SBIR-STTR Award

Blueshift, LLC doing business as Outward Technologies is an early-stage startup developing critical In-situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) technologies for terrestrial and extraterrestrial applications. Outward Technologies proposes to develop a regolith feed and removal system for oxygen extraction from regolith with non-contact reaction temperature measurement and rapid oxygen content measurement in regolith upstream and downstream of the reaction zone. The proposed regolith feed system may be integrated with multiple oxygen extraction methods to enable continuous feed of material into and out of the reaction zone while maintaining a pressure sealed reactor chamber. This Feed and Removal of Regolith for Oxygen Extraction (FaRROE) system implements two innovations that utilize the regolith itself for sealing the inlet and outlet of the reactor chamber while maintaining continuous flow. Benefits of the proposed innovation include reactor chamber sealing using in situ materials (regolith) and minimal moving parts, non-contact reaction temperature measurement that can be used to control and optimize the oxygen extraction process, real-time O2 measurements that can indicate efficiency of the process and signal whether servicing is required, continuous processing of regolith for oxygen extraction rather than requiring a batch process, extraction process agnostic design for wide adaptability, and secondary resource utilization of extruded slag for part fabrication, long duration thermal energy storage, or for smelting and secondary refining. The Phase I effort will focus on system design, prototype development of the regolith feed and removal subsystems, and feasibility demonstrations through prototype characterization testing, system analysis, and component evaluation. Anticipated

Benefits:
The primary application within NASA’s roadmap is lunar and Martian oxygen production by enabling a continuous regolith feed and real-time process monitoring for oxygen extraction reactors (TX07.1). Additionally, once oxygen has been extracted from the regolith, FaRROE enables continuous extrusion of the processed slag which can then be used in mass production of mechanical and structural components in an extrusion-style 3D printer or casting process (TX07.2), and for thermal energy storage and transfer (TX07.1). Companies, federal agencies, and research institutions are exploring methods for industrial decarbonization by replacing fossil fuel power sources with concentrated solar power in traditional industrial processes. FaRROE supports these efforts by providing a low-cost, low-maintenance, and continuous feed system for high-temperature industrial processes fueled by concentrated solar power.

Blueshift, LLC d/b/a Outward Technologies proposes to continue development of the Feed and Removal of Regolith for Oxygen Extraction (FaRROE) system. FaRROE enables the transfer of regolith from excavators to within a lunar oxygen extraction reactor, and the transfer of processed regolith from the reduction reactor to a holding hopper or the lunar surface. The system incorporates noncontact temperature measurements of the regolith within the reactor using a 2-color pyrometer to monitor regolith phase change and temperatures up to and exceeding 2,000 C. The innovative design of the FaRROE system incorporates non-mechanical valves at the reactor inlet and outlet to enable the continuous feed of regolith into and out of an enclosed reactor at high processing rates (>25 kg/hr) with no moving parts coming into contact with the regolith. Sealing of the reactor inlet is produced through a vertical tube hopper packed with unprocessed regolith, creating a tortuous path for product gases and preventing their escape from the reactor chamber. An extrusion nozzle at the reactor outlet enables the controlled removal of processed regolith and formation of a liquid seal preventing the escape of product gases. Utilizing unprocessed and processed regolith as the sealing mechanisms reduces mass, complexity, and likelihood of mechanical failure of the system. The extraction of oxygen is monitored through two redundant systems to measure oxygen production rate, system efficiency, and leak rate. Mineral-oxide content is measured continuously at the unprocessed inlet feed and processed outlet feed. The oxygen and/or other product gases generated within the reactor are monitored through in-line gas analysis. FaRROE may be integrated with every known high-temperature oxygen extraction method for regolith to enable continuous processing at high feed rates through a lightweight, durable design to ensure long-term continuous operation in the harsh lunar environment Anticipated

Benefits:
FaRROE addresses the limitations of current designs of lunar oxygen extraction reactors which lack a means to move regolith into and out of the oxygen extraction zone. These enabling capabilities address the needs of NASA TX07.1 In-Situ Resource Utilization through the improved production of oxygen from lunar regolith and TX07.2 Mission Infrastructure, Sustainability, and Supportability through the utilization of molten slag in a host of secondary processes including 3D printing and casting of structural members on the Moon. Potential non-NASA applications include the commercial production of oxygen and glass-ceramic regolith parts and structures on the Moon. Other non-NASA applications include the improved design of non-mechanical valves for high-temperature industrial processes on Earth incorporating a pressure differential between the reactor and the inlet and outlet feeds.