed a recirculating test bed that mimics the environment within the xPLSS by providing concentrations of the trace contaminant analytes generated at the operating temperature, humidity, pressure, and flow rates of the xPLSS. This system performs regeneration or desorption by exposing the sorbent to a pressure swing from 4.3 psia to <1 torr over approximately 2 minutes. XploSafe evaluated a vacuum regenerable and several non-regenerable sorbents within the flow loop with and without regeneration to demonstrate the operational effectiveness of these sorbents in maintaining the concentrations of the trace contaminant analytes below the 7-day Spacecraft Maximum Allowable Concentrations.

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