Hybrid Life Support System Full Scale Testing: Integrated bioreactor-desalination for an early planetary base

Date

7/10/2022

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

51st International Conference on Environmental Systems

Abstract

Future life support architectures for habitats on the moon or Mars will require higher reliability and reduced consumables. These habitats will likely have a wider diversity of wastewaters including showers, other hygiene activities, and showers. These wastewaters similar to humidity condensate are relatively low strength compared to urine and flush water. As such it may be beneficial to separate the urine from other wastewaters and treat using technologies optimized for each waste. This research evaluated a hybrid wastewater processing system that included separate biological pretreatment of urine and the combined hygiene, laundry, and humidity condensate (grey water). Biologically pretreated grey water was processed using reverse osmosis (RO) at 90% recovery and the brine was combined with biologically pretreated urine and flush water and processed using a static distillation system. Details of the greywater pretreatment and RO system are presented in a companion paper. This paper focuses on the performance of urine pretreatment and distillation of the urine+ RO brine. We evaluated the impact of pH, volume processed, and other operational variables on distillate quality and recovery. We also evaluated the ability to store brine/ brine solids in the distiller over multiple processing events and subsequent impacts on recovery and brine quality. Distillation of RO brine and pretreated urine produces a distillate similar to that produced by chemical pretreatment. Using the static distillation vessel at least 15 continuous days (2 crew/d) of produced wastewater (>100 L) could be distilled without solids or brine removal leading to total water recoveries > 99%. Distillate water quality was dependent on the pH of the biological pretreated wastewater and RO brine. Our results support the ability to use biological pretreatment of urine to produce a stable effluent that when distilled produces a high quality distillate and low odor easily handled brine.

Description

William Jackson, Texas Tech University, US
Ghaem Hooshyari, Texas Tech University, US
Evan Gray, Texas Tech University, US
Michael Callahan, Texas Tech University, US
Maryam Salehi Pour Bavarsad, Texas Tech University, US
ICES303: Physio-Chemical Life Support- Water Recovery & Management Systems- Technology and Process Development
The 51st International Conference on Environmental Systems was held in Saint Paul, Minnesota, US, on 10 July 2022 through 14 July 2022.

Keywords

hybrid life support, MABR, pretreatment, wastewater recycling

Citation