Abstract
A bio -geo -chemical revolution of ma tter in the Earth ec ological system is determined by two major factors: the availability of reserve and exchange nutrition funds. The exchange fund is a quick exchange between living sp ecies (producers and consumers) and their surroundings. The backup fund consists of big mass of slowly rotating matter mainly not related to living species and is gene rally located in atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere. Energy and nutrition flows are introduced into exchange fund and removed from it. In other words, all real ecosy stems are thermodynamically and structurally open with exchange of power and mass flows. In the conditions of the space mission an abiotic part of ecological system is artificially generated within a limited volume of a pressurized vessel. Thus, backup and e xchange funds, which provide stability to that system and are comparable to Earth system in their volume and function, are impossible to create. Therefore, artificial ecological systems always depend on high -tech eng ineering systems to support stability. Current analysis of Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) systems is often narrowed to functional analysis and synthesis of indivi dual types of systems: physicochemical or biological. Such an approach is not always justified, since biol ogical systems cannot exist in a “pure” state. Biocenosis in our case can be defined a gathering of living organisms such as people, animals, plants and micro -organisms in the isolated environment of artificial habitat. A ch osen biotope in a pressurized vo lume by defin ition is restricted to individually chosen parts of the terrestrial biological system and does not allow for an o pportunity to create a full -scale reserve and exchange funds and thus requires installation of additional technical sy stems. Conse quently, the concept of an ecological and technical system (ETS) seems to be the most logical approach to analysis and design. The purpose of this paper is to present a concept of an eco -technical system that fuses physico -chemical and biological approach es and allows for integrated analysis of the system. It is based on the analysis of mass, power and data flow exchange within a biocenosis and between a biocenosis and technical systems. The concept reviews existing limitations to the ETS develo pment relat ed to vehicle characteristics and particular space mission tasks. The model for ETS effectiveness evaluation is also di scussed. This model is based on multiple criteria evalu ation with uncertainty consideration. Uncertainty in the initial
Published Version
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