Systems and methods for processing regolith

Abstract

A method for processing regolith comprises the steps of filtering the regolith to separate oxides, including iron-rich oxides, silicon-rich oxides and non-magnetic oxides, from the regolith, chemically reducing the separated oxides with a reaction gas to obtain a purified stream of gases and solid particles, separating the purified stream of gases from the solid particles, and methanating the separated stream of gases to produce methane and water.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING REGOLITHTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for processing regolith, and in particular to systems and methods for producing water, oxygen, and other useful co-products from regolith. Particular embodiments have example applications for processing lunar regolith in support of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) on the Moon.RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority from United States Patent Application No. 63 / 606,045 filed on December 4, 2023 entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING REGOLITH”. For the purposes of the United States, this application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 of United States Patent Application No. 63 / 606,045 filed on December 4, 2023 entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING REGOLITH”. United States Patent Application No. 63 / 606,045 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.BACKGROUND

[0003] Space exploration is important for scientific discovery and technological innovation, as it can inspire the human race to leam more about the universe and develop new technologies. To facilitate advanced space exploration in the future (e.g., deep-space missions), a sustained presence on the Moon or other celestial bodies in the solar system may be required. To sustain such a presence, a large amount of energy and power will need to be supplied on or to the extraterrestrial body.

[0004] In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) refers to the practice of collecting, processing, storing and using materials found or manufactured on other astronomical objects (e.g., the Moon, Mars, asteroids, etc.) to replace materials that would otherwise need to be transported from Earth. ISRU is key for establishing a sustained extraterrestrial presence. With considerable mission planning still outstanding for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) various lunar initiatives and other lunar exploration programs, efforts have been made in recent years to develop new technologies that are capable of supporting ISRU on the Moon.

[0005] Some of the currently proposed ISRU strategies involve collecting ice from, for example, the lunar south pole by excavating regolith. Such strategies may involve using a small rocket thruster to excavate the regolith, followed by fluidizing the regolith, followed by beneficiating the fluidized icy regolith to collect the ice grains and sublimated vapor. Ice water may be extracted from the icy grains and the sublimated vapor, and the extracted ice water may then be purified (e.g., through electrolysis or a distillation process) for use and consumption. While such techniques are appealing in theory, they are unlikely to be feasible in practice because the process requires making assumptions about the texture of the minerals and the ice, which can be variable and / or dependent on the location of the regolith.

[0006] Other ISRU strategies involve heating the icy regolith to release the water surface and capturing the sublimated water into a dome tent. Such strategies may involve installing mirrors to capture sunlight in the crater rims of the Moon’s south pole to collect and redirect solar energy to the Moon’s shadow regions, followed by deploying cold traps into rovers to recover the water as ice and transporting them to a plant. While potentially feasible in practice, the process is dependant on the ice water content available in the first meter of depth beneath the surface and not ideal due to the low efficiency of heat on the surface. Other existing processes require either abundant access to water ice in the lunar south pole, or significant power consumption to generate the requisite thermal energy. Such processes are not versatile enough to accommodate the constantly evolving exploration objectives in space.

[0007] There remains a need for new and improved systems and processes for producing water and / or oxygen from regolith. Preferably, such systems and processes will be energy efficiency, non-reliant on previous ice concentration, and compatible with the materials excavated on the shallow surface of a celestial body. There remains a need for systems and processes that allow for the optimization of lunar resources by incorporating new minerals into an ilmenite reduction process. There remains a need for systems that are capable of processing feedstock from the wide spectrum of lunar geologies, at lower temperatures, and / or with simplified hardware.SUMMARY

[0008] One aspect of the invention relates to a process for processing regolith. The process comprises the steps of filtering the regolith to separate oxides from the regolith, chemically reducing the separated oxides with a reaction gas to obtain a purified stream of gases and solid particles, separating the purifiedstream of gases from the solid particles, and methanating the separated stream of gases to produce methane and water. The oxides may comprise iron-rich oxides, silicon-rich oxides, and / or nonmagnetic oxides. The reaction gas may comprise hydrogen gas, methane gas, and / or carbon gases. The regolith may be filtered with a sequential stage of screens, a magnetic separator, and / or an electrostatic separator. The sequential stage of screens may be configured to mechanically separate coarse regolith from fine regolith.

