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Electrolysis, is a process that uses electricity to divide water into hydrogen and oxygen, requires removing salt. It is a cumbersome and expensive task in a harsh and dangerous environment.
If oxygen and hydrogen could be extracted directly from salt water, this electrolysis process would be much less complicated and less expensive.
A new technology developed by engineers at Washington University’s McKelvey School of Engineering in St. Louis does the same. While useful on Earth, where it opens up the oceans as a viable source of oxygen and fuel, this new technology, namely the brine electrolyzer, can get oxygen, fuel from the salt water of Mars as well.
Vijay Ramani of the entry for Solar Energy and Energy Storage, Washington University in St. Louis, said: “Our Martian brine electrolyzer radically changes the logistical calculus of missions to Mars and beyond.”
The system can produce 25 times more oxygen than MOXIE using the same amount of energy. It also has hydrogen, which could be used as fuel for the astronauts’ journey home.
This brine electrolyzer contains a lead ruthenate pyrochlorine anode developed together with platinum on carbon cathode. The careful design and unique anode allow the system to operate without heating or purifying the water source.
Ramani said, “These carefully engineered components, along with optimal use of traditional electrochemical engineering principles, have produced this high performance.”
Shrihari Sankarasubramanian, a research scientist in Ramani’s group and joint first author of the paper, said: “Paradoxically, the perchlorate dissolved in water, the so-called impurities, actually help in an environment like that on Mars.”
“They prevent the water from freezing and also improve the performance of the electrolyzer system by reducing electrical resistance.”
Pralay Gayen, a postdoctoral research associate in Ramani’s group and also co-first author of this study, said: “Having demonstrated these electrolyzers in demanding Martian conditions, we also intend to deploy them in much milder conditions on Earth to use brackish or saltwater foods to produce hydrogen and oxygen, for example through electrolysis of water from sea”.
Magazine reference:
- Pralay Gayen et al., “Collection of fuel and oxygen from Martian regolith brine”, PNAS (2020). DOI: 10.1073 / pnas.2008613117
