CONCENTRATED WASTEWATER

AT THE HEART OF ANY WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM FOR THE MANNED SPACE STATION IS THE TREATMENT SUBSYSTEM FOR URINE AND CONCENTRATED WASTEWATER. CURRENT SUBSYSTEMS UNDER DEVELOPMENT BY NASA ARE ALL BASED ON PHASE-CHANGE PROCESSES.WE PROPOSE A TWO-PRONGED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EFFORT TO PROVIDE NASA WITH IMPROVED OPTIONS FOR THESE SUBSYSTEMS. THE FIRST APPROACH WILL BE TO DEVELOP A MEMBRANE-BASED IMPROVEMENT TO THE WICK-EVAPORATION SUBSYSTEM CURRENTLY UNDER DEVELOPMENT BY NASA. THIS IMPROVED SUBSYSTEM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HIGHER-QUALITY DISTILLATE WITH A LOWER ENERGY PENALTY THAN THE CONVENTIONAL SUBSYSTEM. THE SECOND APPROACH WILL BE TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF RECOVERING WATER FROM URINE AND CONCENTRATED BRINE SOLUTIONSUSING A REVERSE-OSMOSIS-BASED SUBSYSTEM. THE DEVELOPMENT OFTHIS SUBSYSTEM WILL GIVE NASA THE OPTION OF USING A NON-PHASE-CHANGE PROCESS TO TREAT THESE HIGHLY CONTAMINATED WASTEWATERS.