Reliable, simple, and lightweight water recycling using pressure-driven distillation

OsmoPure Technologies proposes a new class of simple, reliable, and lightweight water recovery system for humidity condensate and urine treatment. The core of this water recovery system is the OsmoPure pressure-driven distillation (PD) membrane module. In the PD module, applied pressure is used to drive water flow through a highly selective, chemically robust membrane. The PD module offers high removal of total organic carbon (including dimethylsilanediol), ions, and other contaminants. PD is also chemically robust, allowing the membrane to be used in direct contact with chemicals used to stabilize urine. The chemically resistant nature of PD membranes also permits membrane cleaning with hydrogen peroxide after extended periods of dormancy. Because PD only requires a small high-pressure pump, operation is simple and low energy. The selectivity, robustness, and ease of implementation of PD make it appealing for applications requiring high-purity treated water including water recycling systems used in short- and long-term space travel. In the proposed treatment train, PD is followed by an activated carbon module (to polish product water) and ultraviolet irradiation (to provide final disinfection). The proposed process will weigh 11.7 kg and produce 285 kg of potable water from humidity condensate over the course of a 30-day mission. Overall, the OsmoPure Water Recovery System offers dramatically decreased mass and simplified operation compared to current water recycling processes. Funding will be used to further optimize the PD membrane module design, improve process control integration, and create a full-scale, integrated prototype to be delivered to a NASA facility. In addition to space-based water recovery, OsmoPure is positioned to enter key terrestrial markets where high-purity water is critical. This include ultrapure water production for semiconductor fabrication, where stringent contaminant removal is required to prevent defects in microchip manufacturing.