SUPERCRITICAL WATER REACTOR FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS

SUPERCRITICAL WATER OXIDATION (SCWO) HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE A PROMISING TECHNIQUE FOR WATER RECOVERY AND WASTE MANAGEMENT IN SPACE. THE KEY PIECE OF EQUIPMENT IN THIS TECHNOLOGY IS THE REACTOR, WHICH MUST ALLOW OXIDATION TO OCCUR AS IT SIMULTANEOUSLY DEALS WITH THE PRECIPITATION OF STICKY SOLIDS. PRIOR WORK FOR NASA HAS IDENTIFIED THE CONCEPT OF AN "IMPINGEMENT CANISTER" AS MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED. THIS PROJECT COVERS THE GATHERING OF DESIGN DATA TO ALLOW CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIRST IMPINGEMENT-CANISTER REACTOR WITH A SOLIDS SEPARATOR. IN PHASE II, THE REACTOR WOULD BE BUILT AND INCORPORATED INTO A PREPROTOTYPE UNIT DEDICATED TO SPACE APPLICATIONS. SUPERCRITICAL WATER OXIDATION (SCWO) HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE A PROMISING TECHNIQUE FOR WATER RECOVERY AND WASTE MANAGEMENT IN SPACE. THE KEY PIECE OF EQUIPMENT IN THIS TECHNOLOGY IS THE REACTOR, WHICH MUST ALLOW OXIDATION TO OCCUR AS IT SIMULTANEOUSLY DEALS WITH THE PRECIPITATION OF STICKY SOLIDS. PRIOR WORK FOR NASA HAS IDENTIFIED THE CONCEPT OF AN "IMPINGEMENT CANISTER" AS MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED. THIS PROJECT COVERS THE GATHERING OF DESIGN DATA TO ALLOW CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIRST IMPINGEMENT-CANISTER REACTOR WITH A SOLIDS SEPARATOR. IN PHASE II, THE REACTOR WOULD BE BUILT AND INCORPORATED INTO A PREPROTOTYPE UNIT DEDICATED TO SPACE APPLICATIONS.