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火星大气CO2制氧原理样机设计和试验验证

Design and Experimental Investigation of a Prototype for Oxygen Generation from Martian Atmospheric CO2

  • 摘要: 针对目前CO2原位利用技术方案系统体积质量大、能耗高、能量-物质转化效率低和O2 回收率低等问题,提出利用先进的电子回旋共振低温等离子体催化技术来还原CO2,突破微波传输截止尺寸效应的限制,设计了反应腔尺度接近49 mm的共振谐振腔室,并实现微波能量的高效率转化,并在极低功率下突破电化学制氧的转化极限50%。该装置的研制为后续更高效稳定的火星大气CO2制氧原理样机设计提供原理技术支撑。

     

    Abstract: The Martian atmosphere consists of up to 95% carbon dioxide(CO2). Developing technologies that enable efficient decomposition of CO2 into oxygen(O2)and carbon monoxide(CO)via redox reactions can substantially reduce the need for transporting life-support consumables such as oxygen from Earth, thereby significantly lowering the cost of future crewed missions. Conventional approaches to CO2 conversion predominantly rely on high-temperature(electro)chemical processes. Thermal decomposition of CO2, however, requires extreme operating conditions, leading to low energy utilization efficiency and further complications caused by gas-phase separation effects under microgravity. Moreover, the composition of reaction products is strongly influenced by electrode materials, structures, and operating parameters, which collectively result in relatively low overall CO2 conversion efficiency. To address the major limitations of current in-situ CO2 utilization technologies—including bulky system volume and mass, high energy consumption, low energy-to-matter conversion efficiency, and insufficient O2 recovery—we propose an advanced electron cyclotron resonance(ECR)low-temperature plasma catalytic method for CO2 reduction. By overcoming the inherent cutoff-size effect in microwave transmission, we designed a compact resonant cavity chamber with a reaction scale of approximately 49 mm. This configuration achieves high-efficiency conversion of microwave energy and, under ultralow power conditions, surpasses the electrochemical oxygen production conversion limit of 50%. The successful development of this system provides a fundamental technological basis for the design of next-generation, high-efficiency, and stable prototypes for oxygen generation from Martian atmospheric CO2. Such advancement constitutes a critical step toward establishing a sustainable human presence on Mars. Beyond planetary applications, this technology also holds potential for long-duration oxygen production in closed-loop environments, such as orbital space stations and underwater submarines, where life-support resources must be continuously recycled.

     

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