Carbon Monoxide Silicate Reduction System (COSRS)
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Carbon Monoxide Silicate Reduction System (COSRS) Mark Berggren Dr. Robert Zubrin Dr. Stacy Carrera Heather Rose Scott Muscatello NASA SBIR Phase I Contract NNJ05JB90C Kristopher Lee, COTR Space Resources Roundtable VII: LEAG Conference on Lunar Exploration October 26, 2005 COSRS Description The Carbon Monoxide Silicate Reduction System (COSRS) is a carbothermal reduction technology for recovering large amounts of oxygen from lunar and Mars soils. COSRS uses carbon monoxide to produce the carbon needed for high oxygen yield from silicates. COSRS Background z Hydrogen reduction has been well demonstrated for lunar oxygen production (Allen et al.), but yield is limited primarily to oxygen in iron compounds. z Carbothermal reduction can recover large amounts of oxygen from lunar soils (Rosenberg et al.) z Carbothermal reduction reagent system is straightforward – carbon and its precursors plus soil. z Most unit operations have a demonstrated heritage of industrial application. Recoverable Oxygen in JSC-1 Lunar Simulant kg Compound Compound kg Oxygen Cumulative kg Carbon Cumulative Compound per 100 kg Molecular per 100 kg kg Oxygen per 100 kg kg Carbon Soil Weight Soil per 100 kg Soil per 100 kg Fe2O3 3.44 159.70 1.03 1.03 0.78 0.78 FeO 7.35 71.85 1.64 2.67 1.23 2.00 P2O3 0.66 110.00 0.29 2.96 0.22 2.22 Cr2O3 0.04 152.00 0.01 2.97 0.01 2.23 MnO 0.18 71.00 0.04 3.01 0.03 2.26 SiO2 47.71 60.00 25.45 28.46 19.08 21.34 TiO2 1.59 79.88 0.64 29.09 0.48 21.82 COSRS Process Description Lunar O2 H2 CO2 Soil CO Partial High RWGS Reduction/ Temperature Electrolyzer Reactor Carbon Carbothermal Deposition Solids Reduction Condenser/ Metallic and H2O Separator CO Oxide Residue z Lunar or Mars soils are sequentially subjected to: z iron oxide reduction by carbon monoxide, z in-situ deposition of carbon throughout the soil by carbon monoxide disproportionation catalyzed by metallic iron, and z high-temperature reduction of silicates by the deposited carbon. COSRS Process Description (continued) z Thermodynamics of iron oxide reduction and carbon deposition: z Iron oxide can be reduced without carbon deposition at >970K (the region below curve 1 and above curve 2) z Carbon can be deposited using lower temperatures and higher CO concentrations (the region above curves 1 and 2) z Kinetics influence selection of conditions COSRS Process Description (continued) Lunar O2 H2 CO2 Soil CO Partial High RWGS Reduction/ Temperature Electrolyzer Reactor Carbon Carbothermal Deposition Solids Reduction Condenser/ Metallic and H2O Separator CO Oxide Residue z COSRS gases are processed as follows: z Carbon monoxide produced by carbothermal reduction is converted to carbon dioxide by iron oxide reduction and CO disproportionation. z Carbon monoxide is regenerated from carbon dioxide with hydrogen in a reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reactor. z Water produced by the RWGS is electrolyzed to make hydrogen (which is recycled within the RWGS) and oxygen. COSRS Process Description (continued) Lunar O2 H2 CO2 Soil CO Partial High RWGS Reduction/ Temperature Electrolyzer Reactor Carbon Carbothermal Deposition