Speaker
Description
Eta Space and NASA are developing an Electro-Chemical Hydrogen Refrigerator (ECHR) demonstrator capable of reaching liquid hydrogen temperatures with no moving parts in support of Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM) strategies for future space mission architectures. The demonstrator is powered by an electrochemical hydrogen compressor, custom-built by Skyre, Inc., with a supply pressure up to 207 barg and hydrogen flow rate of 0.6 kg/day. The Joule-Thompson (JT) cycle was chosen as the basis of the cold-box, which was engineered and assembled by the Cryogenics Test Laboratory at NASA Kennedy Space Center. The demonstrator is designed to provide 1 Watt of refrigeration at 23 K. Integration and testing was successfully conducted at the Eta Space facility in Rockledge, Florida, achieving a steady-state hydrogen saturation temperature of roughly 23 K. Subsequent testing is planned to quantify the isothermal refrigeration power of the system at 23 K, as well as the corresponding Carnot efficiency. A summary of the ECHR technology, including system benefits and potential applications will be discussed. Then, a detailed overview of the ECHR demonstrator, including cycle analysis, design and integration features, and test results will be presented.
| Submitters Country | United States of America |
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