Ionic Liquids for a Regenerable Carbon Formation Reactor: Reactor Design Study and Ionic Liquid Parameterization

Date

2023-07-16

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Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

2023 International Conference on Environmental Systems

Abstract

For oxygen recovery, the Bosch process holds the promise of theoretical complete oxygen and process hydrogen recovery, and it is a subject of interest for air revitalization systems for travel beyond low-earth orbit. However, the Bosch process generates a solid carbon product that causes issues with pressure and interferes with the catalyst; dealing with the carbon and renewing the catalyst poses high up-mass or resupply needs for any Bosch reactor, making it unfeasible at its current state of development. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has studied the use of ionic liquids (IL) to renew the catalyst required by the reactor to address the issue of high resupply need. An ionic liquid can be used to digest catalyst material out of the carbon fouling and then electroplate it onto a substrate, which would then be ready for use in another carbon formation reaction. This cycle can then be repeated as necessary, ideally within a single reactor. Towards this end, this conference paper reviews prior proof-of-concept work completed by MSFC, and then it defines the reactor design problem for a single reactor that can be used for both carbon formation reactions and ionic liquid-based catalyst renewal. IL selection considerations are detailed. Empirical parameterization studies on the selected IL are presented with discussion on how it informs design choices and creates tradeoffs. This paper concludes with a discussion on challenges in reactor design and an outline of future work.

Description

Kaitlin Oliver-Butler,
Mitchell Woolever,
ICES302: Physio-chemical Life Support- Air Revitalization Systems -Technology and Process Development
The 52nd International Conference on Environmental Systems was held in Calgary, Canada, on 16 July 2023 through 20 July 2023.

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Keywords

Ionic Liquids, Bosch Process, Carbon Formation Reactions, Air Revitalization, Oxygen Recovery, Carbon Dioxide Reduction

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