[0009] In some embodiments, the process involves chemically reducing the separated oxides with the reaction gas at a temperature in the range of approximately 600°C to 1500°C. In some embodiments, the process involves chemically reducing the separated oxides with the reaction gas at a pressure in the range of approximately latm to lOOatm. In some embodiments, the process involves using a cyclone separator to separate the purified stream of gases from the solid particles. In some embodiments, the process involves methanating the separated stream of gases through a Sabatier methanation process. The Sabatier methanation process may involve reacting the separated stream of gases with hydrogen gas to obtain methane gas and steam, and condensing the steam to produce the water.

[0010] In some embodiments, the process comprises the additional step of separating the produced methane from the produced water, and providing the separated methane as the reaction gas for chemically reducing the separated oxides. In such embodiments, the process may comprise heating the produced water and electrolyzing the heated water to produce oxygen gas and hydrogen gas. The produced hydrogen gas may be separated from the produced oxygen gas, and provided as the reaction gas for chemically reducing the separated oxides. The separated hydrogen gas may also be condensed to produce additional water.

[0011] Another aspect relates to a system for processing regolith. The system comprises a filter, a main reactor provided downstream of the filter, a separator provided downstream of the main reactor, and a secondary reactor provided downstream of the separator. The filter is configured to separate oxides from the regolith. The filter may comprise a sequential stage of screens, a magnetic separator, and / or an electrostatic separator. The main reactor is configured to chemically reduce the separated oxides with a reaction gas to obtain a purified stream of gases and solid particles. The separator is configured to separate the purified stream of gases from the solid particles. The secondary reactor is configured to methanate the separated stream of gases to produce methane and water.

[0012] In some embodiments, the separator comprises a cyclone separator. In some embodiments, the secondary reactor comprises a condenser and a Sabatier reactor. In some embodiments, the systemcomprises a heater provided downstream of the secondary reactor and configured to heat the produced water. In some embodiments, the system comprises an electrolysis separator provided downstream of the heater and configured to produce oxygen and hydrogen gas from the heated water. In some embodiments, the system comprises a secondary condenser provided downstream of the electrolysis separator and configured to produce additional water from the produced hydrogen gas. In some embodiments, the system comprises an excavator for excavating the regolith from a celestial body. In some embodiments, the system comprises a transportation system for transporting the excavated regolith from the excavator to the filter.

[0013] In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the drawings and by study of the following detailed descriptions.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Various objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of particular embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

[0015] FIG. 1A is a block diagram of a regolith processing system according to an example embodiment.

[0016] FIG. IB is a process flow diagram of a regolith processing system of the type shown in FIG. 1A.

[0017] FIG. 2A is a conceptual rendering of a ground validation and tuning experiment (GVTE) setup that may be used to test a prototype version of the regolith processing system depicted in FIG. 1 A.

[0018] FIG. 2B is a process flow diagram of the GVTE. FIG. 2C is a piping and instrumentation diagram of the GVTE.

[0019] FIGS. 3A-C are conceptual renderings of a space experiment setup that may be used to test a full-scale prototype version of the regolith processing system depicted in FIG. 1 A.

[0020] FIG. 3D is a process flow diagram of another space experiment for testing the regolith processing system depicted in FIG. 1A. FIG. 3E is a piping and instrumentation diagram of the FIG. 3D space experiment.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The description which follows and the embodiments described therein are provided by way of illustration of examples of particular embodiments of the principles of the present invention. These examples are provided for the purposes of explanation and not limitation of those principles and of the invention. In some instances, certain structures and techniques have not been described or shown in detail in order not to obscure the invention.

[0022] Aspects of the invention relate to systems and methods for processing regolith to produce water, oxygen, and useful co-products (e.g., methane, carbon gases and hydrogen gas) on celestial bodies like the Moon and Mars. The systems may, in some cases, harness both the celestial body’s atmosphere and regolith as sources to produce water, oxygen, and co-products simultaneously on the celestial body. Unlike other proposed technologies which target specific materials for extraction, systems of the type described herein are designed or otherwise configured to process a wide range of materials, including all types of iron and silicon oxides, that may be found on the surfaces of various geographic regions (e.g., ilmenite, pyroxene, olivine, glasses and agglutinates on the lunar surface, Martian hematite minerals, as well as other planetary resources).

