Microgravity Oxygen and Hydrogen Generator

Abstract

Air and water are vital for the smooth functioning of the crews of the International Space Station. Replenishing water supplies by delivering it to the International Space Station is economically unprofitable. Therefore, the problem of using and developing new systems using the regeneration of oxygen, hydrogen and water from human waste at the international space station itself arises. The fundamental possibility of regenerative life support for a person, who finds located in a confined space, has been experimentally confirmed in long-term ground tests. Shoikhedbrod presented a theoretical description of the mechanism of formation of negatively charged electrolysis hydrogen bubbles and positively charged electrolysis oxygen bubbles as a result of water electrolysis under microgravity conditions and the increasing role of electrostatic attraction and repulsion forces acting under these conditions between the electrodes and the charged bubbles formed on them, which was experimentally confirmed in during flight tests on board the IL-76K flying laboratory. The results of conducted study and the tests results became the basis for the development of an oxygen and hydrogen generator working under microgravity conditions. The paper presents a developed oxygen and hydrogen generator, which, under microgravity conditions as a result of electrolysis, forms charged electrolysis bubbles of oxygen and hydrogen in water. Under increasing role of electrostatic attraction and repulsion forces acting in these conditions between the electrodes and the charged bubbles formed on them, the latter move in water: oxygen bubbles to the cathode, and hydrogen to the anode, forming gas-liquid mixtures in the near-electrode zones along the entire length of the electrodes. Due to the conical shape of the developed generator and its outputs in microgravity conditions, the separating discharge of the two formed gas-liquid mixtures into different ampoules is carried out. These two different ampoules, equipped with static separators, allow separate production of oxygen and hydrogen gases under microgravity conditions. The paper presents the developed generator permitting economically and simply separately generates oxygen and hydrogen gases on the International Space Station (ISS).