Hierarchically controlled ecological life support systems

Closed Ecological Systems, Space Life Support and Biospherics

This chapter explores the development of a new type of scientific tool – manmade closed ecological systems. These systems have had a number of applications within the past 50 years. They are unique tools for investigating fundamental processes and interactions of ecosystems. They also hold the potentiality for creating life support systems for space exploration and habitation outside of Earth’s...

Hierarchically consistent control systems

Large-scale control systems typically possess a hierarchical architecture in order to manage complexity. Higher levels of the hierarchy utilize coarser models of the system, resulting from aggregating the detailed lower level models. In this layered control paradigm, the notion of hierarchical consistency is important, as it ensures the implementation of high-level objectives by the lower level...

Systems Integration of Systems for Life Support

Systems Integration of Systems for Life Support

Incineration as a method for resource recovery from inedible biomass in a Controlled Ecological Life Support System.

Resource recovery from waste streams in a space habitat is essential to minimize the resupply burden and achieve self-sufficiency. In a Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) human wastes and inedible biomass will represent significant sources of secondary raw materials necessary for support of crop plant production (carbon, water, and inorganic plant nutrients). Incineration, pyro...