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Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: NASA/Water Recycling - ...Space Use/Earth Use

*Am going to make an exception, sorry.  I know SpaceNut already posted about this in "The need for a Moon direct *2*" thread, but I think http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=15492]this article deserves a thread of its own as it definitely deals with more than just the Moon.  Also, some folks might not be following that thread (I haven't been; I discovered SpaceNut's post via Search).

At NASA's Ames Research Center (ARC), Moffett Field, Calif., a water recycler enabling reuse for three years without resupply is being developed on a timeline to fit into exploration plans, according to ARC scientist Michael Flynn. A preliminary engineering development unit can hourly recycle 13.2 pounds, about one gallon, of waste into drinkable water.

"If we were going to Mars tomorrow, this is the water treatment system astronauts might well use," Flynn said. He is developing it in cooperation with Water Reuse Technology, Inc., Garden Valley, Calif. "This unit can enable a six- person crew to shower, wash clothes and dishes, drink water and flush toilets over three years without resupply," Flynn said.

They are studying biological water processors to minimize their size in space habitats...Researchers are also identifying soaps that rapidly degrade at high concentrations. Cleansers, like shampoo and soap, affect the size of systems, because of the time it takes for them to break down. Researchers are studying ways of optimizing size of ion exchange beds used for the final purification of water.

*ISS crewmembers allotted approximately 2 liters of water a day.  Also, Water Processing Assembly can produce 35 gallons of potable recycled water daily. 

--Cindy

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

Commodore

Member

From: Upstate NY, USA

Registered: 2004-07-25

Posts: 1,021

Re: NASA/Water Recycling - ...Space Use/Earth Use

It will never happen on Earth. Everyone will remember seeing Kevin Costner drink his pee in Waterworld, and go EEEEWWWWWWWWW! 

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"Yes, I was going to give this astronaut selection my best shot, I was determined when the NASA proctologist looked up my ass, he would see pipes so dazzling he would ask the nurse to get his sunglasses."
---Shuttle Astronaut Mike Mullane

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 28,946

Re: NASA/Water Recycling - ...Space Use/Earth Use

Actually this is a must not only for survival but also because there are more important cargo that will also be needed to support any long duration missions. Whether they are on the moon or on mars. To use water to make fuel is a bad idea when it must also be used to to grow food for the crew.

Grypd

Member

From: Scotland, Europe

Registered: 2004-06-07

Posts: 1,879

Re: NASA/Water Recycling - ...Space Use/Earth Use

Whatever sort of base we make on the Moon it will never be a self sufficient entity. But the more we can make it as close too the better. And incidentally the earth for all its water is not too close to sufficiency either. Most water on our planet is polluted or salty and undrinkable, so any technology to cure this is well needed.

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Chan eil mi aig a bheil ùidh ann an gleidheadh an status quo; Tha mi airson cur às e.

RobS

Banned

From: South Bend, IN

Registered: 2002-01-15

Posts: 1,701

Website

Re: NASA/Water Recycling - ...Space Use/Earth Use

I have a lot of catching up to do.

I remember reading the article. I wish it had added two details; (1) what the exact efficiency of the unit is (90%? 99%?) because all units lose some water and it has to be replaced. Mars Direct I think assumed 90% closure of the recycling. (2) How much power it takes. If it were to take 100 kw to recycle a gallon, no one would do it. From the tone of the article, it sounded more like "we want to develop this system and we still don't know how we'll do it."

The article was also a bit vague at times; 13.2 pounds is not "about a gallon," a gallon weighs about 8 pounds (just remember "a pint's a pound the world around" and there are 8 pints in a gallon).

          -- RobS