After all of the modules and accessories are on the lunar surface and connected, the Lunar LOX Facility will resemble Image 1.
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| Image 1: Lunar Liquid Oxygen Facility |
In the image above, we see the Tankers in place and the SVs busily minding the store.
Dirt will be loaded into the Regolith Tanker using a Backhoe (Image 2), then towed to the LOX Facility.
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| Image 2: SV Option 2 towing two Regolith Tankers |
The Tanker can process 5,208 kg over a 24–hour period of time. Two Tankers will processed at the same time, for a total of 10,417 kg of dirt per day. This process will consume 48 kWh of electrical energy.
The used regolith will be towed away to a small crater quite a distance away. The crane on the SV will lift up the Tanker from the Trailer, swing it over the crater, and open up the bottom. The metallic alloy waste product will be piled up for future use. The Tanker will be put back into the Trailer and the towed to a different location, where dirt will be loaded into the Tanker using a Backhoe, then towed to the Facility. Lather, rinse, repeat.
We will assume a 64% Extraction Rate of regolith that is 40% O2 by weight. We will further assume a 20 hour saturation time, with 4 hours used to cool the Tanker, extract the used CaCl salt, and to switch out a fresh Tanker. We estimate we will lose 107 kg of salt for every extraction.
The Liquid Nitrogen (LN2) Container used to liquify the oxygen will contain 36,000 kg LN2. It will have a normal boiloff of 12 kg per day in addition to a boiloff of 76 kg per day due to warming of the copper tubes as oxygen passes through them. A total of 88 kg of LN2 will need to be replaced every extraction cycle. Additionally, 62 kg of LN2 will be drawn to fill two LV tanks. This process will consume 25 kWh of electrical energy.
LO2 will be contained and distributed to the LO2 Tankers on either side of the Facility, and require 15 kWh to operate.
The Facility will use 8 kWh and be extracting 84 out of every 91 days, with 7 days down for maintenance. We will produce 224,000 kg of oxygen during this period of time, enough to fill the tanks of 14 LVs.
That equates to a pair of LV LO2 refills every 13 days.
LUNAR LOX ELECTRICAL REQUIREMENTS
Total LOX Energy = SV Battery Recharge + Operations + Extraction + Liquification + Dispensing
Total LOX Energy = 24 + 8 + 48 + 25 + 15
Total LOX Energy = 120 kWh
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