Browsing by Author "Joyce, Connor"
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Item Brine Processor Assembly 2023-24: Operational Successes and Challenges on the International Space Station(2024 International Conference on Environmnetal Systems, 2024-07-21) Boyce, Stephanie; Joyce, Connor; Pasadilla, Patrick; Palmer, Travis; Wilson, Jonathan P.; Williamson, Jill; Toon, KatherineThe Brine Processor Assembly (BPA), developed by Paragon Space Development Corporation as a one-year technology demonstration, has now been in operation onboard the International Space Station (ISS) for three years. BPA recovers available water from urine-brine produced by the ISS Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) via forced convection of cabin air coupled with a patented membrane distillation process. A dual-layer ionomer and microporous membrane-based bladder retains the liquid brine while water vapor pervaporates into the cabin, for collection as humidity condensate. This paper will discuss updated performance results as well as the practical operational challenges of maintaining hardware on the ISS. In August 2023, BPA operations were automatically halted when the Brine Leak Alarm annunciated. Crew opened the BPA to confirm that there was no actual leakage of brine, upon which it was discovered that corrosion had developed on the Brine Leak Sensor. Paragon has been working with NASA to extend the life of the sensor and safely operate BPA, as well as to launch the spare replacement component. As of May 2024, 41 full operational runs have been completed spanning 612 days of active operations, recovering an estimated 741 kg (L) of water from urine-brine. This represents a cost savings of over $80 million from the mass of water that has not needed to be launched to or discarded on ISS, minus the cost of consumables (bladders and odor filters). The BPA currently has an impressive 6x water-to-up mass recovery ratio, meaning BPA has recovered 6x as much water as the mass of the BPA hardware itself and all consumables (bladders, spares, and odor filters). This has helped NASA to claim 98% water recovery on ISS, achieving an essential capability to enable human exploration of deeper space.Item Brine Processor Assembly: A Year of Successful Operation on the International Space Station(2023 International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2023-07-16) Boyce, Stephanie; Joyce, Connor; Pasadilla, Patrick; Tewes, Phillip; Wilson, Jonathan P.; Williamson, Jill; Toon, KatherineParagon Space Development Corporation developed a Brine Processor Assembly (BPA) as a technical demonstration for the International Space Station (ISS), which has now been operating continuously for 18 months. BPA recovers water from urine brine produced by the ISS Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) via forced convection of cabin air coupled with a patented membrane distillation process. An ionomer-microporous membrane-based bladder retains the liquid brine while water vapor pervaporates into the cabin, for collection as humidity condensate. This paper will discuss progress to-date on BPA performance. As of May 2023, 22 full operational runs have been completed, recovering nearly 400 L of water from urine brine. This represents a cost savings of over $40 Million from the mass of water that has not needed to be launched to or discarded on ISS, minus the cost of consumables (bladders and odor filters). On orbit telemetry has been used to further refine the thermal model for more accurate predictions of water recovery. Water recovery operations continue to align closely with ground test results, and the added exhaust filter has performed well in eliminating nuisance odor. Several dewatered bladders have been returned to Earth to assess the inner membrane pore wetting, confirm dewatered weight, as well as to assess dewatered brine concentration and composition at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). By increasing overall water recovery on ISS, BPA demonstrates a critical capability needed to close the water processing technology gap identified in NASA�s Water Recovery Technology Roadmap. The continued on-orbit operations of BPA contribute significant knowledge and understanding to the most efficient methods to recover water and inform best practices for future implementation of Paragon�s water reclamation technologies. This technology achieves an essential capability to enable human exploration of deep space.Item Closing the Water Loop for Exploration: 2022 Status of the Brine Processor Assembly(51st International Conference on Environmental Systems, 7/10/2022) Boyce, Stephanie; Molina, Sunday; Harrington, Walter; Joyce, Connor; Pasadilla, Patrick; Tewes, Philipp; Williamson, Jill; Perry, Jay; Toon, Katherine; Meyer, Caitlin; Harper, Susana TapiaParagon Space