(514e) A History of Temperature Swing Adsorption Compression for Use in Spacecraft

On the International Space Station (ISS), the Four-Beds Molecular Sieves (4BMS) system capture carbon dioxide (CO2) and maintain cabin atmosphere at 2600ppm. The effluent of the 4BMS system are fed to the Sabatier system along with the hydrogen from the Oxygen Generation System (OGS) for conversion into methane and water. Since the CO2 exits the 4BMS system at low pressure (approximately 3psia) and the Sabatier system requires a 20psia inlet stream, a CO2 compressor is needed. Currently, a mechanical compressor compresses the CO2 at low pressure and deliver it at high pressure to the Sabatier. The National Aerospace Space Administration (NASA) have been developing the Temperature Swing Adsorption Compressor (TSAC) for use both on ISS as well as on the Martian surface. This paper will outline the NASA TSAC development history and its current research activities.