地外二氧化碳转化利用技术研究现状与展望

Perspective of extraterrestrial carbon dioxide conversion and utilization technologies

为有效解决未来长期载人地外生存面临的物资供给等关键问题,获得更高的氧回收率、能量转化效率和更低的应用成本,亟须发展更高效的地外二氧化碳转化利用技术。文章总结了地外二氧化碳利用的发展现状并分析了近期的研究进展,发现不同技术之间差异大,在航天应用过程中,需充分考虑地外环境限制因素,以选用更合适的技术。空间站上已搭载的Sabatier装置和火星车上的MOXIE装置初步实现了地外二氧化碳还原。以“地外人工光合成”为代表的常温二氧化碳转化技术可为地外环控生保提供新路线。其不仅能够实现地外氧气供给,还可获得甲酸、乙烯和甲烷等有机分子作为燃料或生物转化原料。随着相关基础研究的不断发展,有望实现二氧化碳的高效转化和高附加值有机物、甚至碳糖食物的生产。地外二氧化碳转化利用技术的发展,将实现地外密闭环境下的废弃资源利用与物质循环,降低载人空间站、载人深空飞船的物资供应需求,也将为原位资源利用火星大气中的二氧化碳提供创新思路,以支撑未来可承受、可持续的地外生存任务。

The development of more efficient extraterrestrial CO2conversion and utilization technologies is an urgent need for improving the oxygen recovery rate and energy conversion efficiency,and solving insufficient mass supplement of future long-term manned extraterrestrial survival.The current development of the recent extraterrestrial CO2utilization and representative researches were reviewed.It is necessary to opt for the appropriate technology with full consideration of extraterrestrial environmental constraints in the space application for the large differences among different technologies.The Sabatier device and the MOXIE device have been tested for CO2conversion and O2production on International Space Station and on Mars,respectively.What′s more,extraterrestrial artificial photosynthesis,as the representative of ambient CO2conversion and utilization technology,provides a new route for ECLSS,which can not only realize extraterrestrial O2supply,but also obtain a variety of fuels or biological raw material such as formic acid,ethylene and methane.With the development of basic researches,it is expected to realize highly efficient CO2conversion and the production of high value-added organic matter like sugar.The development of extraterrestrial carbon dioxide conversion technology will solve the waste resource utilization and mass recycle in the confined environment of extraterrestrial space,and reduce the mass supply demand.It will also provide innovative ideas for ISRU on the Mars to support future affordable and sustainable extraterrestrial survival missions.