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Microfluidic system for extraterrestrial artificial photosynthetic device

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Abstract

In situ resource utilization (ISRU) is an important way to provide oxygen and fuel for human survival in future extraterrestrial exploration. At present, the main ways of in-situ resource utilization are Sabatier method and Bosch reduction method, however, the reaction conditions are harsh and the energy consumption is huge. In this study, artificial photosynthesis technology was applied to in-situ resource utilization. By using the microfluidic technology to accurately control the flow of CO2 and electrolyte, the reaction rate and reaction efficiency are greatly improved. In this paper, the flow under different gas–liquid velocity is studied and the Taylor flow is selected as the reaction flow pattern. Firstly, the mathematical model of bubble formation and flow is established, and the relevant variation parameters of Taylor unit and the movement of bubbles in the pipeline under different gas–liquid velocity are explored. Then, the reaction situation under different bubble motion states is analyzed through simulation, and the cloud diagram of the reaction is obtained. The liquid phase mass transfer coefficient, specific surface area and defined mass transfer rate parameters are used to analyze the reaction. Finally, the structure of the microchip and the experimental platform are introduced. The experimental results show that the reaction state is the best when the gas flow velocity is 0.083 m s−1, the liquid flow velocity is 0.167 m s−1, and the voltage value is 3.1 V.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China

    Qingjun Yang, Rizhi Dong, Shangru Yang & Rui Zhu

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  1. Qingjun Yang
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  2. Rizhi Dong
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  3. Shangru Yang
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  4. Rui Zhu
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Correspondence to Shangru Yang.

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Yang, Q., Dong, R., Yang, S. et al. Microfluidic system for extraterrestrial artificial photosynthetic device. Microsyst Technol 29, 49–61 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-022-05370-0

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