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Calcimator

CO2 Scrubbing Calculator

Size CO2 removal systems for space habitats comparing LiOH, CDRA, and Sabatier technologies.

Inputs

Results

Daily CO2 production (kg)

6

Hours to max CO218.1
Scrubber mass (kg)290
Power needed (kW)3
Consumables (kg/day)0
Water recovered (kg/day)0
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter the crew size (number of people in the habitat).
  2. Enter the habitat's pressurized volume in cubic meters.
  3. Set the maximum allowable CO2 level in parts per million (ppm).
  4. Choose the scrubber type: 1 for LiOH (consumable), 2 for CDRA (regenerable), or 3 for Sabatier (recovers water).
  5. Review daily CO2 production, hours to reach the max CO2 level without scrubbing, scrubber mass, power requirement, consumables per day, and water recovered per day (Sabatier only).

How the result changes with Crew size

Crew sizeDaily CO2 production (kg)
1111
3636
6565
9090

What each input means

Crew size
Number of crew members.
Habitat volume (m³)
Pressurized volume of habitat.
Max CO2 level (ppm)
Maximum allowable CO2 concentration.
Scrubber type (1-3)
1 = LiOH (consumable), 2 = CDRA (regenerable), 3 = Sabatier (CO2 + H2).

What each result means

Daily CO2 production (kg)
Total crew CO2 output per day.
Hours to max CO2
Time to reach max without scrubbing.
Scrubber mass (kg)
Equipment mass requirement.
Power needed (kW)
Continuous power draw.
Consumables (kg/day)
Daily consumable material (LiOH only).
Water recovered (kg/day)
Water from Sabatier reaction.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Crew size = 6, Habitat volume (m³) = 500, Max CO2 level (ppm) = 5000, Scrubber type (1-3) = 2 = 4 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Daily CO2 production
    Daily CO2 production = crewSize * co2PerPersonPerDay
    6 = 6
  3. Calculate Hours to max CO2
    18.1 = 18.1
  4. Calculate Scrubber mass
    290 = 290

Engine last updated .

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