Highly Efficient Desalinator for Individual Aircrew Member Survival

Air Force aircraft are outfitted with emergency and survival equipment designed for the constant threat of an accident. This equipment protects the aircrew member from the initial insult and assists survival in austere environments before rescue crews can arrive. Pilots undergo rigorous training to learn how to survive an ejection over sea. A key to survival is the ability to stay hydrated in the presence of salinated water. Current desalination systems are not used individually and have small water to effort ratio. Luna Innovations proposes to develop a one-man desalination system to deliver water for aircrew survival. Luna’s system will greatly minimize the energy needed making individual use possible. For the Phase I program, Luna will demonstrate feasibility by achieving the necessary flow rate of desalinated water with a prototype system. During the Phase II of the program, a prototype for an individual and portable device will be designed and fabricated that will allow aircrew members to dispense an adequate supply of desalinated water with minimal effort. Luna has assembled the highly qualified, multidisciplinary team required for a successful program and has a history of bringing novel research from the laboratory to commercial markets.