The firm will develop a new configuration for an electrolytic cell to produce oxygen and metal by-products from lunar soil. This design uses ideas adapted from industrial experience in alumina electrolysis, coal gasification, and ferrosilicon alloy production. The design addresses most of the severe operability issues raised by such a cell. These include melt containment, low-melt conductivity, anode-gas blanketing, control of levels and temperature, and the continuous removal of waste heat and molten, corrosive by-products. The new cell design features are coolant passages in the refractory walls to provide a thin, frozen layer protecting removal; platinum screen anodes tilted slightly from the horizontal to promote oxygen bubble removal while still minimizing anode-cathode distances; local heating/cooling at the molten spent magma taphole to regulate outflow rates by local temperature/viscosity control rather than valves; a sliding refractory gate valve for molten ferrosilicon layer level control. Phase I will identify the power/volume needs of the new cell and will complete the design of a benchscale experimental cell for testing in Phase II.Materials and techniques found successful in a magma electrolysis cell may be applied in alumina electrolysis, refractory manufacture, metals processing, and other processes requiring corrosive, high-temperature conditions.lunar oxygen, magma electrolysis, refractory selectionSTATUS: Phase I Only
