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Full-Text Articles in Space Habitation and Life Support
Extraction Of Aluminum From Lunar Regolith Through Molten Salt Electrolysis, Jacob N. Ortega, Todd P. Sander, Jeffrey D. Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David J. Bayless, William Schonberg, Daniel S. Stutts, Frank D. Han
Extraction Of Aluminum From Lunar Regolith Through Molten Salt Electrolysis, Jacob N. Ortega, Todd P. Sander, Jeffrey D. Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David J. Bayless, William Schonberg, Daniel S. Stutts, Frank D. Han
Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works
This paper presents the methodology, development, and results of an end-to-end regolith-to-metal concept for producing aluminum in-situ on the lunar surface, namely, the Lunar In-Situ Aluminum Production through Molten Salt Electrolysis (LISAP-MSE) method. Using electrolytic reduction, aluminum oxide (i.e., alumina) can be reduced into aluminum and oxygen via electrolysis in a molten salt bath. A steady supply of hydrogen chloride could allow this in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) method to supply several necessary materials consumed in the electrolytic reduction step of the process to produce bulk aluminum metal, oxygen, water, and silica from anorthite abundant in lunar highland regions. In this …
Gravity Fed Hopper Flow Of Bulk Solids For Lunar Isru, Jason Bendixen Noe
Gravity Fed Hopper Flow Of Bulk Solids For Lunar Isru, Jason Bendixen Noe
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports
With the return to the moon in the decade of the 2020s, there has been a renaissance of lunar technology development and innovation. This has been particularly true for the area of lunar ISRU (In-Situ Resource Utilization). One key area in ISRU that has been neglected is lunar regolith storage hopper research. Many lunar regolith ISRU researchers use storage hoppers in their work but do not document the properties when designing the hoppers or do not have the information at hand. Because of this, hopper design and documentation are poorly understood, and more research is needed. Hoppers are vital for …
Calorimetric Measurements Of Lunar Regolith Simulant And Water. An Experimental Study Correlating Weight Percent Water And Temperature Change Through Periods Of Phase Change., George B. Johnson
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports
Permanently Shaded Regions (PSRs) are cold traps located around the lunar south pole that have been confirmed to contain possible interesting quantities or volatiles such as H2O, CO2, SO2, CH4, and others. [1] The identification of these volatiles on the lunar surface was a critical step in the development of NASA’s strategic goals for scientific discoveries, sustained space travel and exploration, and re-establishing a human presence on the moon. These volatiles are vital to the future of operating in and exploring space. The LCROSS impact revealed the existence of these resources in PSRs but more information is needed about the …