AERO SEKUR EXPERIENCE IN ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT TECHNOLOGY

Aero Sekur is working in the Life Support field since one century: one of its mother Companies (Pirelli Sekur) was producing anti-gas masks during the First World War. Presently, Aero Sekur produces (among other products) NBC filtration systems, air conditioning systems to obtain ISO 8 equivalent cleanliness level inside a tend, water purification systems. This experience has been helpful to design and develop several programs related with Advanced Life Support. In the field of air management components, Aero Sekur developed several filters of different typologies, such as HEPA Filters for ExoMars missions, regenerative and selective contaminants filtration units, with anti-septical protection layers. In the field of Air Management sensors, Aero Sekur developed also nanostructured sensors to identify and quantify air components, including chemical polluters, with a sensitivity on the order of ppBs. Ongoing activities have the goal to upgrade the sensors to measure also water polluters. Aero Sekur has also developed and patented an unit for water purification based on photozonolisys principle. This unit could be utilized for the purification of the water coming from an industrial plant and from intensive agricultural cultures, and will be also part of an emergency potabilizer that is under development. Thanks to the experience obtained through the various programs, Aero Sekur is presently an European leading Company for Advanced Life Support Technologies; this role has been recognized since Aero Sekur was in charge of Air Management Subsystem in the frame of GREENMOSS program, and has the same role in EDEN Program. Other Programs (Acwatic, RIAQ, Nosy) involving Aero Sekur expertise in the fields are in progress. The paper will describe the technologies developed by Aero Sekur in the frame of air and water sensing devices and their applications in the ongoing programs, as well as the most updated results of the ongoing activities.