Plastic Melt Waste Compactor Flight Demonstrator Payload (PFDP)

The PMWC Flight Demonstrator Payload is a trash dewatering and volume reduction system that uses heat melt compaction to remove nearly 100% of water from trash while significantly reducing the volume. Recent advances have proven that ORBITEC's HEHO-PMWC is a viable technology for producing 16" square tiles for radiation protection. ORBITEC proposes to enhance the current SOA by repackaging all the components developed under prior SBIR efforts for ISS utilization and to create a test protocol for testing of the system on orbit for radiation effectiveness. The HEHO-PMWC and other Heat Melt Compactor technology has often been tested piecemeal. The proposed system will contain all systems including the primary processing chamber where the tiles are produced, any necessary avionics, and any necessary support equipment, which includes devices for air removal, contaminant and odor scrubbers, water degassers, and water handling. Plastic tiles output can be placed within the ISS or within the BEAM (ORBITEC has an excellent working relationship with Bigelow Aerospace). Any and all data gathered during on-orbit testing can be used by NASA to create the next generation of heat melt compaction technology for future manned spaceflight.