An Overview

The goal of our freshman design project for Engineering 103 is to create a CO2 filtration system. The idea was based on the events that unfolded on the Apollo 13 mission in which an oxygen tank exploded leaving 3 astronauts with too little oxygen and too much carbon dioxide in the lunar module to be able to survive for the whole duration of the trip back.

The Apollo XIII CO2 Filter

In an everyday application, this CO2 filter can be used to help improve overall air quality in both industrial and household areas. As we get further into the project we will also want to optimize the CO2 filtration system to filter out as much CO2 as possible.

The design will be very simple. The filter will consist of an acrylic frame as housing, computer fans to push air through, and activated carbon as can be found in aquariums shall be encased in between 2 layers of a filter (coffee filter, maybe window screen, maybe something else). Dry ice will be used in the demonstration of the filter to generate CO2 to filter. A CO2 sensor will either be purchased or borrowed to test the effectiveness of the filter.

Activated Carbon