In the framework of this article, we will consider a very broad concept, which is relevant for spaceships, and for aircraft, and for submarines, and for such an extensive structure as a city, metropolis. These are life support systems. We will directly analyze what the concept specifically means with regard to all its applications, and highlight important distinguishing features.
General definition
The life support system is the complexes that help create comfortable, optimal, acceptable conditions for living, living, the functioning of the crew, passengers, residents of any vessel, apparatus, facility.
According to their purpose, they can be divided into smaller subsystems: air conditioning, sanitary, and so on.
SJO on a spaceship
The life support system on a spaceship during manned flights - that group of equipment, technology, devices that allows a person to survive in space, supports the life of the crew of the aircraft.
Space flight is associated with a whole host of unusual conditions - ionizing radiation, full vacuum, radiant heat transfer. To transfer it, a person must be in a closed sealed compartment of the spacecraft. There, all conditions are created to ensure a normal life and work of the astronaut on board. The important thing is their stable maintenance throughout the flight.
Life support systems supply substances necessary for the biological functioning of the astronaut to the compartment. At the same time, they uninterruptedly remove human waste products.
Life support systems are also briefly referred to as the abbreviation for SJO. Their second common name is the onboard systems of an aircraft.
Supported metrics
Special life support systems regulate each of the following indicators:
- Total pressure in the compartment.
- The partial pressure of nitrogen.
- The partial pressure of oxygen.
- The partial pressure of carbon dioxide.
- Relative humidity.
- Air temperature.
- The temperature of the walls of the compartment in which the astronauts live.
- Crew oxygen consumption.
- Heat dissipation.
- Carbon dioxide emission.
- Water and food intake.
- Excrement excretion.
- Urine excretion.
- Metabolic water.
- Respiratory rate.
- Hygienic water.
Basic LSS on a spaceship
Let us now consider which life support systems regulate the above indicators on a spacecraft:
- SKO - oxygen supply system. It provides oxygen to the atmosphere of the living compartment in the amount of 0.9 kg / day for one astronaut. In addition, the standard deviation supports the partial pressure of oxygen in the established range of values: 18-32 kPa.
- SOA is an atmosphere purification system. It provides the collection and subsequent removal from the atmosphere of the habitable carbon dioxide compartment at the rate of 1 kg / day per person. At the same time, it maintains a partial pressure of carbon dioxide of not more than 1 kPa, and ensures the purification of the atmosphere from harmful micro-impurities that are emitted by working equipment and people. DIS and SOA can often be combined into one large system - SOGS (gas purification system for residential air).
- SVO - water supply system. Its task on the spaceship is to provide astronauts with clean drinking water in the amount of 2.5 kg / day per person. If at the same time the crew consumes natural food products containing water (up to 500 g / day), then the provision is reduced to 2 kg / day for one astronaut.
- SOP - crew power system. It should provide astronauts with full nutrition. The diet contains fats, carbohydrates and proteins in a mass ratio of 1: 4: 1. The total calorie content of human-eaten foods should be up to 12,500 kJ per day.
- CPT is a temperature control system (as well as relative humidity of the atmosphere). On a spaceship, it usually combines with the STR - a thermal control system. Together they carry out the following: they remove heat generated by a person from the living compartment (about 145 W per person per day), remove water vapor from the atmosphere emitted by astronauts during breathing (about 50 g per person per day), maintain a given atmosphere temperature (18- 22 ° Celsius), relative air humidity (within 30-70%), air mass circulation in the compartment (0.1-0.4 m / s).
- MSA - waste disposal system. It provides collection and subsequent isolation from the atmosphere of both liquid and solid human waste products.
- SRD - means of regulating pressure. Maintain the total atmospheric pressure in the living compartment within 77-107 kPa. In addition, they monitor the tightness of the living compartment, compensate for air leaks from it.
All of the above life support systems work to ensure the immediate physiological needs of astronauts in a closed compartment.
Additional LSS on a spaceship
In addition to the main ones, other means are also presented on the spaceship. Here are the life support systems that can be distinguished in this complex:
- SSBO - means of sanitary and household support. They are intended for two purposes - this is ensuring personal crew hygiene (shower, washing) and cosmonauts' satisfaction of everyday household needs: fresh clothes, bedding, tools for sanitary cleaning of compartments.
