Advanced Life Support System Water Reclamation Using DynaJet Cavitating Jets

Current space water reclamation systems require resupply and expendable use that are too large for long duration remote space applications such as Mars expeditions and lunar bases. We propose development of a novel jet-induced cavitation process for water reclamation that would be lightweight, low maintenance, reliable, and require little or no expendables. Cavitation is known to produce reactions in water resulting in organic compound oxidation. We have demonstrated that jet-induced cavitation can oxidize selected organic compounds with two orders of magnitude greater energy efficiency than other methods such as ultrasonics. We propose to utilize jet cavitation to accomplish three water reclamation functions for advanced space life support: total organic carbon (TOC) reduction, microorganism reduction, and oxygenation. Phase I will investigate the feasibility of using jet cavitation for these three functions. Phase II will consider a broader range of contaminants and microorganisms, a detailed parametric study to obtain optimization relations, and issues of integration into a space based life support system.