The ACLS life support system, or Advanced Closed Loop System, was developed by Airbus and is now in use at the International Space Station (ISS). A technology demonstrator that removes carbon dioxide from the air and produces new oxygen and water, the system also generates methane as a byproduct, which can be re-used or sent overboard.
Compared to existing systems, the ACLS is compact and, because it generates 40 per cent of the water required for its operation itself, it demands less water be transported to the ISS. The system also features a differential pressure transmitter developed by Keller. The transmitter must meet the highest demands, according to the Winterthur company, because components cannot be replaced quickly at 400 kilometres’ altitude.
“With its pressure transmitters, which have supported a variety of tasks in numerous types of aircraft and, thanks to their reliability, contributed to the safety of a range of systems, Keller has shown that the endurance of the sensors in operation is much higher than demanded,” commented Jürg Dobler, head of pressure technology at Keller.
The ACLS will be tested at the ISS until the end of year. In 2019, it is scheduled to enter regular operations and could later become a permanent subsystem of the ISS.
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