Suit Energy

As water is filtered through the suit, excess heat needs to be expelled, as humans run exothermic.

To calculate the amount of energy required to remove 1 degree Celsius of heat from 17.5 liters of water, we can use the formula for the specific heat capacity of water. The specific heat capacity of water is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. For water, this value is approximately 4.186 joules per gram per degree Celsius (J/g°C).

The formula to calculate the energy required is:

Energy (Joules) = Mass (grams) × Specific Heat Capacity (J/g°C) × Temperature Change (°C)

To convert the volume of water (17.5 liters) to mass. Since the density of water is approximately 1 gram per cubic centimeter (g/cm³), 1 liter of water has a mass of about 1000 grams.

To remove 1 degree Celsius of heat from 17.5 liters of water, an energy amount of approximately 73,255 joules is required.

Calculating the energy usage per hour for a space suit that performs electrolysis to generate oxygen, scrubs CO2, creates methane via the Sabatier reaction, and removes excess heat from approximately 17 liters of water involves several complex processes. Each of these functions requires a certain amount of energy, which we can estimate:

1. Electrolysis for Oxygen Production:

   • The energy required for electrolysis can be approximated using the theoretical minimum energy needed to split water, which is about 237.13 kJ/mol. However, practical electrolysis is less efficient, so a higher energy value is used in real-world calculations.

2. CO2 Scrubbing:

   • The energy required for CO2 scrubbing varies based on the method used, but it's generally lower than that for electrolysis. Most of the energy demand here would be for the fans or pumps moving air through the scrubbers.

3. Sabatier Reaction for Methane Production:

   • The Sabatier reaction is exothermic (it releases energy), but it requires a catalyst and precise temperature and pressure control, which consumes energy.

Electrolysis runs circa 800 degrees C, Sabatier at 300 degrees C, as such the thermal control on the Sabatier would be used as a precursor to reduce the energy needs of the Electrolysis reaction. Sabatier is an exothermic reaction, as such excess energy would be utilised, not wasted, or expelled. Likely the same as regards the excess energy carried over from the water regulating the temperature of the wearer.