- SZ - personal protective equipment for astronauts. First of all, emergency rescue models of spacesuits, breathing masks that provide protection to the crew in emergency conditions - in case of fire on board, depressurization of the compartment, etc. are highlighted here. They are also models of protective spacesuits designed for man to enter outer space and work in such conditions.
- Means of biomedical support. These are various instruments and tools for medical control of the crew, medicines, simulators for physical training.
SJO on airplanes
The life support system here is considered to be a complex of aggregates, devices and stockpiles of substances, providing normal living conditions for the crew and passengers of the aircraft throughout the flight. Since the human body can function normally only within small deviations from terrestrial values, the main task of the LSS is to ensure at any height conditions of functioning and vital activity that are as close as possible to terrestrial ones.
Among the important functions of the LSS here are the following:
- Maintaining normal pressure values in the cabs, as well as the rate of change.
- Maintaining normal temperatures, relative humidity, speed and air flow in people, as well as the partial pressure of oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gases in the cabins.
- Purification of air from harmful impurities.
- Protection of the crew and passengers from the harmful effects of noise, solar radiation, etc.
Private and collective LSS in airplanes
The LSS complex, therefore, is aimed at ensuring the functioning of all systems of the human body (maintaining heat transfer, gas exchange, etc.), as well as the conditions for maintaining the normal performance of crew members. To solve all the above problems in airplanes, two types of life support systems can be thought out:
- Collective. This is the LSS of multi-seat cabins, passenger passenger liner salons.
- Customized. The group includes the SJO cabins of single-seat aircraft, special detachable capsules.
One of the most effective ways to maintain the crews' ability to work with a number of flying preparations, the necessary conditions for ensuring the vital activity of passengers of civilian liners, are pressurized cabs with SCR - air conditioning systems.
Submarine FSS
Life support systems on submarines are a complex of means that ensure the vital activity of the personnel of a submarine when it is under water. Usually include the following:
- Systems for removing excess carbon dioxide from the air.
- Removing harmful volatile micro-impurities from the atmosphere of each compartment.
- Supply of the required amount of oxygen to the air
- Maintaining a comfortable air temperature, removing excess moisture from it.
- Collection and subsequent disposal of human waste products.
- Providing the crew with an adequate amount of fresh water, a full ration, and so on.
The role of LSS on submarines has especially increased recently. This is due to the fact that there are more and more new models of submarines that can be under water for a longer time.
City life support system
Here, the SJO is understood as a complex of urban planning, economic, medical and preventive, social and household events. All of them are aimed at neutralizing or smoothing the negative impact of the environment on the life of the population. Maintaining high working capacity of citizens and maintaining satisfactory indicators of health and social well-being are also considered important goals.
The creation of the city’s life support systems will be especially relevant for the economic development of territories with extreme living conditions and for attracting citizens to work under an indefinite contract. The LSS here will take care not only of the employee himself, but also of his family, who decided to move.
The life support system here should cover not only the time a person spent in the city, but also the period before it (vocational training, medical and psychological selection, providing the family with social amenities for the period of absence of the breadwinner) and after the contract expires (providing employment by profession, housing superior comfort, etc.)
Refrigerated, cryogenic life support systems
And the last aspect of our concept. Today, the specialty "Refrigeration, cryogenic equipment and life support systems" is becoming quite popular on the labor market. This is due to the fact that such units are the basis of production for many modern enterprises. The region requires constant improvement, development of new technologies, the emergence of innovative technologies, creative ideas.
Training areas
All of the above and are able to introduce to the employer young specialists studying in the direction of "Refrigeration and Life Support Systems". During preparation, they directly learn the following:
- Theoretical foundations of the specialty.
- Settlement and experimental work with objects of scientific research.
- Solving problems in the field of cryogenic and refrigeration technology.
- Design, creation and application of new units.
- The use of information technology in their activities.
- Fundamentals of project management.
- Organization of marketing analysis.
You are convinced that life support systems are a rather multifaceted concept. It is relevant both for the submarine, the spaceship, and for the city, equipment in production.