In order to survive in the universe, human beings need not only water and food, but also oxygen and hydrogen as fuel for breathing and electricity for various activities. In order to prevent them from needing supplies from the earth in the universe, one of the solutions is a high-pressure water electrolysis system that uses solar energy to electrolyze water to generate oxygen and hydrogen, and a "renewable energy recovery system" that builds a fuel cell system that generates electricity and water from oxygen and hydrogen.
Therefore, JAXA and Honda signed a three-year (2020 -2022) research agreement on June 5438+065438+ 10, 2020, which will use Honda's high-pressure water electrolysis technology and fuel cell technology to promote the research of manned gateway on the moon and the system for recycling renewable energy on the lunar surface.
In this joint research, JAXA will be responsible for setting the review conditions according to the task scenarios and requirements of Gateway oxygen production and lunar rover power supply that Honda has been studying. Honda said that it is responsible for the technical research of tasks and scenarios. In 20021year, it will be evaluated through trial production, and at the same time, the feasibility study of related issues will be carried out with the key technologies of renewable energy system determined in 2020. In addition, they plan to use this result to test the feasibility of the system planned to be used in 2022.
The recycling renewable energy system jointly studied by JAXA and Honda is a system that combines high-pressure water electrolysis system and fuel cell system. It is assumed that solar energy and water can continuously produce oxygen, hydrogen and electricity.
Specifically, using solar energy, water is electrolyzed by a high-pressure water electrolysis system to generate oxygen and hydrogen. Suppose that people who work in manned bases will breathe with oxygen, and transport opportunities that take off and land on the moon will use hydrogen as fuel. It is also envisaged to use oxygen and hydrogen to generate electricity in the fuel cell system and provide power for manned bases and motor vehicles.
Honda's high-pressure water electrolysis system is small in size and light in weight, because it does not need a compressor to compress hydrogen, which also helps to reduce the loading capacity and quality, as a major topic of space transportation. Honda has been committed to the research and development of hydrogen technology for many years. In 2002, it began to rent and sell FCV (fuel cell vehicle) for the first time in the world. In addition, an intelligent hydrogen station with high-pressure water electrolysis system has been developed and built. The goal of renewable energy recovery system is to use these technologies flexibly.
Hiroshi Sasaki, director of JAXA's space technology department, said: "With the Japanese government's decision to participate in the Artemis program, JAXA is embarking on mission development and system research to achieve comprehensive lunar exploration. Running in space requires oxygen, hydrogen and electricity, but with the realization of recycling energy system, water can get them in space without replenishing them from the earth and space. It is expected that JAXA's activities will use Honda and JAXA to steadily advance this joint research. " .
Takeshi Ikuxiong, executive director of Honda Technology Research Institute and head of Advanced Power Combination and Energy Research Institute, said, "Honda's goal is to achieve a prosperous and sustainable society and' provide all people with the possibility of expanding their lives' on the ground, in the ocean, in the sky and in the universe. This research is a challenge to expand people's life circle into the universe and expand people's possibilities by using the technology cultivated so far. In addition, in order to make a great contribution to the carbon neutrality on the ground, the recycling renewable energy system will hone its technology in the ultimate environment of the universe and feed back the results to the ground. "