NASA Selects USA to Develop Technologies to Enhance Artemis Missions

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Posted on August 28, 2023 by Derik Wolfe

Derik Wolfe

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In this work, undergraduate students will assess the usage of heat pipes as a means of moving heat to and from an adsorption bed.  Specifically, heat management in thermal swing adsorption systems is complex, and in some cases, can be the rate-limiting step that dictates system operation and efficiency.  In general, this complexity arises because adsorption occurs when the adsorbent is at ambient temperature, but during regeneration, heat is used to remove adsorbed molecules.  As a result, immediately after heating the bed during regeneration, the bed must be cooled before it can return to adsorption service.  Many schemes can be envisioned to manage this energy balance, such as using multiple beds to allow for cooling steps or placing the bed being heated in contact with a bed being cooled. More information on the grant can be found here: 
https://spacegrant.org/2023/07/24/nasa-selects-four-university-teams-to-develop-technologies-to-enhance-artemis-missions/

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