The supply of resources is an important factor in realizing a sustainable development of outer space exploration. In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) can convert CO₂ into O₂, allowing resource recycling and reducing material supply requirements. An electrochemical catalytic synthesis of a CH₃OH device for ISRU was designed to perform the generation of O₂ and the reduction of CO₂ at room temperature.

Abstract

In space exploration activities, a large amount of materials needs to be carried, which limits the sustainable development of exploration activities. In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) is an important means to realize resource recycling and continuous space exploration, which converts space resources into oxygen and hydrocarbon fuels. The traditional ISRU in outer space mainly uses high temperature and high pressure to electrolyze water or reduce CO₂, having problems such as low conversion efficiency, high energy consumption, and excessive equipment volume. Here, an electrochemical catalytic synthesis technology based on a microfluidic device is proposed, which can convert H₂O and CO₂ into O₂ and organic matter by electrocatalytic method at room temperature and achieve efficient energy and matter conversion. The gas-liquid mixing and electrochemical reaction were analyzed. A mathematical model of gas-liquid two-phase mixing and microfluidic chemical reaction was established. The research results demonstrate the reliability and efficiency of the microfluidic reaction device designed in this paper for ISRU.