Combustion of Metal Powders for Power and Heat Generation in Space Missions

Abstract:
Power systems based on combustion reactions between solid or liquid reactants could provide heat and electric power in space missions where the use of sunlight and nuclear energy is impossible or impractical. Some combustible mixtures have very high energy densities compared to the best batteries. Recently, combustion of lithium with sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) and carbon dioxide has been studied for this application, but there are some problems with using these systems in space. Our approach is based on the use of lithium and magnesium powders as the fuel and chemically generated oxygen as the oxidizer. In situ CO2 could also be used as the oxidizer in missions to Mars and Venus. In this talk, we will present (1) a conceptual design of a power system for lunar night survival that uses Li or Mg powders and commercially available chemical oxygen generators, (2) kinetic studies on the oxidation of Li and Mg powders in O2 and CO2, and (3) experiments on the combustion of these powders with infiltrating O2 and CO2. This work was supported by an Early-Stage Innovations Grant from NASA’s Space Technology Research Grants Program (Grant No. 80NSSC20K0293) with Steven L. Rickman serving as a NASA Collaborator.

About the Speaker:
Dr. Evgeny Shafirovich is a Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). He received his PhD from the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1988. Prior to joining UTEP in 2008, he conducted research at the Russian Academy of Sciences, the French National Center for Scientific Research, the University of Notre Dame, and Purdue University. His research interests include combustion of metals, propellants, and gas-generating materials as well as combustion synthesis of advanced materials for clean energy and aerospace applications.