Solids Reduction Condenser/ Metallic and H2O Separator CO Oxide Residue z Key Features: z Hydrogen remains in RWGS loop – never contacts soil. z Iron oxide reduction & carbon deposition are performed under moderate conditions – material remains free flowing; carbon deposited on soil only. z No gas injected during carbothermal reduction. COSRS Phase I Project Tasks z Thermodynamic modeling z Bench scale testing and process demonstration z Material and energy balance preparation z Byproduct recovery and utilization COSRS Thermodynamic Modeling z Iron oxide reduction: FeO + CO = Fe + CO2 ∆H = -15.7 kJ z Carbon deposition (carbon monoxide disproportionation): 2 CO = C + CO2 ∆H = -18.7 kJ z Carbothermal reduction: FeO + C = Fe + CO ∆H = 156.7 kJ SiO2 + 2 C = Si + 2 CO ∆H = 689.8 kJ COSRS Thermodynamic Modeling z Reverse water gas shift reaction: CO2 + H2 = CO + H2O(l) ∆H = -2.9 kJ z Electrolysis: H2O(l) = H2 + O2 ∆H = 571.7 kJ z Oxygen Liquefaction: O2(g) = O2(l) ∆H = -96.8 kJ Thermodynamic Modeling z Identified conditions leading to maximum leverage (=O2 recovered/C lost). z Carbon losses are mostly as silicon carbide. z Carbon losses can be mitigated by reacting silicon carbide with fresh silica in the lunar soil as follows. SiO2 + 2 SiC = 3 Si + 2CO ∆H = 833.6 kJ z Similarly, silicon carbide can be reacted with fresh ferrous oxide in the lunar soil as follows. FeO + SiC = Si + Fe + CO ∆H = 228.6 kJ z The above reactions suggest that adding less than the theoretical, or stoichiometric, amount of carbon to reduce all of the silicon oxide might also reduce carbide formation. Thermodynamic Modeling z Lower C:SiO2 ratio and higher z Lower pressure improves oxygen temperature improve oxygen leverage leverage SiO2 Reduction @ 1 bar Pressure SiO2 Reduction @ Substoichiometric C (1SiO2:1C) 6 100 90 80 5 70 60 4 50 40 leverage # carbon lost) leverage # 30 3 20 (kg oxygen gained/kg gained/kg oxygen (kg 10 (kg O gained/kg C lost) C gained/kg O (kg 2 0 1600 1650 1700 1750 1800 1600 1650 1700 1750 1800 temperature (C) temperature (C) stoich 2C:1SiO2 substoich 1C:1SiO2 substoich 1.5C:1SiO2 substoich 0.5C:1SiO2 1 bar 0.5 bar 0.1 bar 0.01 bar Laboratory Demonstration Goals z Reduce at least 50% of the iron oxides during initial carbon monoxide reduction step z make in-situ metallic iron carbon deposition catalyst z produce about 2 kg oxygen per 100 kg soil z Deposit enough carbon to reduce about 50 percent of the silicates z study effects of temperature and pressure on carbon monoxide disproportionation while depositing carbon z Operate the carbothermal reduction reactor to achieve maximum oxygen recovery for the available amount of carbon. z use helium sweep gas to reduce CO partial pressure (simulate low pressure operation) z identify temperature needed for maximum oxygen and carbon recovery z Integrate COSRS with RWGS and electrolysis. Phase I Accomplishments z Carbon Monoxide Reduction of Iron Oxides in Lunar and Mars Soil Simulants JSC-1 Lunar Simulant JSC Mars-1 Simulant kg Oxygen/100 kg soil 1.47 2.83 % of Iron Oxides Reduced 54.9 60.3 z Deposition of Carbon in Lunar and Mars Soil Simulants JSC-1 Lunar Simulant JSC Mars-1 Simulant kg C/100 kg soil 10.1 9.0 % of Carbon for SiO2 Reduction 53 