Recovery system is comprised of three integrated subsystems: electrochemical carbon dioxide concentrator which removes carbon dioxide from atmosphere, Sabatier reactor in which carbon dioxide is reduced with hydrogen to form methane and water, and static-feed water electrolysis cell to recover oxygen from water

Quattrone, P. D.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

November 1974
	 B74-10220-
 
NASA TECH BRIEF 
Ames Research Center 
NASA Tech Briefs announce new technology derived from the U.S. space program. They are issued to encourage 
commercial application. Tech Briefs are available on a subscription basis from the National Technical Information 
Service, Springfield, Virginia 22151. Requests for individual copies or questions relating to the Tech Brief program may 
be directed to the Technology Utilization Office, NASA, Code KT, Washington, D.C. 20546. 
Spacecraft Oxygen Recovery System 
.
The results of preliminary tests indicate good 
performance by an oxygen recovery system which is 
comprised of three integrated subsystems: an electro-
chemical carbon dioxide concentrator which removes 
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, a Sabatier re-
actor in which carbon dioxide is reduced with hydro-
gen to form methane and water, and a static-feed 
water electrolysis cell to recover oxygen from the 
water. Hydrogen generated in the cell is reused in the 
carbon dioxide concentrator, and the methane from 
the Sabatier reactor is a system byproduct. 
The carbon dioxide concentrator can maintain the 
partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the cabin air 
below 3mm of mercury with demonstrated long-term 
reliability. The Sabatier reactor has a high conversion 
efficiency and can be operated either with a hydrogen-
rich or with a carbon dioxide-rich gas mixture (dry or 
humid). The static-feed water electrolysis cell has 
been shown to be reliable over long periods of time 
(>10,000 hrs continuous operation); it can be 
operated at high current densities (to 0.48 A/cm2). 
A rebreather system, utilizing the carbon dioxide 
concentrator and the electrolysis cell subsystems, has 
undergone successful flight tests in aircraft; the sub-
systems were combined with the Sabatier reactor to 
provide an integrated oxygen recovery system. In 
tests of the integrated oxygen recovery system, it was 
shown that the Sabatier reactor operated at highest 
efficiency when the entire exhaust of the anode from 
the carbon dioxide concentrator was used (CO2-rich 
CO2/H2).
Reference: 
Quattrone, P. D.: Spacecraft Oxygen Recovery 
System. Astronautica Acta, vol. 18, p. 261, 1973. 
Notes: 
1. Additional information on subsystems and com-
ponents may be found in the following NASA 
Tech Briefs: 
B71-10203, Water Electrolysis Module. 
B72-1005 1,  Improved Device Measures Perform-
ance of Batteries under Load. 
B72-10074, Oxygen Pressure Control for Electro-
lysis Cells. 
B72-10194, Carbon Dioxide Concentrator. 
B72-10195, Aircrew Oxygen System. 
B72-10219, Counter Lung. 
B72-10246, Water Cavity Degasser for Electro-
lysis Cells. 
2. No additional documentation is available. Specific 
questions, however, may be directed to: 
Technology Utilization Officer 
Ames Research Center 
Moffett Field, California 94035 
Reference: B74-10220 
Patent status: 
NASA has decided not to apply for a patent. 
Source: Phillip D. Quattrone

Ames Research Center
(ARC-10868) 
Category 05 
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National	 Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United Slates	 information contained in this document, or warrants that such use 
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States 	 will be free from privately owned rights.
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Spacecraft oxygen recovery system

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