Physical-chemical treatment of wastes: a way to close turnover of elements in LSS.

"Man-plants-physical-chemical unit" system designed for space stations or terrestrial ecohabitats to close steady-state mineral, water and gas exchange is proposed. The physical-chemical unit is to mineralize all inedible plant wastes and physiological human wastes (feces, urine, gray water) by electromagnetically activated hydrogen peroxide in an oxidation reactor. The final product is a mineralized solution containing all elements balanced for plants' requirements. The solution has been successfully used in experiments to grow wheat, beans and radish. The solution was reusable: the evaporated moisture was replenished by the phytotron condensate. Sodium salination of plants was precluded by evaporating reactor-mineralized urine to sodium saturation concentration to crystallize out NaCl which can be used as food for the crew. The remaining mineralized product was brought back for nutrition of plants. The gas composition of the reactor comprises O2, N2, CO2, NH3, H2. At the reactor's output hydrogen and oxygen were catalyzed into water, NH3 was converted in a water trap into NH4 and used for nutrition of plants. A special accessory at the reactor's output may produce hydrogen peroxide from intrasystem water and gas which makes possible to close gas loops between LSS components.     

Assessment of the possibility of establishing material cycling in an experimental model of the bio-technical life support system with plant and human wastes included in mass exchange

A pilot model of a bio-technical life support system (BTLSS) including human and plant wastes has been developed at the Institute of Biophysics SB RAS (Krasnoyarsk, Russia). This paper describes the structure of the photosynthesizing unit of the system, which includes wheat, chufa and vegetables. The study substantiates the simultaneous use of neutral and biological substrates for cultivating plants. A novel physicochemical method for the involvement of human wastes in the cycling has been employed, which enables the use of recycled products as nutrients for plants. Inedible plant biomass was subjected to biological combustion in the soil-like substrate (SLS) and was thus involved in the system mass exchange; NaCl contained in native urine was returned to the human through the consumption of Salicornia europaea, an edible salt-concentrating plant. Mass transfer processes in the studied BLSS have been examined for different chemical components.     

硼粉热特性研究

为了研究硼粒子在不同气氛下热特性,采用TGA/DSC和高压DSC对晶体硼粉和无定形硼粉两种形态,在纯氮、纯氧、空气以及氧氮混合(1∶1)气氛和3种压强下进行热分析实验;利用Kissinger法和Ozawa法计算得到无定形硼在空气气氛下的动力学参数.试验结果表明,纯氮气氛下,无定形硼与氮气会发生反应,其反应速度缓慢,放热量小.无定形硼比晶体硼的氧化反应初始温度低,氧化反应更快且更完全.不同氧气浓度条件下,随着氧气浓度的提高,无定形硼反应起始温度提前,反应速率加快,反应更彻底.增加氧气压强,可降低初始反应温度,加快反应速率,提高反应放热量.最终计算得到无定形硼在空气气氛下的活化能E、指前因子A和反应速率常数K.     

Metabolic assessments during extra-vehicular activity

Extra-vehicular activity (EVA) has a significant role during extended space flights. It demonstrates that humans can survive and perform useful work outside the Orbital Space Stations (OSS) while wearing protective space suits (SS). When the International Space Station 'Alpha' (ISSA) is fully operational, EVA assembly, installation, maintenance and repair operations will become an everyday repetitive work activity in space. It needs new ergonomic evaluation of the work/rest schedule for an increasing of the labor amount per EVA hour. The metabolism assessment is a helpful method to control the productivity of the EVA astronaut and to optimize the work/rest regime. Three following methods were used in Russia to estimate real-time metabolic rates during EVA: 1. Oxygen consumption, computed from the pressure drop in a high pressure bottle per unit time (with actual thermodynamic oxygen properties under high pressure and oxygen leakage taken into account). 2. Carbon dioxide production, computed from CO2 concentration at the contaminant control cartridge and gas flow rate in the life support subsystem closed loop (nominal mode) or gas leakage in the SS open loop (emergency mode). 3. Heat removal, computed from the difference between the temperatures of coolant water or gas and its flow rate in a unit of time (with assumed humidity and wet oxygen state taken into account). Comparison of heat removal values with metabolic rates enables us to determine the thermal balance during an operative medical control of EVA at "Salyut-6", "Salyut-7" and "Mir" OSS. Complex analysis of metabolism, body temperature and heat rate supports a differential diagnosis between emotional and thermal components of stress during EVA. It gives a prognosis of human homeostasis during EVA. Available information has been acquired into an EVA data base which is an effective tool for ergonomical optimization.     

