Thermodynamic model of Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment (MOXIE)

As humankind expands its footprint in the solar system, it is increasingly important to make use of the resources already in our solar system to make these missions economically feasible and sustainable. In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), the science of using resources at a destination to support exploration missions, unlocks potential destinations by significantly reducing the amount of resources that need to be launched from Earth. Carbon dioxide is an example of an in-situ resource that comprises 96% of the Martian atmosphere and can be used as a source of oxygen for propellant and life support systems. The Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment (MOXIE) is a payload being developed for NASA's upcoming Mars 2020 rover. MOXIE will produce oxygen from the Martian atmosphere using solid oxide electrolysis (SOXE). MOXIE is on the order of magnitude of a 1% scale model of an oxygen processing plant that might enable a human expedition to Mars in the 2030s through the production of the oxygen needed for the propellant of a Mars ascent vehicle. MOXIE is essentially an energy conversion system that draws energy from the Mars 2020 rover's radioisotope thermoelectric generator and ultimately converts it to stored energy in oxygen and carbon monoxide molecules. A thermodynamic model of this novel system is used to understand this process in order to derive operating parameters for the experiment. This paper specifically describes the model of the SOXE component. Assumptions and idealizations are addressed, including 1D and 2D simplifications. Operating points are discussed as well as impacts of flow rates and production.