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Operational Experience with the Internal Thermal Control System Dual-Membrane Gas TrapA dual-membrane gas trap is currently used to remove non-condensed gases (NCG) from the Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS) coolant on board the International Space Station. The gas trap consists of concentric tube membrane pairs, comprised of outer hydrophilic tubes and inner hydrophobic fibers. Liquid coolant passes through the outer hydrophilic membrane, which traps the NCG. The inner hydrophobic fiber allows the trapped NCG to pass through and vent to the ambient atmosphere in the cabin. The purpose of the gas trap is to prevent gas bubbles from causing depriming, overspeed, and shutdown of the ITCS pump, and the current gas trap has performed flawlessly in this regard. However, because of actual operational conditions on-orbit, its gas removal performance and operational lifetime have been affected. This paper discusses experiences with several of these dual- membrane gas traps, including on-orbit gas venting rate, effects due to the presence of nickel in the ITCS coolant, and subsequent refurbishing to remove the nickel from the gas trap.
Document ID
20030065905
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Leimkuehler, Thomas O.
(Honeywell, Inc. United States)
Lukens, Clark
(Honeywell, Inc. United States)
Reeves, Daniel R.
(Boeing Co. United States)
Holt, James M.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
July 7, 2003
Publication Information
Publisher: SAE International
Subject Category
Man/System Technology And Life Support
Report/Patent Number
SAE-2003-01-2565
Meeting Information
Meeting: International Conference on Environmental Systems (ICES)
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Country: Canada
Start Date: July 7, 2003
End Date: July 10, 2003
Sponsors: Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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