Microwave Enhanced Freeze Drying of Solid Waste

The development of advanced methods for Microwave Enhanced Freeze Drying of Solid Waste (MEFDSW) is proposed. Methods for the recovery of relatively pure water as a byproduct of freeze drying will also be fully developed. The Phase II project will result in the design, assembly, thorough testing, and delivery of a technology demonstrator prototype which may be employed over a broad range of mission scenarios. The prototype system will recover water initially contained within the wastes and stabilize the residue with respect to microbial growth. The dry waste may then be safely stored or passed on to the next solid waste treatment process. Using microwave power in a closed microwave cavity, water-ice present in the frozen solid waste can be selectively and rapidly heated. This results in a more energy efficient lyophilization process, and therefore hardware based upon this technology will have a lower Equivalent System Mass (ESM) than currently available systems.