Browsing by Author "Hoque, Benjamin"
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Item Alternative Treatment of Crew Wastewater Using a Hybrid Membrane Technology(2023 International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2023-07-16) Bullard, Talon; Smith, Alexandra; Hoque, Benjamin; DeVito, Celia; Haarmann, Katrina; Akepeu, Flaubert; Ferret, Ana; Bair, Robert; Yeh, Daniel; Long, Paul; Collins, Melissa; Fehrenbach, Mark; Saetta, Daniella; Fischer, Jason; Roberson, LukeEnvironmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) of future long-duration, deep-space human exploration missions should aspire to meet the following guiding principles: 1) perform robustly and reliably, 2) minimize consumables which are hazardous and/or require frequent resupply, 3) avoid the generation of hazardous byproducts, and 4) preserve opportunities for waste resource recovery in mature phases of the mission. As a water source, urine is difficult to treat due to its high nitrogen concentration, tendency for high pH, propensity to off-gas ammonia, and high mineral content. At the same time, urine contains a plethora of nutrients which should be preserved as fertilizer when crop production is needed. The current state-of-the-art technology, the urine processing assembly (UPA) aboard the International Space Station (ISS), meets the first guiding principle. The incorporation of bioregenerative elements into next-generation water management, combining microbiology with physicochemical processes, has the potential to address all the guiding principles. A Suspended Aerobic Membrane Bioreactor (SAMBR) with biological nutrient removal (BNR) capabilities was developed by the University of South Florida and Kennedy Space Center. Intended for partial gravity habitat, SAMBR serves as a hybrid alternative to current water treatment technologies to support closing the resource recovery loop. With its modular and flexible design, SAMBR�s operation can be customized to meet treatment requirements (nitrogen removal, conversion, or recovery) as dictated by mission scope. This proceeding presents preliminary research pertaining to: 1) design challenges in maximizing hydraulic throughput while minimizing mass and volume of the assembly; 2) capabilities for treating high nitrogen waste under steady and non-steady state conditions; and 3) measured performance parameters such chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrogen conversion, nutrients, turbidity, and system throughput. Future research and development pertaining to further optimization on system safety, reliability, and expanded treatment capabilities will also be presented.Item A Prototype Early Planetary Organic Processor Assembly (OPA) Based on Dual-Stage Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor (AnMBR) for Fecal and Food Waste Treatment and Resource Recovery(50th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 7/12/2021) Bullard, Talon; Smith, Alexandra; Hoque, Benjamin; Bair, Robert; Delgado-Navarro, Manuel; Long, Paul; Uman, Ahmet; Yeh, Daniel; Pickett, Melanie; Roberson, LukeLong-duration, deep-space exploration and habitation missions demand robust and reliable technologies to ensure crew health, safety, and mission success. Local food production will be essential for crew nutrition and morale. However, at $10,000/lb, the payload costs and mass/volume limitations to transport and provide the necessary resources, including fertilizer, for an anticipated 30-month mission become challenging over time. For mission success and sustainability, the environmental control and life support system (ECLSS) of the near future will need to recover resources from all �waste� sources and be near-closed loop. Organic wastes (e.g., fecal and food) offer a renewable source of C, N, P, water and other trace elements to sustain crop production. However, these high-strength wastes are difficult to treat, due to factors such as heterogeneity, complexity, high water content, and presence of pathogens. To date, there is no flight-ready technology capable of treating mixed organic wastes, creating a technology gap for future space missions. To address this need, a prototype Organic Processor Assembly (OPA) was developed through collaboration between the University of South Florida (USF) and NASA�s Kennedy Space Center (KSC). OPA is based on the anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR), a hybrid technology coupling high-rate anaerobic digestion with membrane filtration. It was designed for an early planetary base (EPB) scenario to aid in closing the resource recovery loop and decreasing resupply dependence. This presentation discusses initial research pertaining to: 1) design challenges in maximizing hydraulic and organic throughput while minimizing mass and volume of the assembly; 2) capabilities for treating simulated high solids waste under steady and non-steady state conditions; and 3) measured performance parameters such as total organic carbon (TOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nutrients, solids, turbidity, and biogas production. Future research and development pertaining to further optimization on system safety, reliability, and expanded treatment capabilities will also be presented.