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Physical-Chemical Solid Waste Processing for Space Missions at Ames Research CenterAs space missions become longer in duration and reach out to more distant locations such as Mars, solids waste processing progresses from storage technologies to reclamation technologies. Current low Earth orbit technologies consist of store-and dispose to space or return to Earth. Fully regenerative technologies recycle wastes. The materials reclaimed from waste can be used to provide the basic materials to support plant growth for food including carbon dioxide, water, and nutrients. Other products can also be reclaimed from waste such as hydrocarbons and activated carbon. This poster describes development at Ames Research Center of a process to make activated carbon from space mission wastes and to make an incineration system that produces clean flue gas. Inedible biomass and feces contain hydrocarbons in a form that can be pyrolyzed and converted to activated carbon. The activated carbon can then be used to clean up contaminants from various other life support systems; in particular, the activated carbon can be used regeneratively to remove NOx from incinerator flue gas. Incinerator flue gas can also be cleaned up by the use of reductive and oxidative catalysts. A catalytic incinerator flue gas cleanup system has been developed at ARC that produces flue gas clean enough (with the exception of carbon dioxide) to meet the Space Minimum Allowable Concentration limits for human exposure.
Document ID
20040014966
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Fisher, John W.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Pisharody, Suresh
(Lockheed Martin Space Operations Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Moran, Mark
(Lockheed Martin Space Operations Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Wignarajah, K.
(Lockheed Martin Space Operations Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Tleimat, Maher
(Lockheed Martin Space Operations Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Pace, Greg
(Lockheed Martin Space Operations Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2001
Subject Category
Man/System Technology And Life Support
Meeting Information
Meeting: American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology
Location: Alexandria, VA
Country: United States
Start Date: November 7, 2001
End Date: November 11, 2001
Sponsors: American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology
Funding Number(s)
OTHER: 131-20-10
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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