Development Corporation developed a Brine Processor Assembly (BPA) for demonstration on the International Space Station (ISS). BPA recovers water from urine brine produced by the ISS Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) via a patented process and ground testing has demonstrated water recovery rates greater than 90% from the previously concentrated urine brine. BPA utilizes the forced convection of spacecraft cabin air coupled with a membrane distillation process to recover purified water from 22.5 liters of brine within a 26 day cycle. By increasing overall water recovery on ISS to greater than 98%, BPA demonstrates a critical capability needed to close the brine processing technology gap identified in NASA's Water Recovery Technology Roadmap. This paper discusses operational progress since launch to the ISS in February 2021. After installation, checkout, and activation on the ISS, BPA operations were successfully initiated in April 2021. Despite successful nominal operation, crew members expressed discomfort due to malodor from effluent BPA air. After the initial dewatering cycle was completed, it was determined that BPA would need to mitigate odor before on-orbit operations resumed. To address these concerns, an outlet filter system was developed, and an extensive characterization study was conducted to test the efficacy of the filter in reducing odor. This study included analysis of gas, odor, and condensate samples of filtered and unfiltered effluent air during a brine dewatering cycle with an identical BPA ground unit. The filter assembly demonstrated > 85% first pass reduction in odor without detrimental effects to BPA operations. As a result, a similar assembly was launched to the ISS, installed, and BPA operations were resumed in October 2021. This technology achieves an essential capability to enable human exploration of deeper space, and this experiment was an opportunity to identify the importance of human factors in life support spaceflight hardware.Item Demonstration and Model Validation of Freeze Distillation as a Purification Step for Lunar Water Processing(2023 International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2023-07-16) Joyce, Connor; Holquist, Jordan; Ruble, Alex; Rivera, Robert; Moeller, TimothySince the observation of direct evidence of water-ice in the permanently shadowed regions (PSR) on the lunar surface, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) has been proposed for processing the regolith-bound water-ice to provide fresh water, breathable oxygen, and rocket propellant for lunar exploration missions. However, the water-ice is found concurrently with other typically volatile species that would contaminate and degrade downstream processing systems. Cold trapping of liberated water vapor and the purification of collected water are integral stages within ISRU architectures, but the technology to accomplish these critical water processing steps in the lunar PSR environment remains under-developed. To fill this identified ISRU gap, Paragon Space Development Corporation® has been maturing the patent pending ISRU Collector of Ice in a Cold Lunar Environment (ICICLE) Cold Trap technology which simultaneously collects and purifies water vapor from lunar ice collected from a wide range of potential lunar ice mining techniques. To predict and demonstrate water collection performance as part of this “freeze distillation” process, Paragon developed a spatial-temporal frost deposition model for low-pressure (<600 Pascal), temperature-controlled water-ice collection, and built an ICICLE development test article which allows for the measuring of frost deposition at the same conditions. This paper presents results of an experimental investigation into frost collection and aspects of freeze distillation using these tools, including the description and demonstration of the process, measurement of the growth profile of frost at lunar mining conditions, and validation of the model as a function of temperature, pressure, and water vapor concentration. The presented results inform next steps for advancement of the technology and demonstrate efficacy of ICICLE as a key step in lunar water processing.Item Demonstration of Paragon's Water Purification Assembly for Lunar Water Processing(51st International Conference on Environmental Systems, 7/10/2022) Holquist, Jordan; Gellenbeck, Sean; Joyce, Connor; Rivera, Robert; Bower, Chad; Tewes, PhilippSince the observation of direct evidence of water-ice in the permanently shadowed regions (PSR) on the lunar surface, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) has been proposed for processing the regolith-bound water-ice to provide fresh water, breathable oxygen, and rocket propellant for lunar exploration missions. However, the water-ice is found concurrently with other