Mars Ceria Redox Oxygen System For In-Situ Oxygen Generation
- Paper ID
97913
- DOI
- author
- company
Nepal Aerospace; Winter Labs LLC; Amity University, Dubai
- country
Nepal
- year
2025
- abstract
As we contemplate to colonize the Mars, efficient in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) can allow astronauts to have a breathable atmosphere to sustain long-duration missions and maintain suitable atmospheric pressure within habitats to ensure survival and comfort on the planet. The locally produced oxygen (O2) can be used as an oxidizer (in the presence of fuel) for propelling spacecraft and astronauts back to Earth. This will significantly reduce the cost, weight, and complexity of the missions by minimizing the need to transport several materials/fuels from Earth to complete a round trip. This research is intended to increase the power-to-oxygen generation rate efficiency in Mars atmosphere with the goal of exceeding the current SOA (state of art) by 25 percent through our proposed innovation, Mars Ceria Redox Oxygen System (MaCROS) which utilizes cerium oxide (CeO2), commonly known as ceria, which is doped with zirconium (Zr) for an oxygen (O2) generation system that functions using a redox cycle. The proposed innovation takes advantage of the abundant carbon dioxide (CO2) present in Mars atmosphere to generate O2. When applying high heat to solid porous CeO2, the endothermic reaction separates the CeO2 into reduced ceria (CeO) and O2. In introducing CeO with CO2, the exothermic reaction regenerates CeO2 and also releases carbon monoxide (CO) as a byproduct. Through additional processes, CO can be stored, converted into energy-dense molecules, and then used as a fuel source.The fuel could power the ceria reactor itself or other local systems. The regeneration of CeO2 allows for further O2 production through a cyclic reaction and a robust closed-loop system. Solid-porous cerium oxide (CeO2) is chosen for its unique properties that allow high oxygen storage capacity and excellent thermal/chemical stability. Previous research has suggested that porous microspheres of ceria produce 23 percent more oxygen than granular samples. [1] Jianxing Ma, Jie Chen, Xiao Geng, Sol-gel fabrication of porous ceria microspheres for thermochemical carbon dioxide (CO2) splitting, Nuclear Analysis. Given the porosity of these structures, CO2 has the ability to enter the microsphere and then react within to produce O2 in much higher quantities. The additional reaction sites, provided by the interior structure, increases the surface area; thus improving O2 yields in the MaCROS experimental setup. The research paper consists of an experimental setup to prove the concept along with its limitations, computational studies, experimental studies, assessment of current SOA (state of art) and the key performance parameters(KPP).