真空羽流试验设备的负压液氮系统设计

真空羽流试验设备用于发动机真空羽流效应试验研究,同时兼顾卫星等热真空试验,对液氮系统有特殊要求。针对低至70 K液氮温度需求,设计一种全新的负压液氮系统,即利用液氮在负压下具有比常压液氮更低的饱和温度,来获得比常压液氮系统更低的液氮温度。该负压液氮系统主要由液氮输送子系统、常压过冷器子系统、负压抽气子系统、液氮泵子系统、热沉子系统及排放子系统组成,其中常压过冷器子系统和负压抽气子系统构成"负压过冷器",具有常压过冷器功能,供液温度可调,可为热沉提供70~77 K液氮制冷,满足发动机羽流及卫星热真空试验需求。     

银网催化床分解过氧化氢的计算方法

推导出一套公式,用来计算高浓度过氧化氢完全分解的理论参数及银网催化床各截面的分解率、温度和压力,并能定量确定压力对分解温度的影响。为便于计算．列出了算例。数据表和直观的催化床参数曲线可为工程设计提供参考。     

氧气/煤油发动机燃气热物理参数及输运系数计算

为了给氧气/煤油发动机设计和热防护设计提供必要的设计参数,针对氧气/煤油燃气进行热力学计算。运用吉布斯最小自由焓计算模型得到燃气平衡组成,通过拟合公式的方法得到燃气的热物理参数及输运系数。通过计算,得到氧气/煤油燃气的组分及比焓、密度、比熵、粘性系数等热物理参数和输运系数随温度和压力的变化特性。分析结果表明:水离解对氧气/煤油燃气组分变化存在显著影响,压力增大会导致水离解起始温度升高;氧气/煤油燃气比焓、比熵、定压比热、粘性系数、热传导系数变化在温度较低时受压力影响较小,当水开始离解后,压力的影响显著增强;组分在燃气中的扩散系数同时受到了温度和组分摩尔分数的影响;燃气普朗特数变化受热传导系数变化的影响较大,水离解后,热传导系数的迅速增大使燃气的普朗特数迅速减小。     

对接机构综合试验台温度环境模拟分系统温场优化

为改善某新型对接机构综合试验台温度环境模拟分试验系统的温度和压力均匀性,基于温场特性分析,用三维标准κ-ε模型对系统送风散流装置结构模型进行改进。发现散流装置的送风方式和结构对温度与压力均匀性影响较大。用仿真对散流器进行优化以改善流场,通过增设静压室和布风散流装置,在送风温度不变时可将温场温度均匀度控制在1 K内,压力梯度下降至改进前的0.5%,且改进后的送风结构能较好地满足温场体积变化后的试验要求。     

含能材料废料处理技术研究述评(Ⅰ)——安全销毁技术

概括了国内外固体推进剂、火炸药等含能材料(EM)废料处理技术的发展情况,介绍了缩小EM废料尺寸的高压液体切割技术和使EM废料脱敏的碱解法和乳化法等预处理技术,EM废料安全销毁的熔盐销毁(MSD)法、水热氧化(HTO)法、电化学法、湿空气氧化法等化学销毁技术以及堆肥合成、生物降解和生物转化的生物销毁技术。其中预处理与化学、生物处理相结合的综合销毁技术可以实现含能材料废料的安全销毁,最后分析了EM废料安全销毁技术研究的主要特点和发展趋势。     

加热器在冲压发动机试验技术中的应用研究

直连试验技术是冲压发动机研究中一项非常关键的技术,论证分析了如何模拟直连试验模型进口流量、总温及总压等关键参数,并以此为基础研制了一种高室压、大流量及耐高温的空气加热器,通过对该加热器和试验台相关组件的试验研究,结果表明以空气、氧气及煤油组织燃烧的加热器工作性能良好,解决了冲压发动机直连试验这项关键技术。     

载人航天器出舱活动氧气分压控制研究

载人航天器出舱活动期间氧气分压控制是保证航天员安全和完成出舱任务的重要因素.文章通过对出舱过程中引起氧气分压变化的因素分析,进行了出舱活动低压情况下的氧气分压安全限的试验验证研究,建立了出舱活动氧气分压变化趋势仿真模型,并在此基础上确定了出舱活动阶段舱压和氧气分压的调控方案     

