Browsing by Author "Michalek, William"
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Item Advanced Microgravity Compatible Integrated Laundry System (AMCILS) Development(47th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2017-07-16) Michalek, William; Wambolt, Spencer; Wheeler, Adam; McCurry, Bryan; Wheeler, Richard; Fisher, JohnThis paper presents the development of a micro-gravity compatible system that effectively cleans and dries clothing. Common, ground based laundry systems have a few serious drawbacks that prevent their usage in a micro-gravity environment. The most obvious is that agitation would not occur as the clothing would float away from the impellers, or rolling cages, used to impart the necessary mechanical energy. A second drawback is water consumption. Ground base systems use significant amounts of water to give the clothing room to flex during agitation. A third, and very significant drawback of common systems, is the production of soap foam during the washing cycle. Foam is particularly difficult for space based water processing systems to handle. It can build up in storage tanks, effectively minimizing the volume in these vessels available to hold liquids. The Advanced Microgravity Compatible Integrated Laundry System, developed by UMPQUA Research Company in SBIR Phase I & II programs through AMES Research Center, addresses these issues. This effort culminated in the delivery of a working prototype that effectively cleans, rinses, and dries clothing in a single device that does not rely on gravity, does not produce foam, and uses a minimum of water in the process. The AMCILS is fully automated, but control parameters can be adjusted to support process refinement during independent verification and advanced development testing at NASA facilities.Item An Evaluation of Technology to Remove Problematic Organic Compounds from the International Space Station Potable Water(44th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2014-07-13) Rector, Tony; Metselaar, Carol; Peyton, Barbara; Steele, John; Michalek, William; Bowman, Elizabeth; Wilson, Mark; Gazda, Daniel; Carter, LayneSince activation of the Water Processor Assembly (WPA) on the International Space Station (ISS) in November of 2008, there have been three events in which the TOC (Total Organic Carbon) in the product water has increased to approximately 3 mg/L and has subsequently recovered. Analysis of the product water in 2010 identified the primary component of the TOC as dimethylsilanediol (DMSD). An investigation into the fate of DMSD in the WPA ultimately determined that replacement of both Multifiltration (MF) Beds is the solution to recovering product water quality. The MF Beds were designed to ensure that ionic breakthrough occurs before organic breakthrough. However, DMSD saturated both MF Beds in the series, requiring removal and replacement of both MF Beds with significant life remaining. Analysis of the MF Beds determined that the adsorbent was not effectively removing DMSD, trimethylsilanol, various polydimethylsiloxanes, or dimethylsulfone. Coupled with the fact that the current adsorbent is now obsolete, the authors evaluated various media to identify a replacement adsorbent as well as media with greater capacity for these problematic organic contaminants. This paper provides the results and recommendations of this collaborative study.