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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10

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NASA NTRS2004

An Evaluation of the Functionality of Advanced Fuel Research Prototype Dry Pyrolyzer for Destruction of Solid Wastes

The prototype dry pyrolyser delivered to Ames Research Center is the end-product of a Phase I1 Small Business Initiative Research (SBIR) project. Some of the major advantages of pyrolysis for processing solid wastes are that it can process solid wastes, it permits elemental recycling while conserving oxygen use, and it can function as a pretreatment for combustion processes. One of the disadvantages of pyrolysis is the formation of tars. By controlling the rate of heating, tar formation can be minimized. This paper presents data on the pyrolysis of various space station wastes. The performance of the pyrolyser is also discussed and appropriate modifications suggested to improve the performance of the dry pyrolyzer.

Fisher, John↗

NASA NTRS1981

Chlorinolysis reclaims rubber of waste tires

Process reclaims rubber and reduces sulfur content by using chlorine gas to oxidize sulfur bonds in preference to other bonds. Rubber does not have poor hysteresis and abrasion resistance like conventionally reclaimed rubber and is suitable for premium radial tires. Chlorinated rubber is less susceptible to swelling by oils and may be used as paint ingredient.

Dufresne, E. R.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Technologies for ECLSS Evolution

Viewgraphs and discussion on technologies for Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) evolution are presented. Topics covered include: atmosphere revitalization including CO2 removal, CO2 reduction, O2 generation, and trace contaminant control; water recovery and management including urine processing, hygiene water processing, and potable water processing; and waste management. ECLSS technology schematics, process diagrams, and fluid interfaces are included.

Diamant, Bryce L.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Advanced collapsible tank for liquid containment

Tanks for bulk liquid containment will be required to support advanced planetary exploration programs. Potential applications include storage of potable, process, and waste water, and fuels and process chemicals. The launch mass and volume penalties inherent in rigid tanks suggest that collapsible tanks may be more efficient. Collapsible tanks are made of lightweight flexible material and can be folded compactly for storage and transport. Although collapsible tanks for terrestrial use are widely available, a new design was developed that has significantly less mass and bulk than existing models. Modelled after the shape of a sessible drop, this design features a dual membrane with a nearly uniform stress distribution and a low surface-to-volume ratio. It can be adapted to store a variety of liquids in nearly any environment with constant acceleration field. Three models of 10L, 50L, and 378L capacity have been constructed and tested. The 378L (100 gallon) model weighed less than 10 percent of a commercially available collapsible tank of equivalent capacity, and required less than 20 percent of the storage space when folded for transport.

Flanagan, David T.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Waste Management Options for Long-Duration Space Missions: When to Reject, Reuse, or Recycle

The amount of waste generated on long-duration space missions away from Earth orbit creates the daunting challenge of how to manage the waste through reuse, rejection, or recycle. The option to merely dispose of the solid waste through an airlock to space was studied for both Earth-moon libration point missions and crewed Mars missions. Although the unique dynamic characteristics of an orbit around L2 might allow some discarded waste to intersect the lunar surface before re-impacting the spacecraft, the large amount of waste needed to be managed and potential hazards associated with volatiles recondensing on the spacecraft surfaces make this option problematic. A second option evaluated is to process the waste into useful gases to be either vented to space or used in various propulsion systems. These propellants could then be used to provide the yearly station-keeping needs at an L2 orbit, or if processed into oxygen and methane propellants, could be used to augment science exploration by enabling lunar mini landers to the far side of the moon.

Space processing↗

NASA NTRS1985

Waste treatment in silicon production operations

A battery of special burners, each adapted for the treatment of a particular range of waste material formed during the conversion of metallurgical grade silicon to high purity silane and silicon, is accompanied by a series arrangement of filters to recover fumed silica by-product and a scrubber to recover muriatic acid as another by-product. All of the wastes are processed, during normal and plant upset waste load conditions, to produce useful by-products in an environmentally acceptable manner rather than waste materials having associated handling and disposal problems.

Coleman, Larry M.↗

NASA NTRS2021

Trash Compaction and Processing System Trash Models and Evolved Gas Analysis of Trash Components

As part of the NASA Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) Trash Compaction and Processing System (TCPS) program, the Generation 2 (Gen 2) Heat Melt Compactor (HMC) tests a variety of trash models (nominal, high liquid, and high cloth) in order to evaluate the technical risk associated with processing spacecraft trash. The trash components used in the trash models not only impacts the final solid trash disk quality, but also the water and gas effluent compositions. In order to better design an auxiliary system to treat the effluent streams, both the input trash components and the effluent must be characterized. Evolved gas analysis (EGA) methods are used to characterize the input trash components. The EGA results will be used to determine various HMC operational parameters, as well as to determine the optimal operation for the TCPS system.

