Microwave Swing Regeneration Proof of Concept Test Results of a Spacecraft

Metabolic CO2 removal using regenerable solid sorbent media has been utilized on the International Space Station (ISS) for over two decades. The current ISS CO2 control systems utilize electrical resistance heaters embedded in zeolite 13X to thermally desorb CO2 and parasitic water. Lockheed Martin researchers from the Space and Aeronautics Business Areas, have collaborated to build and test a microwave regeneration CO2 control system that requires 30-50% (TBR) less energy, and ~50% (TBR) faster desorption times than systems that utilize traditional electrical heaters. This talk describes the initial test results of a zeolite 13X based CO2 control system periodically regenerated with 300-400 W of L-band microwave energy (1.0 to 1.3 GHz).