Generation of fine particulates in packed granular bed in the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA)

Xiangwu Zeng, H. Agui Juan, Chunmei He

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

One of the most pressing micro-gravity issues related to air revitalization systems is the generation and migration of fine particulates downstream of a reactor bed. It has been reported that particulate fines caused the failure of desiccant/adsorbent beds in maintaining a vacuum during desorb cycles as well as causing Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) selector valves to experience transition problems. There are five possible sources for the generation of these fine particulates: they may exist in the initial Zeolite material, they may be produced during compaction of the Zeolite bed, they may be generated during transportation of the bed, they may result from the increased stresses induced by the high level of acceleration during the launch of a rocket or space shuttle, and they may be caused by the breakup of particles resulting from thermal stresses during a space flight. The identification of the main sources of the fine particulates so as to provide a basis for engineering countermeasures, and an effective non-intrusive technique that can continuously monitor the health status of the CDRA system are essential to the future extraterrestrial exploration missions of NASA. This paper reports the results of a study on the generation of fine particles under different stress levels and stress cycles. Particle size analyses were conducted to determine the contents of fines in the Zeolite material before and after the application of different stress intensities and cycles. In addition, we are making an effort to develop a non-intrusive technique that can be configured for real-time health monitoring of the CDRA system using wave velocity measurement.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCollection of Technical Papers - 44th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting
Pages16163-16171
Number of pages9
DOIs
StatePublished - 2006
Event44th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting 2006 - Reno, NV, United States
Duration: 9 Jan 200612 Jan 2006

Publication series

NameCollection of Technical Papers - 44th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting
Volume21

Conference

Conference44th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting 2006
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityReno, NV
Period9/01/0612/01/06

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