Heat Melt Compactor↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Analysis of Alternative Jettison Design Concepts for Deep-space Missions

The management of waste generated onboard spacecraft during future long-duration, deep-space missions will require different solutions from those currently implemented on the International Space Station, which consist exclusively of collecting, storing, and returning the waste to Earth. Alternative options for managing spacecraft waste are to process it for recycling and recovering resources, and to jettison it overboard. The waste generated during a deep-space mission is derived mainly from spacecraft logistics supplies, food and beverage residues, personal or scientific items used by the crew, and unused spare components. Uncontained and unprocessed trash is a health hazard and a habitat volume liability, which makes onboard long-term storage a nonviable option. Jettison of solid, processed waste appear, on the other hand, to be an effective solution for crewed deep-space missions, leading not only to volume reduction and habitat safening, but also to considerable mass savings in the spacecraft’s propulsion system. However, the disposal of trash overboard also creates a navigation hazard for spacecraft and the risk of collisions with planetary bodies. This paper investigates alternative jettison design concepts for L2 libration orbit, Mars conjunction-class, and Mars opposition-class missions.

Jurek Parodi↗

NASA NTRS2000

A Simulation Study Comparing Incineration and Composting in a Mars-Based Advanced Life Support System

The objective of this study is to compare incineration and composting in a Mars-based advanced life support (ALS) system. The variables explored include waste pre-processing requirements, reactor sizing and buffer capacities. The study incorporates detailed mathematical models of biomass production and waste processing into an existing dynamic ALS system model. The ALS system and incineration models (written in MATLAB/SIMULINK(c)) were developed at the NASA Ames Research Center. The composting process is modeled using first order kinetics, with different degradation rates for individual waste components (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, cellulose and lignin). The biomass waste streams are generated using modified "Eneray Cascade" crop models, which use light- and dark-cycle temperatures, irradiance, photoperiod, [CO2], planting density, and relative humidity as model inputs. The study also includes an evaluation of equivalent system mass (ESM).

Hogan, John↗

NASA NTRS1995

A new process and equipment for waste minimization: Conversion of NO(x) scrubber liquor to fertilizer

A new emissions control system for the oxidizer scrubbers that eliminates the current oxidizer liquor waste and lowers the NO(x) emissions is described. Since fueling and deservicing spacecraft constitute the primary operations in which environmental emissions occur, this will eliminate the second largest waste stream at KSC. This effort is in accord with Executive Order No. 12856 (Federal Compliance with Right-to-Know Laws and Pollution Prevention Requirements, data 6 Aug. 1993) and Executive Order No. 12873 (Federal Acquisition, Recycling, and Waste Prevention, dated 20 Oct. 1993). A recent study found that the efficiencies of the oxidizer scrubbers during normal operations ranged from 70 percent to 99 percent. The new scrubber liquor starts with 1% hydrogen peroxide at a pH of 7 and the process control system adds hydrogen peroxide and potassium hydroxide to the scrubber liquor to maintain those initial conditions. The result is the formation of a solution of potassium nitrate, which is sold as a fertilizer. This report describes the equipment and procedures used to monitor and control the conversion of the scrubber liquor to fertilizer, while reducing the scrubber emissions.

Parrish, Clyde F.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Biomass production and nitrogen dynamics in an integrated aquaculture/agriculture system

A combined aquaculture/agriculture system that brings together the three major components of a Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) - biomass production, biomass processing, and waste recycling - was developed to evaluate ecological processes and hardware requirements necessary to assess the feasibility of and define design criteria for integration into the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Breadboard Project. The system consists of a 1 square meter plant growth area, a 500 liter fish culture tank, and computerized monitoring and control hardware. Nutrients in the hydrophonic solution were derived from fish metabolites and fish food leachate. In five months of continuous operation, 27.0 kg of lettuce tops, 39.9 kg of roots and biofilm, and 6.6 kg of fish (wet weights) were produced with 12.7 kg of fish food input. Based on dry weights, a biomass conversion index of 0.52 was achieved. A nitrogen budget was derived to determine partitioning of nitrogen within various compartments of the system. Accumulating nitrogen in the hypoponic solution indicated a need to enlarge the plant growth area, potentially increasing the biomass production and improving the biomass conversion index.

Owens, L. P.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Raw Liquid Waste Treatment System and Process

A raw sewage treatment process is disclosed in which substantially all the non-dissolved matter, suspended in the sewage water is first separated from the water, in which at least organic matter remains dissolved. The non-dissolved material is pyrolyzed to form an activated carbon and ash material without the addition of any conditioning agents. The activated carbon and ash material is added to the water from which the non-dissolved matter was removed. The activated carbon and ash material adsorbs the organic matter dissolved in the water and is thereafter supplied in a counter flow direction and combined with the incoming raw sewage to at least facilitate the separation of the non-dissolved settleable materials from the sewage water. Carbon and ash material together with the non-dissolved matter which was separated from the sewage water are pyrolyzed to form the activated carbon and ash material.