52 z Carbothermal Reduction of Soil Simulants JSC-1 Lunar Simulant JSC Mars-1 Simulant Oxygen Yield, kg/100 kg Feed Soil 15.3 14.5 Leverage 23 25 Phase I Accomplishments z Integrated COSRS-RWGS-Electrolyzer operations z closed system z soil in; oxygen out z performance comparable to one-pass system using pure CO feed z Prepared material and energy balances for 100 kg soil batches z applied thermodynamics to empirical reaction extents and yields z prepared Moon and Mars cases Lab Testing and Demonstration Iron Oxide Reduction and Carbon Deposition Reactor PI TI Mass Relief Flow Meter Valve TI Soil Simulant Sample Electric Al2O3 Felt Furnace Porous ZrO2 Support Disk SS Support Tube Vent He CO SS Tube PI GC Variable Sample Port Transformer Bubble Back Meter TI Pressure Regulator Iron Oxide Reduction - Carbon Deposition Reactor Iron Oxide Reduction Parameters for Lunar Soil Simulant Sample Mass, g 80.76 Sample Particle Size, millimeters <0.85 CO Flow Rate, sccm 150 CO Flow Rate, SLPM/kg Feed Soil 1.86 Sample Temperature, oC 800 - 850 Pressure, bar absolute 0.82 Lunar Simulant FeO Reduction 50 25 40 20 30 15 2 100 2.0 % CO 90 1.8 20 10 g O/hr/kg Soil 80 1.6 10 5 70 1.4 60 1.2 0 0 0 306090120150180 50 1.0 Elapsed Time, minutes % CO2 Oxygen Recovery Rate 40 0.8 from Iron Oxides Iron from % of Oxygen Removed Oxygen of % 30 0.6 Oxygen Recovery Rate Soil 100 kg per O Recovered kg 20 0.4 50 1000 10 0.2 0 0.0 40 800 0 30 60 90 120 150 180 Elapsed Time, minutes 2 30 600 % Oxygen Recovered kg O Recovered per 100 kg Soil 20 400 Volume % CO Temperature, °C Cumulative Oxygen Recovery 10 200 0 0 0 30 60 90 120 150 180 Elapsed Time, minutes % CO2 Temperature CO2 and Temperature Profiles Carbon Deposition on Lunar Soil Simulant Temperature, Pressure, & CO Flow During C Deposition on JSC-1 Lunar Simulant 1000 20 800 16 C o 600 12 400 8 Flow, SLPM/kg Soil SLPM/kg Flow, Temperature, 200 4 Pressure, atm absolute or absolute atm Pressure, 0 0 0 4 8 12162024 Elapsed Time, hours Sample Inlet Temp Pressure, bar abs CO Flow, SLPM/kg Soil Gas Composition During Carbon Deposition on JSC-1 Lunar Simulant 50 10 40 8 2 30 6 20 4 g/hr/kg Soil C Deposition, Volume % CO Volume 10 2 0 0 JSC-1 Lunar Simulant after 04812162024 Elapsed Time, hours Iron Oxide Reduction and % CO C Deposition Rate Carbon Deposition Cumulative Carbon Deposition 10 100 8 80 6 60 Grams 4 40 g C/Kg Soil 2 20 0 0 0 4 8 12162024 Elapsed Time, hours Grams g C/Kg Soil Carbothermal Reduction Reactor and Furnace PI TI Mullite Tube Al2O3 Insulation (Radiation Barrier) ZrO2 Tube Soil Simulant Sample In Crucible Porous ZrO2 Support Disk Mullite Support Tubes Gas Chromatograph He Sample Port Vent Porous ZrO2 Support Disk Air O2 Propane Lunar Soil Simulant Carbothermal Reduction Temperature During Carbothermal Reduction of JSC-1 Lunar Simulant - Average C on Feed 1600 1400 1200 C o 1000 800 600 Temperature, 400 200 0 0481216 Elapsed Time, hours Gas Composition During Carbothermal Reduction of JSC-1 Lunar Simulant 10 1.0 8 0.8 2 6 0.6 4 0.4 Volume % CO Volume Volume % CO 2 0.2 0 0.0 0 4 8 12 16 Elapsed Time, hours % CO % CO2 Oxygen Recovery and Leverage 40 20 30 15 20 10 Leverage 10 5 Kg Oxygen/100 Kg Soil 0 0 0481216 Elapsed Time, hours Leverage Kg Oxygen/100