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Incineration for resource recovery in a closed ecological life support systemA functional schematic, including mass and energy balance, of a solid waste processing system for a controlled ecological life support system (CELSS) was developed using Aspen Plus, a commercial computer simulation program. The primary processor in this system is an incinerator for oxidizing organic wastes. The major products derived from the incinerator are carbon dioxide and water, which can be recycled to a crop growth chamber (CGC) for food production. The majority of soluble inorganics are extracted or leached from the inedible biomass before they reach the incinerator, so that they can be returned directly to the CGC and reused as nutrients. The heat derived from combustion of organic compounds in the incinerator was used for phase-change water purification. The waste streams treated by the incinerator system conceptualized in this work are inedible biomass from a CGC, human urine (including urinal flush water) and feces, humidity condensate, shower water, and trash. It is estimated that the theoretical minimum surface area required for the radiator to reject the unusable heat output from this system would be 0.72 sq m/person at 298 K.
Document ID
19930070829
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Upadhye, R. S.
(ARU Associates Pleasanton, CA, United States)
Wignarajah, K.
(Bionetics Corp.; NASA, Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Wydeven, T.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1993
Publication Information
Publication: Environment International
ISSN: 0160-4120
Subject Category
Man/System Technology And Life Support
Accession Number
93A54826
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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