Humphrey, M. F.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Prototype wash water renovation system integration with government-furnished wash fixture

The requirements of a significant quantity of proposed life sciences experiments in Shuttle payloads for available wash water to support cleansing operations has provided the incentive to develop a technique for wash water renovation. A prototype wash water waste renovation system which has the capability to process the waste water and return it to a state adequate for reuse in a typical cleansing fixture designed to support life science experiments was investigated. The resulting technology is to support other developments efforts pertaining to water reclamation by serving as a pretreatment step for subsequent reclamation procedures.

Source record↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Review of Existing Policies Affecting the Jettison of Waste in Low Earth Orbit and Deep Space

The management of waste generated onboard spacecraft during future long-duration deep-space missions will require different solutions from those currently implemented on the International Space Station which consist exclusively of collecting, storing, and returning the waste to Earth. Alternative options for managing spacecraft waste are to process it for recycling and recovery of resources, and to jettison it overboard in a solid form (such as a compacted tile) or in a gaseous form after torrefaction or other trash-to-gas technologies. The waste generated during a deep-space mission is derived mainly from spacecraft logistics supplies, food and beverage residues, personal or scientific items used by the crew, human metabolic waste, and unused spare components. Uncontained and unprocessed trash is a potential health hazard and a habitat volume liability, which makes onboard long-term storage an inefficient and non-optimal option. However, the jettison of solid, processed waste appears to be an effective solution for crewed deep-space missions, leading not only to volume reduction and habitat safening, but also to considerable mass savings in the spacecraft’s propulsion system. However, the disposal of trash overboard also creates a navigation hazard for spacecraft and the potential risk of contamination of planetary bodies, interfering with the search for life. This paper investigates the requirements covered by existing policies that could affect the jettison concept of operations and system design.

Jettison↗

NASA NTRS1980

NASA 50 amp hour nickel cadmium battery waste heat determination

A process for determining the waste heat generated in a 50-ampere-hour, nickel cadmium battery as a function of the discharge rate is described and results are discussed. The technique involved is essentially calibration of the battery as a heat transfer rate calorimeter. The tests are run at three different levels of battery activity, one at 40-watts of waste heat generated, one at 60, and one at 100. Battery inefficiency ranges from 14 to 18 percent at discharge rates of 284 to 588 watts, respectively and top-of-cell temperatures of 20 C.

Mueller, V. C.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Annual report

The overall goal of the Tuskegee University Center for Food Production, Processing and Waste Management in Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS) is to provide tested information and technologies applicable to bioregenerative food production systems for life support on long-term manned space mission. Specifically, the center is developing information, computer simulated models, methodologies and technology for sweetpotato and peanut biomass production and processing, inclusive of waste management and recycling of these crops selected by NASA for CELSS. The Center is organized into interdisciplinary teams of life scientists and engineers that work together on specific objectives and long-term goals. Integral to the goal of the Center is the development of both basic and applied research information and the training of young scientists and engineers, especially underrepresented minorities that will increase the professional pool in these disciplines and contribute to the advancement of space sciences and exploration.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1986

Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS) physiochemical waste management systems evaluation

Parametric data for six waste management subsystems considered for use on the Space Station are compared, i.e.: (1) dry incineration; (2) wet oxidation; (3) supercritical water oxidation; (4) vapor compression distillation; (5) thermoelectric integrated membrane evaporation system; and (6) vapor phase catalytic ammonia removal. The parameters selected for comparison are on-orbit weight and volume, resupply and return to Earth logistics, power consumption, and heat rejection. Trades studies are performed on subsystem parameters derived from the most recent literature. The Boeing Engineering Trade Study (BETS), an environmental control and life support system (ECLSS) trade study computer program developed by Boeing Aerospace Company, is used to properly size the subsystems under study. The six waste treatment subsystems modeled in this program are sized to process the wastes for a 90-day Space Station mission with an 8-person crew, and an emergency supply period of 28 days. The resulting subsystem parameters are compared not only on an individual subsystem level but also as part of an integrated ECLSS.

Oleson, M.↗

NASA NTRS1987

USBI Booster Production Company's Hazardous Waste Management Program at the Kennedy Space Center, FL

In response to the hazardous-waste generating processes associated with the launch of the Space Shuttle, a hazardous waste management plan has been developed. It includes waste recycling, product substitution, waste treatment, and waste minimization at the source. Waste material resulting from the preparation of the nonmotor segments of the solid rocket boosters include waste paints (primer, topcoats), waste solvents (methylene chloride, freon, acetone, toluene), waste inorganic compounds (aluminum anodizing compound, fixer), and others. Ways in which these materials are contended with at the Kennedy Space Center are discussed.

Venuto, Charles↗