Design of a Carbon Dioxide Removal System for SAM, a Space Analog for Moon and Mars

SAM is a pressurized research station and habitat analog composed of a pressure regulation module, controlled environment, engineering bay, and crew quarters. Built around the 1987 Biosphere 2 Test Module, this prototype now serves as the controlled environment for visiting research teams. Carbon dioxide, oxygen, relative humidity, temperature, barometric pressure, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are monitored and regulated for the duration of research missions. This paper describes the design of a regenerable carbon dioxide removal system for SAM. SAM currently depends on the introduction of outside air for carbon dioxide control, so this enhancement will more fully close the air utilization loop. The SAM team will be constructing a new room and then fabricating a fully functional swing-bed CO2 scrubber based on the mathematical model described in this paper. As part of the design process, crew metabolic loading and location were considered to determine the optimal system location, required process air flow rate, and system efficiency.