How people breath in a space shuttle?

Question

Please indicate the chemical reaction of producing Oxygen to breath.

Answer 1

The Orbiter carries liquid oxygen for use in the fuel cells and for use in the environmental systems. It does not use a chemical process to produce oxygen. It carries the oxygen in liquid form.

Carbon Dioxide is removed from the air using the tried and true lithium hydroxide method that NASA has used since Apollo.

From http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/shutref/orbiter/eclss/cabinpress.html
"The pressurization system consists of two oxygen systems and two gaseous nitrogen systems. The two oxygen systems are supplied by the PRSD oxygen system, which is the same source that supplies oxygen to the orbiter fuel cell power plants. The PRSD cryogenic supercritical oxygen storage system is controlled by electrical heaters within the tanks and supplies the oxygen to the ECLSS pressurization control system at a pressure of 835 to 852 psia in a gaseous state. The gaseous nitrogen supply system consists of two systems with two gaseous nitrogen tanks for each system. The nitrogen storage tanks are serviced to a nominal pressure of 2,964 psia at 80º F. If the auxiliary gaseous oxygen supply tank is installed, it is serviced to 2,440 psia at 80º F and stores 67.6 pounds of gaseous oxygen to provide high flow along with gaseous nitrogen. It would maintain the crew cabin at 8 psi with oxygen partial pressure at 2 psia. For normal on-orbit operations one oxygen and nitrogen supply system is used. For launch and entry both oxygen and nitrogen supply systems are used in addition to repressurization of the airlock."

From http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/shutref/orbiter/eclss/cabinair.html
"The cabin air from the cabin fan is ducted to the two lithium hydroxide canisters, where carbon dioxide is removed and activated charcoal removes odors and trace contaminants. An orifice in the duct directs a specific amount of cabin air through each lithium hydroxide canister. The canisters are also located under the middeck floor. They are changed alternately every 12 hours through an access door in the floor. For a flight crew of seven, the lithium hydroxide canisters are changed alternately every 11 hours. Replacement canisters are stored under the middeck floor between the cabin heat exchanger and water tanks."

Answer 2

They carry tanks of oxygen. The air that is in the shuttle to start with is circulated through a system. The system removes CO2 from the air chemically, and adds more oxygen from the tanks as needed.

The most common way to remove CO2 is to use its' properties as an acidic gas by passing it over a strong base, like sodium hydoxide. The sodium hydroxide becomes sodium carbonate and water.

When Apollo 13 had an onboard explosion at the start of it's flight, it lost some oxygen tanks, but not all of them, and the scrubber system was damaged. They had to rig another scrubber in the cabin, and just barely had enough oxygen left to make it back.

Answer 3

Without the earth’s atmosphere to filter the sunlight, the side of the suit facing the sun can simmer at a temperature of 120 degrees C while the other side exposed to the darkness of deep space could be at minus 100 degrees.

That is talking only about the temperature extreme. There are several other equally severe extremes that an astronaut has to encounter. He has to carry his own earth-like environment with him and it is the spacesuit that provides it by supplying oxygen and maintaining a pressure around the body to keep body fluids in liquid state.

Essentially, a spacesuit is an inflated balloon that is restricted by some rubberised fabric, in this case Neoprene-coated fibre. The restriction placed on the outside supplies air pressure on the inside. The standard environment in the suit is just 0.29 atmosphere of pure oxygen. The pressure is deliberately reduced for two reasons. One, it considerably improves freedom of movement for the wearer. And two, it decreases the overall stress on the suit.

Hundred per cent oxygen (instead of the normal air comprising 78 per cent nitrogen, 21 per cent oxygen and 1 per cent other gases) is provided either through a life support system in his backpack or through umbilical cords running from the spacecraft to the spacesuit. This life-support system re-circulates the user’s exhalations, removing carbon dioxide with the help of lithium hydroxide canisters and adding oxygen as needed.

But due to the decreased pressure, an astronaut has to spend several hours breathing pure oxygen before leaving the space shuttle to perform tasks in space. This procedure is mandatory to remove nitrogen dissolved in body fluids and thereby to prevent its release as gas bubbles when pressure is reduced. If this precaution is not taken, the astronauts can develop, like deep-sea divers, severe cramps called "the bends".

Answer 4

Inside the space shuttle, the mechanics and chemisrty of respiration are exactly the same as breathing on earth.

Oxygen is brought from earth. Photosynthesis produces it here.

Answer 5

SORRY ! I don't know. I only know this much that i breath with my nose. Who cares how they breath, may be with their nose. G-O-O-D-D-A-Y !!!

Answer 6

idk....why do u care???