Off Earth Mining Water Extraction - Mars’ Mining Model

(WEM³)

René Fradet Deputy Director for Engineering & Science Directorate

Dr Robert Shishko

Principal Systems Engineer / Economist

Acknowledgements

AN INTEGRATED ECONOMIC MODEL FOR ISRU IN SUPPORT OF A MARS COLONY - NASA Office of Emerging Space NRA NNA14ZVP001K

Modified from NASA, 2015

Mars Colony Architecture Model (MCAM)

MCAM HabNet Economic Valuation WEM³

• Physiological factors determine the required amount of water.

• Technical restrictions determine que type/number of resources required for water extraction

Curiosity Rover. NASA, 2015

Buzz Aldrin Deploys Apollo 11 Experiments. NASA, 2015

Home On the Moon: How to Build a Lunar Colony Space.com, 2013

Drilling Motors. http://www.upsideenergy.com

/drilling_motors.htm

Zacny et al., 2012

Modified from NASA, 2015

Mars Exploration Evolution

1960 1970 20201980 1990 2000 2010

Mariner 4

Mariner 9

Viking 2

Viking 1

Mars Observer

MGS

Pathfinder

MCO

Mars Odyssey

MER Spirit

MER Opportunity

MPL- Deep Space 2

MRO

Phoenix

MSL Curiosity

Mars 2020

InSight

MCO: Mars Climate Orbiter MER: Mars Exploration Rover MGS: Mars Global Surveyor MPL: Mars Polar Lander MRO: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter MSL: Mars Science Laboratory

On Earth Mining System – Open Pit

Loading(t01)

Haulage Load (t02)

Downloading(t03)

Haulage Empty(t04)

Prospective Off Earth Mining Systems

Water extraction test set-up

Mars soil simulant (JSC-1A):

12 wt % water

Zacny et al., 2012

TBM MISWE

Graphics TBM Animation Reel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQBeXART7vQ

Drilling Motors. http://www.upsideenergy.com/drilling_motors.htm

(d-t)

Drilling

Drilling Cycle time (DCT)

Ice Column Lift Loading Displacement to

Next Drilling Point

(icl-t)

(l-t)

(m-t)

DCT = (d-t) + (icl-t) +(l-t) +m-t) MISWE Performance (litre H20/h) = 𝑰𝑰𝑰 𝑪𝑪𝑪𝑪𝑪𝑪 𝑽𝑪𝑪𝑪𝑪𝑰 𝑪𝟑 ×𝑯𝟐𝟎𝑪𝑪𝑪𝑰. % ×𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎(𝑪 𝑪𝟑� )

𝑫𝑪𝑻(𝑪𝒎𝑪/𝟔𝟎)

Zacny et al., 2012

OEM Adaptation – MISWE

OEM Adaptation – MISWE

L&H Cycle Time = ∑ (𝒉𝑪 − 𝒕)𝒎+𝑪𝟏 ∑ (𝑪 − 𝒕)𝒎𝑪

𝟏 + 𝒉𝒉𝑪 − 𝒕 + 𝒉𝑰𝑪 − 𝒕 + (𝒉 − 𝒕)

Loading(l-t01)

Haulage Load to Dumping Point (hld-t)

Dumping(d-t)

Haulage Empty to the First MISWE(hem-t)

Loading(l-t02)

Loading(l-tn)

Loading(l-t(n-1))

Haulage Load (hl-t01)

Haulage Load (hl-t(n-1))

Haulage Load (hl-tn)

OEM Adaptation – TBM

L&H Cycle Time = (l-t) + (hl-t) +(he-t)+ (d-t)

Loading(l-t)

Haulage Load (hl-t)

Dumping(d-t)

Haulage Empty(he-t)

Graphics TBM Animation Reel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQBeXART7vQ

WEM³- Optimisation Process 1. Linear programing optimisation technique.

Optimisation tool “solve” provided by Excel®.

2. Technical (equipment) and geological restrictions are the main inputs. Best knowledge/understanding available till today.

3. Reaching target or maximising performance.

• Reaching Target: The number of “people feed by water” is set , thus the optimisation seeks for the best configuration (equipment number, distance between installations and drilling depth).

• Maximising Performance: Based on a number of available equipment (assumption) solve calculate the optimal configuration of the system to reach the maximum performance.

WEM³ - Assumptions

• Mine systems evaluation based on Equatorial region conditions.

• Water contained in regolith: 12%

• A model was run based on human drinkable water requirement (2,4 litres/day) for space missions.

• Water recovery: MISWE = 87%, Processing plant 83% (due to the scale).

• Transporter Speed: Four times than current rover’s speed and capable to carry 200 kg.

Daily Water Consumption Rate

Home On the Moon: How to Build a Lunar Colony http://www.space.com/21588-how-moon-base-lunar-colony-works-infographic.html

Production of Hydrogen. Production from electricity by means of electrolysis. HyWeb: Knowledge – Hydrogen in the Energy Sector. http://web.archive.org/web/20070207080325/http://www.hyweb.de/Knowledge/w-i-energiew-eng3.html#3.4) Bjørnar , Sondre and Buch, 2002. "Hydrogen—Status and Possibilities”. Development of water electrolysis in the European Union,2014.

WEM³ - Configuration

1

6

2 4 3 5

7

Restrictions

Optimisation Consistency

Optimisation Model Setting

(Input)

Data Record

Results

Representative Scheme

WEM³ - Flow

1

2

3

4

5

System 01 : MISWE + Transporter

• Emulating the traditional truck & shovel configuration.

• MISWE used for drilling and regolith recovering.

• Transporters carried the material to a processing plant.