[0023] By way of example, it is known through orbital analysis and surface exploration that the Moon is segregated into various geologic regions, including those of the lowlands which are dominated by iron-rich basalts and those of the highlands which are dominated by plagioclase rocks. In addition, pyroclastic materials and glasses are abundant across various impact areas of the Moon, such as the lunar poles. As a result, regolith extracted from different locations of the Moon may have different compositions. Compared to other currently proposed ISRU systems that are designed to either focus on extracting material from regolith found at suspected permanently shaded regions (PSR) which may already contain ice, or target only regolith from specific regions of the moon which are rich in metals (e.g., mare basalt lowlands, or locations away from the lunar poles), systems of the type described herein are designed or otherwise configured to leverage the hydrogen, methane and carbon gases reduction of a wide range of minerals and materials, including ilmenite, iron oxides (e.g., pyroxenes, olivine, and other minerals concentrated in basaltic regions), and glasses (e.g., agglutinates and FeO- rich glasses). Advantageously, such systems can be used to produce water, oxygen, and useful coproducts from regolith extracted from, for example, all regions of the Moon.

[0024] FIG. 1A is a block diagram of a regolith processing system 100 according to an example embodiment. System 100 comprises a multi-stage filter 10, a primary reactor 20 provided downstream of the multi-stage filter 10, a separator 30 provided downstream of the primary reactor 20, and a secondary reactor 40 provided downstream of separator 30. System 100 may be designed or otherwise configured to process regolith 2 on the Moon, Mars, or other celestial bodies. For example, system 100 may be configured to recover water and useful co-products, like carbon dioxides and methane, from lunar regolith 2 that is primarily composed of iron oxides, basalts (e.g., ilmenite, pyroxene and olivine), aluminum and silicon-rich plagioclase rocks (e.g., albite, anorthite, etc.), pyroclastic glass material (e.g., SiCh), and agglutinates.

[0025] Optionally, system 100 may comprise an excavator 12, such as an auger or bucket excavator, provided upstream of filter 10 for excavating regolith 2 from the Moon or celestial body. Optionally, system 100 may comprise a transportation system 14 for transporting the excavated regolith 2 from excavator 12 to filter 10.

[0026] As depicted in FIG. 1A, in some embodiments, filter 10 comprises a sequential stage of screen(s) 10A, magnetic separator(s) 10B, and electrostatic separator(s) 10C which work together to enhance the extraction of materials like iron and silicon oxide minerals from regolith 2. The initial screens 10A of filter 10 may comprise mechanical screens, pneumatic classificators, and / or screening systems which rely on vibrational mechanisms or acoustic waves. In the illustrated embodiment, screen 10A mechanically separates coarse materials 2A (e.g., rocks and pebbles which may be set aside for subsequent processing or infrastructure applications) from fine materials 2B that are more suitable for magnetic separation, electrostatic separation, and further processing. In some embodiments, filter 10 also separates ultrafine particles from the fine materials. A magnetic separator 10B of filter 10 then separates minerals with magnetic properties (e.g., primarily FeO for lunar regolith as well as FeO rich glasses and agglutinates) from the fine materials 2B. An electrostatic separator 10C of filter 10 then separates materials like ilmenite (FeTiCh) and other iron and silicone ores from the remaining tailings 2H. Depending on the feed regolith mineralogy, filter 10 may be configured and operated to incorporate direct or reverse beneficiation. For direct beneficiation, iron, glasses and magnetic minerals are beneficiated as final products in the final concentrate. For reverse beneficiation, anorthosite and other types of plagioclases are beneficiated as pure concentrate to remove those minerals from the system and recover iron and silicon oxides.

[0027] Optionally, the refined materials 2C and tailings 2H obtained from the process of filter 10 may be sent back to or recirculated through magnetic separator 10B and / or electrostatic separator 10C forfurther refinement. After an adequate amount of refinement, the refined materials 2C obtained from removing and separating tailings 2H from the fine materials 2B via magnetic separator 10B and electrostatic separator IOC may be delivered (e.g., via screw conveyors or the like) to main reactor 20. The tailings 2H may be removed from and stored outside of system 100 as depicted in FIG. 1A.

