Overview of the International Space Station System-Level Trace Contaminant Injection Test

Tatara, James D.; Perry, Jay L.; Franks, Gerald D.

doi:10.4271/981665

Cited by 15 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Such trace contaminant removal functional assist has been observed and characterized previously. [10][11] Evaluation of the TCCS performance determined a mean effective overall 88% contaminant removal efficiency. As displayed by Fig.…”

Section: Trace Contaminant Control Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

Functional Performance of an Enabling Atmosphere Revitalization Subsystem Architecture for Deep Space Exploration Missions

Perry

Abney

Frederick

et al. 2013

43rd International Conference on Environmental Systems

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Section: Trace Contaminant Control Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

Functional Performance of an Enabling Atmosphere Revitalization Subsystem Architecture for Deep Space Exploration Missions

Perry

Abney

Frederick

et al. 2013

43rd International Conference on Environmental Systems

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“…System level testing has shown that CDRA was effective in the removal of acetone at 33% efficiency, methylene chloride at 50%, methanol at 33% efficiency, m-xylene at 53% efficiency, and ammonia at 43% efficiency. [8] …”

Section: Trace Contaminant Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cabin Air Quality on Board Mir and the International Space Station - A Comparison

Macatangay

Perry

2007

SAE Technical Paper Series

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The maintenance of the cabin atmosphere aboard spacecraft is critical not only to its habitability but also to its function. Ideally, air quality can be maintained by striking a proper balance between the generation and removal of contaminants. Both very dynamic processes, the balance between generation and removal can be difficult to maintain and control because the state of the cabin atmosphere is in constant evolution responding to different perturbations. Typically, maintaining a clean cabin environment on board crewed spacecraft and space habitats is the central function of the environmental control and life support (ECLS) system. While active air quality control equipment is deployed on board every vehicle to remove carbon dioxide, water vapor, and trace chemical components from the cabin atmosphere, perturbations associated with logistics, vehicle construction and maintenance, and ECLS system configuration influence the resulting cabin atmospheric quality. The air-quality data obtained from the International Space Station (ISS) and NASA-Mir programs provides a wealth of information regarding the maintenance of the cabin atmosphere aboard long-lived space habitats. A comparison of the composition of the trace chemical contaminant load is presented. Correlations between ground-based and in-flight operations that influence cabin atmospheric quality are identified and discussed, and observations on cabin atmospheric quality during the NASA-Mir expeditions and the International Space Station are explored.

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“…The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) for the ISS has a Trace Contaminant Control Subassembly (TCCS) that is used to absorb or decompose trace amounts of contaminants in the cabin atmosphere that could otherwise gradually build up over time to toxic levels. The TCCS consists of an activated carbon bed that absorbs the longer chain carbon molecules, a catalytic converter to thermally decompose contaminants, and a lithium hydroxide bed to neutralize the acidic byproducts of the decomposition reaction 3 . The thermal decomposition reaction occurs at temperatures of 450ºC.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical Characterization and Thermal Stressing Studies of Perfluorohexane Fluids for Space-Based Applications

Arnold

Hartman

McQuillen

2007

Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets

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Perfluorohexane (PFH), C 6 F 14 , is a perfluorocarbon fluid. Several PFH fluids with different isomer concentrations were evaluated for use in an upcoming NASA space experiment. Samples tested included two commercially obtained high-purity n-perfluorohexane (n-PFH) fluids and a technical grade mixture of C 6 F 14 branched and linear isomers (FC-72 ). These fluids were evaluated for exact chemical composition, impurity purity and high temperature degradation behavior (pyrolysis). Our investigation involved simulated thermal stressing studies of PFH fluids under conditions likely to occur in the event of an atmospheric breach within the International Space Station (ISS) and subsequent exposure of the vapors to the high temperature and catalyst present in its Trace Contaminant Control Subsystem (TCCS). Exposure to temperatures in the temperature range of 200-450°C in an inert or oxidizing atmosphere, with and without the presence of catalyst was investigated. The most aggressive conditions studied were exposure of PFH vapors to 450°C in air and in the presence of TCCS (palladium) catalyst. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography (GC) analyses were conducted on the perfluorohexane samples before and after pyrolysis. The FC-72 and n-PFH samples showed no significant degradation following pyrolysis even under the most aggressive study conditions. Some trace level impurities associated with the PFH samples such as linear perfluorocarbon monohydrides or monoiodides were destroyed by pyrolysis at the upper limit. Other trace level impurities such as olefinic or cycloolefinic perfluorocarbons were converted into oxidation products by pyrolysis. The purity of PFH following pyrolysis actually increased slightly as a consequence since these trace contaminants were effectively scrubbed from the samples. However, since the initial concentrations of the thermally-impacted impurities were so low, the net effect was trivial. A potential byproduct of exposure of perfluorohexane fluids to high temperatures is the production of perfluoroisobutene (PFiB), which is extremely toxic. An ultra-high sensitivity PFiB-specific analysis based on GC-MS with negative ion chemical ionization (NICI) detection was used to evaluate the samples following thermal stressing. The perfluorohexanes examined here under conditions reflective of the ISS TCCS environment showed no signs of PFiB production with an analytical detection limit of 10 part per billion (ppb v/v). Nomenclature BXF= Boiling eXperiment Facility ECLSS = Environmental Control and Life Support System EI = Electron Ionization FDA = Food and Drug Administration GC = Gas Chromatography HVAC = Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning ISRU = In-situ resource utilization

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Overview of the International Space Station System-Level Trace Contaminant Injection Test

Cited by 15 publications

References 2 publications

Functional Performance of an Enabling Atmosphere Revitalization Subsystem Architecture for Deep Space Exploration Missions

Functional Performance of an Enabling Atmosphere Revitalization Subsystem Architecture for Deep Space Exploration Missions

Cabin Air Quality on Board Mir and the International Space Station - A Comparison

Chemical Characterization and Thermal Stressing Studies of Perfluorohexane Fluids for Space-Based Applications

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