• While required transporters and processing plant remain stable, MISWE increases significantly.

• 75% utilisation over 25 Supported People (SP).

• Transporter and processing plant has low utilisation at low production rate. Capacity review may improve it.

• More efficient over 20 SP.

System 02 : TBM + Transporter

• Emulating a continuous underground mine or tunnel developing.

• TBM are used as a continuous drilling machines.

• Transporters carried the material to a processing plant.

• Close relation between the number of transporters and TBM. Slightly increasing insofar as water production increases.

• 75% utilisation over 35 SP.

• Distance between processing plant and drilling site is key.

• Seems to be more efficient than System 01.

System 03 : MISWE (Original config.)

• Original design of MISWE.

• Drilling, processing and hauling extracted water to a downloading point.

• Significant increasing of required MISWE.

• Always run at 100% utilisation.

• The large number of MISWE operating in a short distance to stock point may lead in operational issues and delays.

• Lowest efficiency. (comparison)

• More flexible at low production rate.

• Not recommended for high production (more than 20 SP).

Analysis - Sensitivity

• In comparison to the systems that use external processing plant, MISWE (Original Design) is largely more sensitive to water volume increasing,

• Equipment number remain stable for systems 2 and 3 due to high performance and not full equipment utilisation.

Analysis – Returns to Scale

• Economic returns to scale not only works for Earth’s projects but also seems to work for OEM.

• The performance of MISWE (original design) is more efficient at very low water requirements.

• Systems that use processing plants are more efficient and stable at high production rates.

• A balance between equipment number and production rate may be found in the intersection of scale return (current graph) and marginal cost curves.

𝑬𝑬 𝑰𝑪𝒉𝑰𝑰 𝑪𝑪𝒎𝒕𝑪�

ER = 𝑻𝑪𝒕𝑻𝑪 𝑬𝑬𝑪𝒎𝑬. 𝑵𝑪𝑪𝑵𝑰𝑵 (𝑪𝑪𝒎𝒕) 𝑾𝑻𝒕𝑰𝑵 𝑷𝑵𝑪𝒉𝑪𝑰𝒕𝒎𝑪𝑪 𝑪

Marginal Cost (US$/l)

Maximise performance subject to restrictions. • Target: Provide enough water supply for a crew of four (4) people. • Optimisation: Distance between Region of Interest (ROI) and Landing Site (LS).

1. Mining systems evaluation based on Aram Chaos. 2. Water Contained in regolith (WC%): 3% to 7% (5% is the base case). 3. The model has been run based on human drinkable water requirement (3.66 litres/day)

for space missions. 4. Equipment:

• Water recovery: 87 (%) • Water storage capacity 5 (l) • Drilling rate: 1 (m/h) • Speed: 2,4 (m/min)

Assumptions:

Target:

WEM³ - Mars Landing Site Forum (Aram Chaos)

• Drilling, processing a haulage liquid water from ROI to LS.

• Each equipment works independently.

• Able to return only after the on-board tank is filled.

• A drilling depth of 2,5 meters is required for processing.

• 3 to 7 drilling cycles are required to full fill the storage tank on-board of the equipment. (Based on WC%)

WEM³ - Mars Landing Site Forum (Aram Chaos)

MISWE Original Configuration

• Water supply may not be assured by using less than 3 equipment.

• WC% have the most significant impact for distance. 3% WC reduces the distance ~1,2 km. 7% WC rise distance ~ 0,5 km.

• The low speed the MISWE increases dramatically the haulage cycle time for long distance

Results

The More Flexibility. Distance management to face WC% fluctuation

Intensive use of equipment. Heavy launching weight concerns High risk

during haulage activities.

WC%

Conclusion & Recommendations

MCAM

• MISWE system shows more flexibility for low crew number.

• MISWE may be used for the first exploration stage and TBM system construction.

• MISWE system shows theoretical viability; however, the low processing performance, low speed and very selective drilling method may increases the risk of the mission in terms of continuous water supply.

• Low utilisation of equipment in external processing plant configurations may be used as a “back-up” decreasing the risks of continuous water supply failure.

• TBM shows the highest performance at large scale. Can be also suitable for low scale if tailored.

Conclusion & Recommendations (Contd)

MCAM • Due to low equipment required, TBM systems seems to reduce launching

weight and unitary production cost of water.

• Improve technical assumption of TBM system to work in Mars is highly required.

• Assessing geological uncertainties and the applicability of the systems in Mars´ Polar regions is required.

• By including marginal cost law as “unitary launching weight” for each configuration the “optimal” configuration system/crew may be choose.

Conclusion & Recommendations

Landing Site

• 5 to 6 MISWE in a distance no longer than 2.000 m seems to provide the most suitable configuration. Reasonable time cycle not longer than 24 hours and able to deal with unpredictable low WC% by reducing distance.

• The system has the capacity to reach long distances; however, it may increase extraction risks due to the long cycle time and amount of resources required to face any eventual rescue mission if technical problems arise.

• WC% generates the most sensitiveness for the system, thus acquire geological information is highly required.

• Processing capacity and its performance are key to improve system’s efficiency.

Further Research

• A geological risk assessment that consider uncertainties about the “real” presence and distribution of water in regolith to design the mining system. (surface or underground)

• Develop a model to select the most suitable technology for particular conditions of different interest point (such as Aram Chaos) to increase water supply certainty.

• Inclusion of mechanical parameters in terms of availability, mean time between fail (MTBF), mean time to repair (MTTR) and life cycle of wear and spare parts.

• Earth and deep sea mining technology adaptation to Mars environment (design and performance).

Shuttle Simulator, NASA