[0028] Main reactor 20 is designed or otherwise configured to facilitate one or more chemical reactions, such as a reduction reaction, involving hydrogen gas (H2), carbon monoxide (CO), methane gas (CH4), and other carbon gases. In some embodiments, the reduction reactions are performed in a reactor, such as a fluidized bed reactor or other similar reactors. Main reactor 20 is configured to produce useful gas (e.g., usable water vapour, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide) from solid materials 2C such as the ilmenite, iron oxides, glasses and pyroclastic / FeO rich glasses separated by filter 10. Examples of the various chemical reactions that may take place within main reactor 20 and their stoichiometric equations are provided in Table 1 below.Table 1: Exemplary chemical reactions that may take place within the main reactor.

[0029] Some of the reactions that take place within reactor 20 may be influenced by temperature and pressure, and may demonstrate spontaneous behavior based on thermodynamic principles. For example, reactions involving iron oxides and FeO-rich glasses may take place at a temperature within the range of approximately 600°C-1500°C. The reactions taking place within reactor 20 may, optionally, be facilitated through the use plasma. System 100 can, advantageously, be operated at temperatures belowthe melting point of regolith 2 (i.e., ~1600°C for highlands and 1200°C for basalts) in some cases, thereby providing more efficient and better controlled reaction conditions. System 100 can also be operated in vacuum or at high pressure (e.g., lOOatm or more) in some cases to maximize the reaction kinetic energy.

[0030] In some embodiments, main reactor 20 comprises an inlet for allowing solids to enter the reactor through a hatch, a metallic chamber providing a space for the reaction(s) to occur, and an outlet for allowing slag to exit the reactor. Main reactor 20 may also comprise one or more gas inlet lines. In some embodiments, main reactor 20 comprises a first gas inlet line connected to a first gas storage tank containing hydrogen gas (H2), a second gas inlet line connected to a second gas storage tank containing carbon monoxide (CO) and / or other carbon gases, and a third gas inlet line connected to a third gas storage tank containing methane gas (CH4). Main reactor 20 may, optionally, comprise a control system for controlling the flow and / or type of gas entering main reactor 20.

[0031] In some embodiments, the chamber of main reactor 20 is cylindrical in shape. In one example embodiment, the chamber is roughly 0.55m in height, and roughly 0.4m in diameter. In one example embodiment, main reactor 20 is designed with a minimum useful capacity of 6000cm3. In some embodiments, main reactor 20 is designed for operation at a temperature in the range of 600°C- 1500°C. In some embodiments, main reactor 10 is constructed with a material that is able to withstand a maximum temperature of about 1500°C. In some embodiments, main reactor 20 is operated at a temperature between 900°C-1500°C to produce the useful gases 2E. In some embodiments, main reactor 20 is operated at a pressure between latm to lOOatm. The operating pressure and temperature may be selected based on the gas fluidizer pressure management strategy that is employed by the operator.

[0032] A separator 30 is provided downstream of main reactor 20 to separate solid particles 2D from useful gases 2E produced by the chemical reactions taking place in main reactor 20. Examples of useful gases 2E include, but are not limited to, CO and CO2 gases. The solid particles 2D may be collected and combined with the reduced regolith slag exiting the reduction reactor 20 (i.e., see FIG. IB) and this mixture may be stored as a separate stream for future use. In some embodiments, separator 30 is a cyclone separator or a separation device that relies on the principle of inertia to remove particulate matter from flue gases. The material recovered in stream 2D may, optionally, be stored as sintered material useful for manufacturing bricks and structures.

[0033] In some embodiments, a secondary reactor 40 is provided downstream of separator 30 to produce water 4 and methane 2F from the purified stream of gases 2E. Examples of the various chemical reactions that may take place within secondary reactor 40 and their stoichiometric equations are provided in Table 2 below.Table 2: Exemplary chemical reactions that take place within the secondary reactor.

