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ECOSIM is a software tool for the simulation of Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) systems which has been developed for the European Space Agency. A preliminary model of the Hermes Air Management System has been developed during the ECOSIM testing in order to assess the functionality of the software and to verify its results with those obtained from previous simulation tools. The model represents the Hermes cabin with its crew and it includes submodels for the sub-systems performing the following functions: Temperature and Humidity Control. Total Pressure and Composition Control. Air revitalisation. The interactions between these different subsystem are taken into account by the model, while many of the previous simulations made assumptions to decouple the different subsystems (e.g: a constant cabin temperature has been assumed during cabin depressurization transients, to decouple the pressure control section from the air conditioning section).

This paper discusses the capabilities of the ECOSIM software which is currently under development for the European Space Agency. This software is primarily intended to simulate Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) systems. It may be also customised to the simulation of passive and active thermal control systems, power systems, and more generally any system which can be described as a set of interconnected physical components. ECOSIM shall provide a powerful continuous simulation language, a graphical user interface and a library of ECLSS custom-made components. After a brief overview of the major aims of the development, the software is discussed from its main aspects, the language and its mathematical formalism, the graphical user interface, and the ECLS systems customisation for representing the physical, chemical, and biological processes of interest. Examples are provided aiming at enhancing the understanding of the critical aspects of the language and the user interface.