typically volatile species that would contaminate and degrade downstream processing systems. Paragon Space Development Corporation® is developing the ISRU-derived water purification and Hydrogen Oxygen Production (IHOP) subsystem to collect, purify, and process water-ice from PSRs on the lunar surface. The primary water purification component of the IHOP subsystem concept is Paragon's Ionomer-membrane Water Processor (IWP) technology that can selectively transport water vapor through the membrane while rejecting contaminant components. This paper presents results, analysis, and discussion of an experimental investigation to demonstrate the performance of the first iteration of Paragon's Water, ISRU-derived, Purification Equipment (WIPE) assembly, one of the major assemblies of the IHOP subsystem. The WIPE assembly was tested for a cumulative duration of 4-weeks with a supply of water vapor and a mixture of expected lunar volatile contaminant components (H2, CO, H2S, SO2, C2H4, CH4, CO2, and CH3OH). Liquid water samples were intermittently collected at the output of the WIPE assembly's process chain and analyzed for their constituents. Water utilization efficiency was also tracked over the course of the test. The controlled test operating conditions and rates matched the expected operating conditions in the lunar operation. The presented results inform next steps in incremental design advancements and demonstrate viability of a core assembly of the IHOP subsystem for lunar ISRU propellant production.Item Demonstration of Paragon’s ISRU Propellant Production Subsystem Electrolyzer and Electrolysis Assembly(2023 International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2023-07-16) Holquist, Jordan; Joyce, Connor; G Rivera, Robert; Tewes, Philipp; Myles, Timothy; Markham, David; Ebaugh, Thomas; Rich, Meagan; Willey, JasonTo better sustain long term lunar activities, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) has been proposed for processing the regolith-bound water-ice to provide fresh water, breathable oxygen, and rocket propellant for lunar exploration missions. However, the water-ice is found concurrently with other typically volatile species that would contaminate and degrade downstream processing systems. Paragon Space Development Corporation®, along with their partner, Giner, Inc., has been developing the ISRU-derived water purification and In-situ Hydrogen Oxygen Production (IHOP) subsystem to collect, purify, and process water-ice from permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) on the lunar surface to generate hydrogen and oxygen, incorporating state-of-the-art technologies for water-based ISRU. The primary water purification component of the IHOP subsystem concept is Paragon’s Ionomer-membrane Water Processor (IWP) technology that can selectively transport water vapor through the membrane while rejecting contaminant components. The water electrolysis is accomplished by Giner’s lightweight, proton exchange membrane (PEM) aerospace electrolyzer optimized for ISRU applications. This paper presents results, analysis, and discussion of experimental investigations to demonstrate the performance, endurance, and robustness of the electrolyzer, along with initial demonstration of the electrolysis assembly of the IHOP subsystem. The first build of the electrolyzer stack was tested for a cumulative runtime of 6,000 hours to verify long-term durability and performance. A second build was put through four freeze-thaw cycles with performance testing before and after each cycle to show robustness through non-operational environmental conditions experienced on the Moon. Further, the electrolyzer balance of plant assembly was built and tested. Results met the nominal electrolyzer subsystem performance requirements. The integrated IHOP subsystem will be demonstrated with both water purification using a simulated lunar volatile contaminant load and water electrolysis of the resulting water operating together in future testing.Item Modal Optimized Vibration dust Eliminator (MOVE): An Active/Passive Dust Mitigation Technology for Spaceflight Exploration(51st International Conference on Environmental Systems, 7/10/2022) Joyce, Connor; Kobrick, RyanExploring the Moon in a sustainable manner requires contending with the adverse effects caused by lunar regolith, in particular the fine dust. Lunar dust is abrasive and electrostatically charged, resulting in a problematic tendency to disrupt the function of hardware situated on the lunar surface. Dust buildup on thermal regulators can greatly decrease thermal performance by increasing solar absorptivity (through darkening the surface) and decreasing effective rejection temperature (by adding a low-conduction layer on top of the surface). Over the course of three EVAs on Apollo 17, dust covering the Lunar