[0034] In the illustrated embodiment, secondary reactor 40 comprises a Sabatier reactor 40A and a condenser 40B. Sabatier reactor 40A is designed or otherwise configured to process the purified stream of gases 2E by reacting the CO and CO2 gases contained therein with hydrogen gas over a metal catalyst (e.g., nickel) at high temperatures. This process of extracting water 4 and regenerating methane from CO and CO2 gases may also be referred to herein as “methanation”, “Sabatier methanation” or “methanating”. In some cases (e.g., for planetary resources on Mars), the Sabatier methanation taking place at secondary reactor 40 can also utilize CO gas generated by a Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) reaction, or CO2 gas directly obtained from the Martian atmosphere, or carbon found on the Moon (e.g., located within the ejecta of selected impactor sites or within permafrost sites, volatiles in the regolith, and even from the processing of human wastes after astronaut bases have been established in the future).

[0035] Condenser 40B is designed or otherwise configured to provide a cooling effect (e.g., to water and methane vapor) which causes steam to condense to liquid water 4. The cooling effect may be achieved through radiative surfaces, heat exchangers, or the like. The cooling effect may be achieved while excluding the methane gas 2F from secondary reactor 40. In some embodiments, the purified gas stream 2E may be recirculated or recycled through Sabatier reactor 40A and condenser 40B several times to actively extract water 4 and methane gas 2F from gas stream 2E. In some embodiments, the methane gas 2F is delivered or otherwise provided back to main reactor 20 to help facilitate the reduction reactions taking place therein. Water 4 may be delivered to other systems for storage, consumption, or other uses in support of ISRU.

[0036] Optionally, system 100 may comprise heater 50 and electrolysis separator 60 for producing oxygen 4A from water 4. In the illustrated embodiment, water 4 is collected and provided to heater 50 for sublimation. The heated water steam 4 is then provided to an electrolysis separator 60 comprising positively and negatively charged electrodes which pass an electric current through water 4 in the presence of a transport membrane or electrolytic solution. The electric current causes the water molecules to split into separate streams of oxygen 4A, hydrogen gas 2G, and a small percentage of residual water as depicted in FIG. 1A. The generated oxygen 4 A may be subsequently compressed, chiller cooled, and / or stored. The generated hydrogen gas 2G may be compressed and provided back to main reactor 20 and / or secondary reactor 40 to help facilitate the chemical reactions taking place inthe main reactor 20 and / or secondary reactor 40. In some embodiments, a secondary condenser 70 is provided downstream of electrolysis separator 60 to recover the residual water 4B from the purified and condensed hydrogen gas stream 2G.

[0037] Systems of the type described herein can offer several advantages over traditional technologies in the field. One advantage provided by system 100, for example, is mineral flexibility, as it comprises features which allow its users to adapt and regulate the gas mixture, consisting of carbon gases, methane and / or hydrogen, based on the specific characteristics of the ore being processed. In a lunar setting, for example, carbon materials may exist in relatively small concentrations across the lunar surface (e.g., 100 ppm in regolith). At the lunar South Pole, the carbon materials’ concentration may be higher, with potential deposits having concentrations ranging from 1-20 wt% carbon. In other lunar regions, the carbon materials’ concentration may be lower and hydrogen reduction may need to be relied on more heavily. In the future, the carbon demand may be partially supplied from material recycled from the human bases. Advantageously, system 100 comprises features which allow its users to adjust the gas mixture to optimize the resource utilization in situ. Whether it involves maximizing the utilization of methane or employing hydrogen reduction, system 100 possesses the versatility to provide efficiency in extracting and utilizing resources on an extraterrestrial surface.

[0038] Another advantage of system 100 relates to its ability to produce volatiles during the heating stage of operation. The significance of water on the Moon has spurred important commercial studies, exploring the fabrication of oxygen and hydrogen liquid propellants (LLOX and LLH2) at an industrial scale. Furthermore, the production of oxygen and methane for methalox and other volatiles with scientific and ISRU importance for space agencies has garnered considerable interest. The ability of system 100 to harness these lunar volatiles can help create opportunities in advancing both scientific exploration and future space missions.

[0039] In addition to the exemplary aspects described above, the present invention is further described with reference to the following experiments which may be conducted to ascertain various advantages of the regolith processing systems described herein. Details of the experiments are set forth in the examples below to aid in the understanding of the invention, and should not be construed to limit in any way the scope of the invention as defined in the claims which follow thereafter.EXAMPLE 1 - GROUND VALIDATION AND TUNING EXPERIMENT

[0040] A ground validation and tuning experiment (GVTE) may be conducted to test a prototype version of system 100 in a lab environment using lunar simulants that recreate the mineralogical conditions of the lunar surface. For visualization purposes, a conceptual rendering of the GVTE system is shown in FIG. 2A. The GVTE architecture proceeds in accordance with the process flow diagram depicted in FIG. 2B and the piping and instrumentation diagram depicted in FIG. 2C.

