Recycling efficiencies of C, H, O, N, S, and P elements in a Biological Life Support System based on microorganisms and higher plants

MELiSSA is a microorganism based artificial ecosystem conceived as a tool for understanding the behavior of ecosystems and developing the technology for future Manned Space Missions. MELiSSA is composed of four compartments colonized by the microorganisms required by the function of this ecosystem :...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Advances in space research 2003, Vol.31 (1), p.195-199
Main Authors: Gros, J B, Poughon, L, Lasseur, C, Tikhomirov, A A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biomass
Carbon - chemistry
Carbon Dioxide - metabolism
Computer Simulation
Ecological Systems, Closed
Environmental Microbiology
Hydrogen - chemistry
Life Support Systems
Models, Biological
Nitrogen - chemistry
Oxygen - chemistry
Phosphorus - chemistry
Plants, Edible - growth & development
Plants, Edible - metabolism
Space life sciences
Sulfur - chemistry
Waste Management - methods
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:MELiSSA is a microorganism based artificial ecosystem conceived as a tool for understanding the behavior of ecosystems and developing the technology for future Manned Space Missions. MELiSSA is composed of four compartments colonized by the microorganisms required by the function of this ecosystem : breakdown of waste produced by men, regeneration of atmosphere and biosynthesis of edible biomass. This paper reports the mass balance description of a Biological Life Support System composed of the MELiSSA loop and of a Higher Plant Compartment working in parallel with the photosynthetic Spirulina compartment producing edible biomass. The recycling efficiencies of the system are determined and compared for various working conditions of the MELiSSA loop with or without the HPC.
ISSN:0273-1177
DOI:10.1016/S0273-1177(02)00739-1