Roving Vehicle radiator system continuously decreased radiator effectiveness, resulting in the battery exceeding its maximum rated survival temperature. The Modal Optimized Vibration dust Eliminator (MOVE) concept is an active dust mitigation system for lunar thermal radiators that uses vibrational excitation at targeted modal frequencies to mitigate dust adhesion with the assistance of passive dust mitigation coatings. During testing under a NASA Small Business Innovation Research Phase I contract with NASA Johnson Space Center, MOVE used standard and custom lunar highland dust simulants to verify and validate models, as well as to aid with scaling the methodology to several radiator solutions raising the Technology Readiness Level from 2 to 4. Additional test variables included radiator fixation points, orientations with respect to gravity, with passive coatings and uncoated surfaces, and atmosphere versus rough vacuum conditions. Proof-of-concept testing demonstrated >90% removal of dust from the test panels. The low power and low mass solution has the advantage of easy integration into new or retrofitted radiators. Select results are highlighted within this paper as Paragon is working to commercialize the technology as humanity continues to push to explore the cosmos.Item Modeling and Separation Performance of the Condensate Separator for Microgravity Conditions (COSMIC)(51st International Conference on Environmental Systems, 7/10/2022) Jacobi, Robert; Stukbauer, Kelly; Joyce, ConnorParagon Space Development Corp. has developed a COndensate Separator for MIcrogravity Conditions (COSMIC) patent pending technology that harnesses centrifugal acceleration to continuously separate the liquid and gas phases from a high flowrate, high void fraction mixed-phase flow in a compact, low-power design and pump the removed liquid at pressure to a water collection or processing system (WPS). The initial target application is the separation of condensate from the airflow exiting a condensing heat exchanger (CHX) in the Common Cabin Air Assembly (CCAA) on the International Space Station (ISS) or commercial habitats, but its infusion potential extends to thermal and humidity control and water recovery and management for all crewed space missions. This includes Low Earth Orbit (LEO), lunar, and planetary surface habitats as well as deep space, cislunar, and gateway spacecraft. As a versatile liquid-gas separation technology that will operate equally well in micro, partial or full gravity, applications for COSMIC include climate control, water recovery for crew consumption and reuse in plant growth facilities, and separation of mixed-phase products for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). This paper presents analysis and test results for the performance of the COSMIC engineering development unit (EDU) under flow conditions representative of operations in the ISS CCA. The experimental work utilizes a testbed supplying an airflow with condensate injection upstream of the separator and is performed in an adverse orientation to gravity. Testing has demonstrated the continuous capture and removal of 3.2�6.6 lbm/hr, or 25�50 mL/min, of liquid condensate and slugs up to 500 mL, with a pressure drop below 0.5 inH2O for airflow rates of 25�425 CFM. Test results show that COSMIC is capable of delivering the captured liquid at pressures consistent with delivery to the ISS WPS and excellent water quality with a gas fraction below 0.1%.Item Next-generation Spacecraft Humidity Control and Water Recovery System (SHOWRS) – Combining the Condensate Separator for Microgravity Conditions (COSMIC) and Laser-Processed Condensing Heat Exchanger (LP-CHX)(2024 International Conference on Environmnetal Systems, 2024-07-21) Jacobi, Robert; Joyce, Connor; Sanders, John; Zuhlke, CraigSpacecraft temperature and humidity control systems (THCS) are an essential part of environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS) for all human spaceflight missions. Crew perspiration and respiration releases approximately 50% of consumed water into the cabin atmosphere, so failing to recover water from the atmosphere necessitates the transport of large quantities of water from Earth. The Spacecraft Humidity Control and Water Recovery System (SHOWRS) described herein combines Paragon Space Development Corporation�s patented COndensate Separator for MIcrogravity Conditions (COSMIC) and Edare and UNL�s Laser-Processed Condensing Heat Exchanger (LP-CHX) into a THCS that functions equally well in micro, partial or full gravity to provide high-efficiency water recovery for sustainable, long-duration human habitation and exploration missions in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO), in cislunar space, on the Moon, on Mars, and in deep space. This paper discusses the SHOWRS system