“Bulk Gas Generation and

Storage Systems of the Mars

Homestead Project”
Damon Ellender
MHP Programming Team
DamonE@marshome.org
 Design Goals

• Design a Bulk Gas Plant and associated

processes, located on Mars, to meet
settlement and manufacturing needs for O2,
H2, CH4, N2/Ar2 production and storage.
 Design Assumptions
• Gas Composition as specified by NASA
• Ready source of water available
• Where possible, known and proven
techologies are used
• CH4 stored and used for fuel
• Initial Storage vessels imported from Earth
 Process Assumptions
• Electrolysis:
– 2H20=> 2H2 + O2
• Sabatier Reactor:
– 4H2 + CO2 => 2H2O + CH4
• Compression and Cooling:
– Atmosphere => CO2 (l or s) + N2 (g) +Ar2 (g)
• O2 Liquefaction and Storage:
• CH4 Liquefaction and Storage:
• N2/Ar Liquefaction and Storage:
 Process Details
• Electrolysis:
– 2H20=> 2H2 + O2
– Gibbs Free Energy: G=-237.13 kJ/mol
– 1 Bar , 298K

• Sabatier Reactor:
– 4H2 + CO2 => 2H2O + CH4
– Exothermic after startup
– 1 Bar, 873K
 Electrolysis-Sabatier Process
• Basic Electrolysis
Electrical
1 Bar CO2 Supply
Power Supply

0.7 kW

assumed CO2 (5.5 kg)

• Hydrogen the Redundant Electrolysis Cells

1 bar and 298K
G=-237.13 kJ/mol
H2 (1kg)
Sabatier Reactor
1 Bar and 873K

limiting factor
• All water from
H2O (9 kg) O2 (8 kg)

CH4 (2 kg)

Sabatier Process Water Storage Tank

1 bar and 298K H2O (4.5 kg)

recycled
O2 Compression and Storage CH4 Compression and Storage
50 Bar and 183K 50 Bar and 183K
Gas Liquefaction and Storage
CO2(lr)
CO2(l )
CO2(ll)

Primary Secondary 2nd Stage

1st Stage
Atmosphere Air Compression Air Cooling N2/Ar2 Compression N2/Ar2 N2 Cooling
Cooling
20 Bar 50 Bar (Optional0
S
c
N2
N2(l) LIN Storage N2 r N2
Usage
u
1 2 3 4 5 b
S
c
Ar2
Ar2(l) Ar Storage Ar r Ar
Usage
u
b

CO2(l or s) CO2 Storage CO2

Storage
Sabatier
Processes

Process Flow Diagram-Mars Air Separation and Compression

Wednesday, January 19, 2005
 CO2 Basic Separation
• Compression chosen to 20 Bar to keep CO2 in
liquid phase for piping and storage
 Compression and Cooling
450
400
Work (kJ/kg)

350 Inter-
Cooling
300
Specific

Isentropic
250
Isothermal
200
= 0 Intercooled
150
S
100 0
t =
50
0
0 10 20
Bar (Differential)
• Compress Mars Atmosphere from .07 to 20 Bar. Provides CO2 Liquid phase
• Worst Case Specific Work(Isentropic): -421 kJ/kg
• Best Case Specific Work(Isothermal): -199 kJ/kg
• Isentropic t=~500K requires Inter-cooling: -747 kJ/kg
• Additional Compression Cooling to liquefy Ar/N2 gas: -120 kJ/kg
 Storage Vessel Design
2500

2000
Volume (m3)

1500
10 Bar
1000 40 Bar

500

0
O2 CH4 Ar2/N2

• Storage for 4 Months full usage

• Higher Pressures Selected to minimize imported
pressure vessel mass
 Storage Vessel Design
35
30
Mass (tonne)

25
20 Steel
Aluminum
15
Titanium
10
5
0
O2 CH4 Ar2/N2

• Spherical Vessels
• Maximum Allowable Working Pressure (MAWP)= ~42 Bar
• Composite Vessels are expected to reduce Titanium Mass by 1/2
Summary Power Matrix
Phase One-(2 Years) Gas Production to Storage
Assume full production to storage. Fill 1 Month Emergency Storage in 1 Year.

  Instantaneous Demand Long Term Storage  

Emergency Storage
Gas Daily Use  (kg) Power   (kw) Capacity* (kg/day) Requirement(kg) Power  (kw)
O2 0 0 157.775 57587 14
H2* 0 0 20.1 - -
N2/Ar 0 0 4 1461 -
CO2 0 0 156 **16377 -

CH4 0 0 39.56 14439 ***

CO2/Ar/N
C&L 3

O2 C&L 2
CH4 C&L          1

Totals:   0     20

*100% Required for CH4 production

**110kg/day used in CH4 production, excess can be used for cooling.
***Requires some power at start-up, then process self sustaining.
Phase Two-(2 Years)All Gas Production to Manufacturing

Instantaneous
  Demand Refining Needs  

Gas Daily Use  (kg) Metals Usage (kg/day) Plastics Usage(kg) Power  (kw)
O2 70 414 0 110
H2** 2.6 0 60.75 -
N2/Ar 48 0 0 -
CO2 21.8 1515 583.75 -

CH4 5.3 187 0 -

CO2/Ar/N
C&L 30

O2 C&L 8

CH4 C&L        3

Totals:       151
**Includes H2 used for making CH4, not shown
 Import Staging
Phase 1 Import Listing Weight and Size
Item Floor space Volume Mass Assume 50%
m2 m3 kg reduction using
Composites
CH4 Storage Sphere(r=2.5)* 25 125 4500 (2250**)
O2 Storage Sphere(r=3)* 36 216 8000 (4000**)
Ar/N2 Storage Sphere(r=1.1)* 5 11 500 (250**)
CH4 HX .25 .125 100

CH4 Sabatier Column 1 2 200

Electrolysis Cells 1 2 200

CO2 4 4 250
N+1 redundancy (est 2 small scroll
units)
O2/CH4/N2/Ar2 Compressors 3 5 600
N+1 redundancy

O2/CH4/N2/Ar2 Heat Exchangers 3 5 400

N+1 redundancy

Total Mass(kg) 14750 (8250**)

 Import Staging
Phase 2 Import Listing Weight and Size

Item Floor space Volume Mass

m2 m3 kg

C2H4 Column 1 1 2 200

C2H4 Column 2 1 2 200

m{C2H4} Reactor and catalyst 5 10 200

Electrolysis Cells 4 6 400

Inspection Equipment 1 2 200

Total Mass(kg) 1200