Membrane Distillation Coupled Photocatalytic Reactor for Water Reclamation During Space Travel

Abstract

Human habitation of space hinges on the creation of a safe and healthy environment to support life. Water, along with oxygen and food, is a critical life-sustaining factor. Shipping of water from earth for extended space missions is not an option because of the unwieldy nature of transport, both in terms of costs and logistics involved. Thus water reclamation and recycling are critical for long-term space missions. The main objective of the present study is to combine the membrane distillation process and a photocatalytic reactor in a single system to improve the water reclamation and purification efficiency. A photocatalytic capillary membrane distillation system was designed and built for the reclamation of water from urine and other forms of impure water that are produced by human life in space. The incorporation of the photocatalytic unit is to decompose the organic impurities in water and reduce the fouling of the distillation membrane, thus enabling the long-term use of the reclamation unit during space travel.