specifications and advantages compared to state-of-the-art THCS, showing the substantial benefits in performance, size, and power over alternative technologies. We describe the empirical, analytical, integrated COSMIC sizing and performance model that couples principal design and operating parameters to predict power draw as a function of condensate loads, airflow rates, and differential pump pressure. The paper also highlights the thermal, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal properties of the laser-processed silver condensing surfaces at the core of the LP-CHX and the resulting superior performance and longevity.Item Novel Compact Gas-Liquid Phase Separator for Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) Applications(2024 International Conference on Environmnetal Systems, 2024-07-21) Jacobi, Robert; Joyce, Connor; Kelsey Aldrich,; Zhi Huang,Paragon Space Development Corporation�s patented Condensate Separator for Microgravity Conditions (COSMIC) is a next-generation phase separation technology that captures and removes liquid condensate from a gas stream through rotary inertial separation. Initial work on COSMIC targeted a design and size appropriate for crew cabin temperature and humidity control systems (THCS). This paper describes a sub-scale COSMIC (mini-COSMIC) designed for much lower gas flow rates and operation with non-standard gasses for phase separation applications in other key subsystems of a regenerative or closed-loop Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS), in particular water recovery from carbon dioxide (CO2) removal/reduction and oxygen (O2) generation, as well as gas separation from urinal intake flow. The subscale design retains the principal advantages inherent to the COSMIC technology: phase separation and liquid pumping in a single-stage unit, reliable separation performance that is insensitive to upstream flow conditions and different liquid inflow regimes (e.g. slugs), compact envelope, low power draw, and very low gas-side pressure drop. Mini-COSMIC functions under micro, partial, and full gravity and its design allows it to also operate as a fan, thus potentially eliminating the need for a separate fan/blower. This paper discusses the application space for liquid/gas phase separators, provides comparisons to the state of the art, and presents analytical modeling and performance predictions grounded in test data.Item Shape Memory Alloys for Regulating TCS in Space (SMARTS): System Design and Thermal Vacuum Demonstration(51st International Conference on Environmental Systems, 7/10/2022) Miller, Daniel C.; Hartl, Darren; Nicholson, Douglas E.; Benafan, Othmane; Joyce, Connor; Nevin, Sean; Nizio, Priscilla; Bigelow, Glen S.; Gaydosh, Darrell J.NASA has identified variable-geometry radiators and thermal switches as a key technology in their 2020 Technology Taxonomy for enabling human exploration and operations. Variable-geometry radiators provide variable heat rejection capability, or turndown, to meet variable heat loads and environments, as might be experienced in a Lunar habitat or interplanetary vehicle carrying astronauts. Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuation offers lightweight, compact, and rugged methods for passive control of morphing radiators that vary geometry, providing turndown, in response to thermal stimuli. Additionally, SMA actuators used to passively activate thermal switches to control conduction paths produce more work output per unit mass than conventional actuators (exceeding an order of magnitude) and other active material actuators, including piezoelectric and paraffin wax actuators. SMAs for Regulating thermal control systems (TCS) in Space, or SMARTS, is an SMA enabled radiator system with thermal switch for adverse heating protection. SMA wires are conductively coupled to coolant passages, providing thermally responsive actuation to open and close the radiator at design temperatures to passively vary heat rejection, ensuring stable coolant outlet temperatures. SMA actuators, conductively coupled to the radiator, respond to adverse heating on the radiator panels by breaking thermal contact between the panel and the coolant passages at design temperatures. SMARTS has been built at a prototype system level and demonstrated in a relevant TVAC environment. Heat rejection comparable to flat panel radiators was demonstrated with the additional benefits of greater turndown than the NASA roadmap target of 6:1 and passive protection to adverse heating conditions. This work demonstrates design and analysis methods employed to tune SMA transition temperatures and predict response to thermal and mechanical loads. Upon project completion, the SMARTS technology is anticipated to be at a technology readiness level (TRL) 6, ready for implementation on upcoming Lunar missions.