Test Bed for Evaluation of Sorbents Used in the Exploration Portable Life Support System

The Trace Contamination Control (TCC) system is a component in the oxygen ventilation loop of the Exploration Portable Life Support System (xPLSS) which removes contaminants generated by the crewmembers' metabolic processes. XploSafe has developed a vacuum regenerable nanoporous silica sorbent for the TCC system to advance xPLSS technology, resulting in increased mission capability, durability, and extensibility. To investigate the effectiveness of our silica-based nanoporous regenerable sorbent, XploSafe constructed a recirculating test bed that mimics the environment within the xPLSS by providing the concentrations of the trace contaminant analytes at the operating temperature, humidity, pressure and flow rates of the xPLSS. The system uses quick connect flanges and a bypass loop to allow quick removal and replacement of sorbent beds without having to purge the trace contaminant gas stream. In addition, two minutes or longer pressure swing cycles across the TCC sorbent bed can be programed. Contaminant removal efficiency across the sorbent beds is quantified by periodically measuring gas concentrations in the circulated stream using an automated sampling loop which incorporates a combination of real-time sensors and a vapor capture system connected to a thermal desorption unit combined with a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer to separate and analyze contaminates for near real-time quantification. By monitoring the decrease in contaminant contents with time, the sorption capacity and rate constant of the evaluated sorbent medias can be determined and compared. This system will be used to test individual sorbent columns or fully assembled TCC units with the currently deployed nonregenerable sorbent or our regenerable sorbent media.