超燃冲压发动机燃烧室碳氢燃料的点火和火焰稳定研究

在氢氧加热脉冲风洞上,对超音速燃烧室在进口2Ma、总温960~1 420 K条件下的碳氢燃料的点火和火焰稳定进行了实验研究。在直连式超音速燃烧室实验中,通过采用火花塞 氢先锋火焰、火花塞 乙烯先锋火焰的方法实现了煤油燃料的点火和火焰稳定。研究结果显示,当采用氢作为先锋火焰时,利用火花塞能够在燃烧室进口总温960 K条件下实现煤油的点火和火焰稳定;当采用乙烯作为先锋火焰时,利用火花塞,实现没有点火和火焰稳定的最低温度为1 420 K。     

Germination and growth of wheat in simulated Martian atmospheres

One design for a manned Mars base incorporates a bioregenerative life support system based upon growing higher plants at a low atmospheric pressure in a greenhouse on the Martian surface. To determine the concept's feasibility, the germination and initial growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum) was evaluated at low atmospheric pressures in simulated Martian atmosphere (SMA) and in SMA supplemented with oxygen. Total atmospheric pressures ranged from 10 to 1013 mb. No seeds germinated in pure SMA, regardless of atmospheric pressure. In SMA plus oxygen at 60 mb total pressure, germination and growth occurred but were lower than in the Earth atmosphere controls.     

高温高压环境下煤油液滴蒸发过程实验研究

应用高速摄影系统和图像处理技术研究了煤油液滴在温度473~773 K、压力1.0~4.0 MPa静止气体环境下的蒸发过程,得到了环境温度与环境压力对煤油液滴特性的影响规律。实验结果表明:环境温度低于573 K时,煤油液滴蒸发D2曲线不符合d2定律;环境温度高于673 K低于773 K时,液滴直径变化与d2定律吻合。环境压力对液滴蒸发的影响与环境温度密切相关,环境温度低于473 K时,随着环境压力的升高,液滴蒸发速率变慢;环境温度高于673 K时,随着环境压力的升高液滴蒸发速率加快。     

Terraforming Mars: conceptual solutions to the problem of plant growth in low concentrations of oxygen

The widespread growth of higher plants on Mars following ecopoiesis has often been invoked as a method of generating atmospheric oxygen. However, one issue that has been overlooked in this regard is the fact that terrestrial plants do not thrive under conditions of low oxygen tension. A review of the relevant botanical literature reveals that the high oxygen demands of root respiration could limit the introduction of most plants on Mars until after terraforming has raised the atmospheric pO2 to 20-100 mbar. A variety of physiological strategies are discussed which, if it is possible to implement them in a genetically engineered plant specifically designed for life on Mars, might allow this problem to be overcome.     

热力学排气系统中节流效应及其冷量利用分析

为更好地理解热力学排气系统(TVS)的运行机理，优化其运行参数，针对节流装置，建立了热力学模型，讨论了节流过程中状态参数的变化规律，对比了单相气体、单相液体节流的性能特性，进一步揭示了焦汤节流效应的原理，分析了不同节流背压下节流前低温工质(液氢和液氧)压力和温度对节流性能的影响，并结合TVS实际应用，阐述了节流最大制冷量的利用效果，提出了优化的TVS工作区间。研究表明：在节流过程不发生相变情况下单相气体节流制冷效应要比单相液体节流制冷效应更加显著；而在节流过程发生相变情况下液体节流至两相后，由于空化吸热导致流体温度降低，对于液氢，0.5MPa的压降可产生接近3 K的温降。对于液体节流，节流前压力对节流过程影响可忽略，〖JP2〗而节流前温度和节流背压对节流过程起主导作用；对于液氢在在轨运行工况下，考虑到节流制冷量的充分利用，同时保证换热过程体积含气率不高于90%，推荐TVS系统中节流背压范围为75～143 kPa。     

