WATER QUALITY MONITORING (ORGANIC CONTENT) APPLICATION AND SENSORS INTEGRATION

TODAY, WATER QUALITY MONITORING, SPECIFICALLY TOTAL ORGANIC (TOC), USUALLY REQUIRES CERTAIN CONSUMABLE REAGENTS (SUCH AS ACIDS, PERSULFATES) AND EXPENDABLE GASES (SUCH AS OXYGEN AND CARBON DIOXIDE) TO PERFORM THE ANALYSIS. TOC IS BASICALLY A PARAMETER USED IN INDUSTRY AND BY OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES (SPECIFICALLY THE EPA) TO MEASURE ORGANIC CONTENT ON A NON-SELECTIVE BASIS. THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THIS INVESTIGATION IS TO IDENTIFY OTHER END DETECTION AND/OR PRIMARY OXIDATION METHODS FOR QUANTITATIVE ORGANIC CONTENT MONITORING. STARTING WITH CURRENT COMMERCIAL UV/PERSULFATE OXIDATION - SPARGE - CO2 GAS DETECTION SYSTEM, OTHER TYPES OF CO2 DETECTORS FOR BOTH LIQUID AND GAS PHASES WILL BE EXAMINED. SECOND, THE OXIDATION SYSTEM WILL BE MODIFIED TO ENABLE THE USE OF ALTERNATE "DELTA" DETECTION DEVICES FOR MEASUREMENT OF CARBON OR OTHER ANALAGOUS PARAMETER (WHICH DIRECTLY REPRESENTS ORGANIC CONTENT) IN EITHER THE IONIC OR GASEOUS FORM. THE SECONDARY PURPOSE IS TO STUDY THE INTEGRATION OF ALL WATER QUALITY MONITORING SENSORS (FROM VARIOUS VENDORS) REQUIRED FOR LONG TERM SPACE FLIGHT INTO A SINGLE UNIT. THIS WILL ELIMINATE SAMPLE HANDLING SYSTEMS REPLICATION AND TRANSPORT TIME WHILE MINIMIZING VOLUME AND MASS REQUIREMENTS. INTEGRATION MAY TEND TO IMPROVE TOTAL SYSTEM RELIABILITY AND ACCURACY AS SOME SENSORS MAY OPERATE SYNERGISTICALLY OR ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR REDUNDANT MANUAL ANALYSIS.