[0041] As depicted in FIG. 2B, the GVTE process starts with the excavation of the lab-created regolith by an excavator (A-201). The excavated regolith can be transported using conveyor belts (CV-201 / 202) to the vibratory sieve (F-201) and the reactor (R-201). The gases generated inside the reactor (R-201) are expected to be a mixture of water (i.e., H2O), steam (i.e., H2O), carbon monoxide (i.e., CO), and carbon dioxide (i.e., CO2). The flow of gases can be sent to an intermediate stage (T-204) and a condenser (C-201) to separate liquid water from the gas flow (CO and CO2). The liquid water can be sent to an electrolysis unit (E-201) to produce oxygen. Water residue and hydrogen generated by electrolysis unit (E-201) can be passed through a second condenser (C-202), separated, and stored independently. The various gases used and / or produced in the GVTE can be stored in tanks (T-201 to T-208) and analyzed using a gas chromatographer (GC-201).

[0042] The expected thermodynamic characteristics of the main streams of gases produced and / or used in the GVTE are provided in Table 3 below.Table 3: Expected thermodynamic characteristics of the main streams of gases produced and / or used in the GVTEEXAMPLE 2 - SPACE EXPERIMENT

[0043] One or more space experiments can be conducted to test a full-scale prototype of system 100 aboard a spacecraft. For visualization purposes, a conceptual rendering of an exemplary space experiment system is shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C. The architecture of another exemplary space experiment system proceeds in accordance with the process flow diagram depicted in FIG. 3D and the piping and instrumentation diagram depicted in FIG. 3E.

[0044] As depicted in FIG. 3D, the space experiment process starts with the excavator (A-301) excavating lab-created simulant regolith from a surface mimicking the lunar surface or another planetary resource. The excavator (A-301) can be monitored continuously to detect any blockage events, to change position, and to generally ensure the continuity of the operation. The material can be transported through conveyor belts (CV-301 / CV-302) and classified into a vibratory sieve (F-301). All coarse particles over a certain size (c.g., 1 mm) can be removed, and the fine regolith can be sent to the reactor (R-301). At the reactor (R-301), the fine regolith can be reacted with hydrogen, methane, and / or carbon gases. After the reaction of regolith with hydrogen and methane, the gas flow can be stored within an intermediate tank (T-303). Next, the gas flow can be sent to a condenser (E-301) for a complete separation of (a) water as small ice particles, and (b) CO and CO2 gases. The water can then be heated in a heater (H-301) to obtain and store liquid water in a storage (T-304) under adequate pressure conditions. Weight and level sensors can be used to control the transportation of the regolith to the reactor (R-301), and temperature and pressure sensors can be used to control the gas flow from the reactor (R-301) to the condenser (C-301) and heater (H-301). Other sensors and redundancies can be employed to control temperature and pressure throughout the system and within pipelines.

[0045] While the above description describes features of example embodiments, it will be appreciated that some features and / or functions of the described embodiments are susceptible to modification without departing from the spirit and principles of operation of the described embodiments. For example, the various characteristics which are described by means of the represented embodiments or examples may be selectively combined with each other. Accordingly, what has been described above is intended to be illustrative of the claimed concept and non-limiting. It will be understood by persons skilled in the art that other variants and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments and examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.Interpretation of Terms

[0046] The terms "including" "comprising" and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to" unless expressly specified otherwise. “Connected” “coupled” or any variant thereof means any connection or coupling, either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling or connection between the elements can be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. “Herein” “above” “below” and words of similar import, when used to describe this specification shall refer to this specification as a whole and not to any particular portions of this specification. “Or” in reference to a list of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list. A listing of items does not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms "a" "an" and "the" can mean "one or more" unless expressly specified otherwise.

[0047] The terms "an embodiment", "embodiment", "embodiments", "the embodiment", "the embodiments", "one or more embodiments", "some embodiments" and "one embodiment" mean "one or more (but not all) embodiments of the present invention(s)", unless expressly specified otherwise.

