Project Title:
Recovery of Oxygen from Lunar Soils in a Plasma Reactor
04.16-3200
902076
Recovery of Oxygen from Lunar Soils in a Plasma Reactor
Abstract:
The specific focus of this project is a plasma process for the recovery of oxygen
at high yield from minimally beneficiated lunar soils, where the soil is dissociated
into its elements in a plasma arc and the oxygen is recovered by quenching the product
mix. The objective of the Phase I program is to determine the feasibility of oxygen
recovery from lunar soils in a plasma reactor without the addition of chemicals.
Theoretical and experimental studies are planned. The theoretical part of the program
will estimate the temperature needed to ensure that most of the ore is dissociated
into atoms, and the heat transfer rate required to quench the reaction of cooling
the product stream. These results will then provide the basis for evaluating the
findings of the experimental tests to be conducted in a laboratory-scale plasma reactor.
Cost estimate for a full-scale facility will be estimated.
This process can be adapted to developing an extremely clean and efficient technique
for handling terrestrial waste. The process has the potential of breaking down and
separating the most objectionable compounds in terrestrial waste.
plasma, oxygen recovery, quenching, lunar soils, ilmenite