L3-CRY-LN2-MAKE
ESSENTIAL
PRESERVATION
Level 3 · hardware
Nitrogen Liquefaction Unit
Air Separation and Nitrogen Liquefaction System
System producing liquid nitrogen from ISRU-sourced nitrogen gas
Purpose
System producing liquid nitrogen from ISRU-sourced nitrogen gas
Context
Child of L2-CRY-LN2
Principles
- ▸Pressure swing adsorption or cryogenic distillation separates nitrogen from other gases
- ▸Joule-Thomson expansion liquefies nitrogen after pre-cooling by cryocooler
- ▸Production rate matched to boil-off losses and reserve replenishment needs
- ▸Purity requirements: >99.99% N2 to prevent contaminant freeze-out in system
Typical implementations
- ▸Linde Engineering nitrogen liquefaction plants (scaled down)
- ▸Air Liquide FLOXAL nitrogen generators
- ▸On-site nitrogen generation systems (Parker, Atlas Copco)
Lunar considerations
- ▸Nitrogen source: ISRU extraction from lunar regolith volatiles (very limited)
- ▸Alternative: pre-loaded nitrogen supply with zero-loss cryocooler-only cooling
- ▸Liquefaction energy budget must be factored into overall Ark power budget
Specifications
Functional
| primary function | System producing liquid nitrogen from ISRU-sourced nitrogen gas |
Physical
| materials | Molecular sieve beds, Stainless steel J-T valve, Copper heat exchangers |
Interfaces
Provides
- Fresh liquid nitrogen for reserve storage
Requires
- ISRU-sourced nitrogen gas feedstock
- Power for liquefaction compressor
Cite this entry
Lunar Ark Codex. "Nitrogen Liquefaction Unit" (L3-CRY-LN2-MAKE). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://lunarark.com/entry/L3-CRY-LN2-MAKE
Licensed CC-BY-SA 4.0. You may reuse and adapt this entry with attribution, under the same licence.