[0048] Where a component is referred to above, unless otherwise indicated, reference to that component should be interpreted as including as equivalents of that component any component which performs the function of the described component (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), including components which are not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention.

[0049] Furthermore, it will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the example embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the example embodiments described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the example embodiments described herein. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the example embodiments described herein.

[0050] Specific examples of systems, methods and apparatus have been described herein for purposes of illustration. These are only examples. The technology provided herein can be applied to systems other than the example systems described above. Many alterations, modifications, additions,omissions, and permutations are possible within the practice of this invention. This invention includes variations on described embodiments that would be apparent to the skilled addressee, including variations obtained by: replacing features, elements and / or acts with equivalent features, elements and / or acts; mixing and matching of features, elements and / or acts from different embodiments; combining features, elements and / or acts from embodiments as described herein with features, elements and / or acts of other technology; and / or omitting combining features, elements and / or acts from described embodiments.

[0051] Although the present invention has been described and illustrated with respect to preferred embodiments and preferred uses thereof, it is not to be so limited since modifications and changes can be made therein which are within the full, intended scope of the invention as understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method for processing regolith, the method comprising: a) fdtering the regolith to separate oxides from the regolith; b) chemically reducing the separated oxides with a reaction gas to obtain a purified stream of gases and solid particles; c) separating the purified stream of gases from the solid particles; and d) methanating the separated stream of gases to produce methane and water.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising filtering the regolith with one or more of: a sequential stage of screens, a magnetic separator, and an electrostatic separator.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sequential stage of screens is configured to mechanically separate coarse regolith from fine regolith.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the oxides comprise one or more of: iron-rich oxides, silicon-rich oxides and non-magnetic oxides.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reaction gas comprises one or more of: hydrogen gas, methane gas, and carbon gases.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising chemically reducing the separated oxides with the reaction gas at a temperature in the range of 600°C to 1500°C.

7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising chemically reducing the separated oxides with the reaction gas at a pressure in the range of latm to lOOatm.

8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising separating the purified stream of gases from the solid particles with a cyclone separator.

9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising methanating the separated stream of gases through a Sabatier methanation process.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the Sabatier methanation process comprises reacting the separated stream of gases with hydrogen gas to obtain methane gas and steam, and condensing the steam to produce the water.

11. The method of any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising separating the produced methane from the produced water, and providing the separated methane as the reaction gas for chemically reducing the separated oxides.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising heating the separated water and electrolyzing the heated water to produce oxygen gas and hydrogen gas.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising separating the produced oxygen gas from the produced hydrogen gas, and providing the separated hydrogen gas as the reaction gas for chemically reducing the separated oxides.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising condensing the separated hydrogen gas to produce additional water.

15. A system for processing regolith, the system comprising: a fdter configured to separate oxides from the regolith; a main reactor provided downstream of the filter and configured to chemically reduce the separated oxides with a reaction gas to obtain a purified stream of gases and solid particles; a separator provided downstream of the main reactor and configured to separate the purified stream of gases from the solid particles; and a secondary reactor provided downstream of the separator and configured to methanate the separated stream of gases to produce methane and water.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the filter comprises one or more of: a sequential stage of screens, a magnetic separator, and an electrostatic separator.

17. The system of claim 15 or claim 16, wherein the separator comprises a cyclone separator.

18. The system of any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the secondary reactor comprises a condenser and a Sabatier reactor.

19. The system of any one of claims 15 to 18, comprising a heater provided downstream of the secondary reactor, the heater configured to heat the produced water.

20. The system of claim 19, comprising an electrolysis separator provided downstream of the heater, the electrolysis separator configured to produce oxygen and hydrogen gas from the heated water.

21. The system of claim 20, comprising a secondary condenser provided downstream of the electrolysis separator, the secondary condenser configured to produce additional water from the produced hydrogen gas.

22. The system of any one of claims 15 to 21, comprising an excavator for excavating the regolith from a celestial body, and a transportation system for transporting the excavated regolith from the excavator to the filter.

23. Systems having any new and inventive feature, combination of features, or sub-combination of features as described herein.

24. Methods having any new and inventive feature, combination of features, or sub-combination of features as described herein.

Images