1. Sabatier and Electrolysis Method for Space Travel to Mars Mike Bender Ivan Aragona Paul Rael Colorado State University – Pueblo

2. Objective and Purpose  To save money on Space Travel from Fuel Production on Mars;  A space shuttle mission requires over 500,000 gallons of fuel for all three engines [1];  It takes about $450 million, on average, to fund a space shuttle mission and the majority of this cost is the price of the fuel [1].

3.  Using available carbon dioxide gas indigenous to Mars’ atmosphere and Earth-supplied (initially) hydrogen gas; one would be able to create methane and water. CO 2 (g) + 4 H 2 (g) ↔ CH 4 (g) + 2 H 2 O(g)  Requires a ruthenium catalyst; Around 350-400 °C  The methane will be used as fuel;  The by-product, water, will be recycled into the electrolysis. background SabatierSOLAr Electrolysis  The water is dissociated into hydrogen and oxygen gases; 2H 2 O(g) → 2H 2 (g) + O 2 (g)  The oxygen ultimately will be stored in cryogenic tanks for the combustion process;  The hydrogen is used in the Sabatier Reaction;

4.  On Mars, these reactions will need energy supplied by the use of Solar Panels.  These Solar Panels will be comparable to the size of the Solar Panels used for the International Aerospace missions. Power Supply

5. Methods & Techniques  Construct Prototype Apparatuses  Small Scale version to conduct research with  To create methane gas and water from the Sabatier reactor using hydrogen and carbon dioxide gases  Test the purity for safely combustible methane  Optimize the flow rates to maximum methane production  Dissociate the water into hydrogen and oxygen gases.  Optimize the process of recycling the water into usable products.

6. TTable Top Reactor; WWelded Metal frame, fabricated catalyst chamber;  PM Watlow Controller wire to thermocouples fixed with indicator lights;  Fabricated Aluminum block, flow meter, ¼’’ dia tubing; Sabatier Construction  Gases flow into quarter turn ball valves connected to the aluminum block.

7.  Solar Panels  Each solar panel is a 24-volt, 5- watt, 0.417-ampere commercially sold battery charger;  Each panel is roughly 18” x 18”;  Wired in series and in parallel to optimize charge;  Stand. Angle adjustment to optimize incident angle of the sun; Made out of a steel framework, that was made in four pieces: a foot, neck, angle changer, and panel harness; Made so panels are easily accessible and interchangeable. Electrolysis Construction  Hoffman Apparatus  Dissociates the water into hydrogen and oxygen gasses;  Ionic compound added for conductivity;  Electrodes;  Leads, connected to the outside tubes of apparatus;  Valves at the top of each outside tube to control flow rate of produced gases;  Powered by the solar panels.

8. Sabatier Testing  Ran the reaction through to produce the two products  Separation of gasses in the three condenser tubes resting in separate cooling baths.  Froze out methane, water and excess carbon dioxide.

9. Test # CO 2 Flow Rate (mL/min) H 2 Flow Rate (mL/min) Temperatur e (° C) Time (min) Pressure (mmHg) Water Produced (mL) Methane Produced (mL) Test 120080038830643.1136.5 Test 225080038830643.1126 Test 320080039130643.1136.5 Test 430090039130643.113.56.75 Test 5300120039230643.113.36.65 Sabatier Data  Flow rate optimization

10.  Purity Analysis Sabatier Data

11. Electrolysis Data

12. Results  Success Sabatier  Created the two products, methane and water, and collected samples.  From spectra, one can conclude pure methane gas was produced and can be used in the combustion process. Solar Electrolysis  Created hydrogen and oxygen gases form the Hoffman apparatus  Using solar energy to power the reaction.

13.  Need to adjust the flow rates on the Sabatier  The regulator, flow meter  Change tubing instead of replacement.  Need more power in Electrolysis.  The apparatus produced the gases, no where near enough to be recycled into the Sabatier reactor.  From the use of larger solar panels.  Different conduction compound  Need more data in both portions of the research recommendations

14.  Joining the two portions of the project and lead the water from Sabatier directly into the electrolysis portion;  Run comparison test trials using a different catalyst and/or powder catalyst to ensure optimum product of methane;  Angle adjustment on the Solar Panel Stand  Construct a 360° frame around the entire project leaving the solar panels attached to the outside.  This frame should be lightweight and strong enough to withstand weather conditions similar to that on Mars.  Theoretical energy balance of system (enthalpy, Gibb’s Free Energy, solar energy, current, solar panel efficiency).  Measure the energy required from the solar panels that would push through the reaction. Further Design Ideas

15.  [1] Space Shuttle and International Space Station. Jan. & Feb. 2009. NASA. March & April 2009 .  [2] Elisha McDowell. Specialty Gas Specialist Airgas Intermountain. elisha.mcdowell@airgas.comelisha.mcdowell@airgas.com  [3] http://www.geekologie.com/mt/mt-search.cgi?tag=rocket%20fuel&blog_id=1http://www.geekologie.com/mt/mt-search.cgi?tag=rocket%20fuel&blog_id=1  [4] http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/methane/methane.htmlhttp://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/methane/methane.html  [5] http://www.universetoday.com/44819/distance-from-earth-to-jupiter/http://www.universetoday.com/44819/distance-from-earth-to-jupiter/  [6] Brooksa, Kristina P., Jianli Hua, Huayan Zhub, and Robert J. Keeb. "Methanation of Carbon Dioxide by  Hydrogen Reduction." Chemical Engineering Science 62.10 (2007): 1161-170. Print.  [7] http://www.space.com/3571-giant-pool-water-ice-mars-south-pole.htmlhttp://www.space.com/3571-giant-pool-water-ice-mars-south-pole.html  [8] Brown, Theodore L., Eugene H. Lemay Jr., and Bruce E. Bursten. Chemistry: the Central Science. 11 th ed.  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice, 2008. Print.  [9] http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/M/Marsatmos.htmlhttp://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/M/Marsatmos.html  [10] http://www.digipac.ca/chemical/mtom/index.htmlhttp://www.digipac.ca/chemical/mtom/index.html  [11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/electrolysishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/electrolysis  [12] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/electrodehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/electrode  [13] Schoffstall, Allen M., Barbara A. Gaddis, and Melvin L. Druelinger. Microscale and  Miniscale Organic Chemistry Laboratory Experiments. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2004. Print.  [14] http://www.wolframalpha.comhttp://www.wolframalpha.com References