Hybrid Water Polishing System

Water reclamation is one of the basic functions of a regenerative life-support system. An efficient process for post-treatment water polishing is imperative for the production of potable water in a closed regenerative system. Only a few processes have the necessary attributes such as safe operability in micro- and partial gravity, high reliability, minimal use of expendables, ease of maintenance, and low system volume, mass, and power. Two promising post-treatment methods are (i) electrochemical water processing utilizing electricity and (ii) photocatalytic water processing using UV light. However, use of one technique alone is only partially effective as a post-treatment method. This proposal concerns an innovative hybridization of the two techniques without losing any of attributes both technique have to offer. Advantages of the hybrid system include oxidation enhancement, oxygen demand reduction, and efficient use of light. The purpose of Phase I is to demonstrate the feasibility of the hybridization of electrochemical oxidation and photocatalytic oxidation taking into account the need to reduce organic carbon impurities to less than 0.25 part per million and the need to eliminate microbial contaminants.