Controlled ecological life-support system
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (September 2010) |
Controlled (or closed) ecological life-support systems (acronym CELSS) are a self-supporting
.Original concept
CELSS was first pioneered by the Soviet Union during the famed "Space Race" in the 1950s–60s. Originated by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and furthered by V.I. Vernadsky, the first forays into this science were the use of closed, unmanned ecosystems, expanding into the research facility known as the BIOS-3.
Then in 1965, manned experiments began in the BIOS-3.
Rationale
The aim of CELSS is to create a regenerative environment that can support and maintain
Components of CELSS
Air revitalization
In non-CELSS environments, air replenishment and CO2 processing typically consists of stored air tanks and CO2 scrubbers. The drawback to this method lies in the fact that upon depletion the tanks would have to be refilled; the scrubbers would also require replacement after they become ineffective.
There is also the issue of processing
In CELSS, air is initially supplied by external supply, but is maintained by the use of
Food / consumables production
As with all present forays into space, crews have had to store all
Of course, in a self-sustaining ecosystem, a place for crops to grow would be set aside, allowing foods to be grown and cultivated. The larger the group of people, the more crops would have to be grown.
As for water, experiments have shown that it would be derived from condensate in the air (a byproduct of air conditioning and vapors), as well as excess moisture from plants. It would then have to be filtered by some means, either by nature or by machine.[citation needed]
Waste-water treatment
Early space-flight had travelers either ejecting their wastes into space or storing it for a return trip.
CELSS studied means of breaking down human wastes and, if possible, integrating the processed products back into the ecology. For instance, urine was processed into water, which was safe for use in toilets and watering plants.
Wastewater treatment makes use of plants, particularly aquatic, to process the wastewater. It has been shown that the more waste is treated by the aquatic plants (or, more specifically, their root systems), the larger the aquatic plants grow.
In tests, such as those done in the
Closed versus controlled
Closed systems are totally self-reliant, recycling everything indefinitely with no external interaction. The life of such a system is limited, as the entropy of a closed system can only increase with time. But if the otherwise closed system is allowed to accept high-temperature radiant energy from an external source (e.g., sunlight) and to reject low-temperature waste heat to deep space, it can continue indefinitely. An example of such a system is the Earth itself.
Controlled systems, by contrast, depend on certain external interactions such as periodic
Notable CELSS projects
- BioHome
- Biosphere 2
- BIOS-3
- Biosphere J[1]
- Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility[2]
- Biotron (disambiguation)
- Biotron Experimental Climate Change Research Facility[3]
- ALS-NSCORT - Advanced Life Support - NASA Specialized Center of Research and Training
Other types of regenerative ecological systems
- Bioregenerative life support system (acronym: BLSS)
- Environmental Control and Life Support System (acronymECLSS)
- Engineered Closed/Controlled EcoSystem (acronym ECCES)
- Spome
See also
- Life support system
- Closed ecological system
- Arcology
References
- ^ Biosphere J Archived 2006-09-12 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility, University of Guelph
- ^ Biotron Experimental Climate Change Research Facility, University of Western Ontario
- Borthwick, Lindsey (2008). "OnEarth Magazine » Biologists Dig Deeper".
- Prado, Mark (2002). "Ecological Issues and CELSS". PERMANENT Project. Retrieved April 19, 2006.
- Prado, Mark (2002). "Russian CELSS Studies". PERMANENT Project. Retrieved April 19, 2006.
- Fitch, Cris (2003). "Biospheres, Controlled Ecosystems, and Life Support Systems". Orbit 6. Archived from the original on 2006-10-21. Retrieved April 19, 2006.
- "Functions of a CELSS". Mars Academy. Archived from the original on November 7, 2006. Retrieved April 19, 2006.