Ignition system for oxygen/hydrogen auxiliary propulsion systems

When the oxygen/hydrogen bipropellant combination was selected for use in the Space Shuttle Main Engine, it became apparent that many advantages may result if the Auxiliary Propulsion System Engines were to use the same propellants. A new ignition system, possessing a dramatically new level of reliability, durability and response, is required because the oxygen/hydrogen combination is not hypergolic and the projected missions will require a very large number of fast-response engine starts.The objective of this program was to obtain basic data for spark torch ignition methods at operating conditions typical of a Space Shuttle Orbiter Auxiliary Propulsion System. The research included ignition analysis and igniter design, fabrication and hot-fire test.Extensive testing of spark torch igniters was performed (chamber pressure, 206.8 N/cm², 300 psia, nominal) in the Igniter-Only and Igniter-Complete Thruster (thrust, 6672 N, 1500 lbF, nominal) operational modes. Reliable, repeatable ignitions were obtained with spark energies of 1–10 mJ. Hot-fire test results showed there is no effect of back pressure (1.013 × 10⁵ to 1.333 × 10^?2 N/m², 7.60 × 10² to 1 × 10^?4 mm Hg) or low temperature (O₂, 170 K, 306 R; H₂, 107 K, 193 R) on the response of the igniter or the ignition delay of the thruster over the ranges tested. Igniter durability and pulse capability were demonstrated with 150 sec of continuous operation and 1000 consecutive pulses, respectively. Durability was further demonstrated with a series of 2500 Igniter-Complete Thruster ignitions at nominal chamber pressure. No limiting variables were encountered. The hot-fire test results showed the spark torch igniter is capable of meeting fully the typical Space Shuttle Orbiter Auxiliary Propulsion System mission requirements.     

Interaction between exercising humans and growing plants in a Closed Ecological Life Support System

The purpose of this study was to quantify the gas exchange between plants growing in a Closed Environmental Life Support System (CELSS) and the metabolism of human subjects undergoing various levels of physical exercise, and subsequently determine the buffer characteristics in relation to the carbon exchange established for plants in this closed loop life support system. Two men (ages 42 and 45 yr) exercised on a cycle ergometer at three different work intensities, each on a separate day. The CELSS, a 113 m³ chamber, was sized to meet the needs of one human. The plants, consisting of 20 m² of potato, provided oxygen to the human during an artificially lighted photosynthesis phase and the human provided CO₂ to the plants. The average rates of exchange for the subjects were 0.88, 1.69, and 2.47 liters O₂/min and 0.77, 1.47, and 2.21 liters CO₂/min at approximately 25%, 50%, and 75% of their maximal aerobic capacity, respectively. The photosynthetic rate for the CELSS was 0.95 liters/ min. A balance between human CO₂ production and plant utilization was noted at approximately the 50% VO_2max level. The oxygen balance and changes were not within detectable limits of the CELSS instrumentation for the durations of these exercise exposures. If a CELSS environment is the methodology selected for long term spaceflight, it will be important to select plants that efficiently grow at the available light and nutrient levels while balancing the needs for the human crew at their levels of physical activity.     

Synthesis of biomass and utilization of plants wastes in a physical model of biological life-support system

The paper considers problems of biosynthesis of higher plants' biomass and "biological incineration" of plant wastes in a working physical model of biological LSS. The plant wastes are "biologically incinerated" in a special heterotrophic block involving Californian worms, mushrooms and straw. The block processes plant wastes (straw, haulms) to produce soil-like substrate (SLS) on which plants (wheat, radish) are grown. Gas exchange in such a system consists of respiratory gas exchange of SLS and photosynthesis and respiration of plants. Specifics of gas exchange dynamics of high plants--SLS complex has been considered. Relationship between such a gas exchange and PAR irradiance and age of plants has been established. Nitrogen and iron were found to the first to limit plants' growth on SLS when process conditions are deranged. The SLS microflora has been found to have different kinds of ammonifying and denitrifying bacteria which is indicative of intensive transformation of nitrogen-containing compounds. The number of physiological groups of microorganisms in SLS was, on the whole, steady. As a result, organic substances--products of exchange of plants and microorganisms were not accumulated in the medium, but mineralized and assimilated by the biocenosis. Experiments showed that the developed model of a man-made ecosystem realized complete utilization of plant wastes and involved them into the intrasystem turnover.     

液氧贮箱增压过程研究

采用数值模拟方法对液氧贮箱增压过程进行研究.贮箱内流场采用流体体积函数（VOF）多相流模型考虑,选择标准双方程k-ε湍流模型分析湍流效应,气液两项之间的热量、质量转移通过自定义程序（UDF）求解.获得了贮箱压力、排液流量、气垫温度、液氧温度对贮箱内流场温度分布的影响.计算结果表明,在稳定增压过程中,贮箱液面无扰动,贮箱内温度分层分布;各参数变化时,对贮箱内温度分布的影响主要是温度梯度的变化,并且各工况下液面附近和扩散器附近温度梯度基本相同.