1. Urine Pretreatment for Wastewater Recovery Space Engineering Institute Final Presentation 2008-2009

2. Overview –Background –Previous Work –Objectives –Task 1: Laboratory Tests –Task 2: Distillation Simulation –Future Tasks: UV Urine Pretreatment

3. Team Structure NameMajorYearPosition Moriah ThompsonBiomedical Eng.4Transitional Team Lead Julianne LarsonAerospace Eng.4Project Lead Elizabeth JoachimBiomedical Eng.3Lab Lead Marco CienegaMechanical Eng.3UV Lead David MooreCivil Eng.1Assistant Lab Lead Sandhya RameshBiomedical Eng.1Logistics Lead Blesson JohnBiomedical Eng.1Webmaster

4. Retire shuttle Explore the Moon Build lunar habitat Explore Mars Build Martian habitat Explore other destinations Vision for Space Exploration

5. Human Habitation Challenges Not economical or practical to re-supply basic life support elements from Earth Source: NASA

6. What Part Do We Focus On? Specifically urine pretreatment

7. Why Urine Pretreatment? Protect hardware and plumbing system form clogging –Solids precipitation –Biofilm formation

8. Current Urine Pretreatment “String of Pearls” Urine and fecal collection unit Oxone is toxic!! Not good for astronauts or water reclamation system

9. Problem Statement The current pretreatment method utilizes a toxic chemical that may be detrimental to astronaut and system health.

10. Previous Work Urine Pretreatment for Biological Reclamation Supernatant Characterization from urine MAP precipitation Work presented in the 11 th International Conference on Engineering, Science, Construction, and Operations in Challenging Environments (2008 Earth & Space Conference)

11. Urine Pretreatment for Biological Water Recovery Objective: Identify a non-toxic pretreatment alternative that is compatible with a biological water reclamation system. Test stand for biological water recovery (JSC)

12. pH Results Ammonia Results Glycolic Acetic Sulfuric Urine Pretreatment for Biological Water Recovery

13. Chemicals Tested: Sulfuric Acid Sodium Benzoate Acetic Acid Glycolic Acid Sodium Permanganate Phosphoric Acid Test stand for biological water recovery (JSC)

14. Supernatant Characterization from Urine MAP Precipitation Objectives: Determine the composition and buffer capacity of supernatant Identify uses of supernatant Determine treatment process necessary for water recovery SEM micrograph of MAP precipitates produced by Zhao

15. TOC Results Buffer Capacity Supernatant Characterization from Urine MAP Precipitation

16. Conclusions: TOC > EPA drinking water limit Removal of inorganics is needed Buffer at high pH values Optimization of precipitation process is needed Supernatant Characterization from Urine MAP Precipitation SEM micrograph of MAP precipitates produced by Zhao

17. Current Project Objective Identify a non-toxic pretreatment alternative that is compatible with a distillation based water reclamation system.

18. Proposed Water Reclamation System Cascade Distillation SubsystemOrion Crew Module

19. Project Tasks Task 1- Laboratory tests –Select pretreatment chemicals Toxicity data, HMIS, pK a, Volatility –Test chemicals’ pretreatment ability Task 2- Distillation simulation (Aspen) –Determine simulation operation conditions –Simulate chemicals tested in Task 1

20. Task 1-Laboratory Tests –Chemical: pH –Physical: TSS, Turbidity –Biological: Protein, Ammonia, DO Objective: Compare pretreatment chemicals to sulfuric acid in stored urine (1g/L)

21. Chemicals Selected Chosen based on –Solubility –pK a –Toxicity –HMIS Considerations –Delivery system –Astronaut health –System health Sulfuric Acid Fumaric Acid Sorbic Acid Boric Acid Lactic Acid Phthalic Acid

22. Experimental Methods Urine collected Samples are taken at predetermined times

23. Analytical Lab Methods Total Suspended Solids Turbidity pH Protein Assay Dissolved Oxygen Phenate Method (Ammonia)

24. Chemical Tests

25. Physical Tests

26. Biological Tests

27. Task 2- Simulation Objective: Determine % water recovery at proposed operating conditions

28. Feed Conditions Temperature (°C)40 Pressure (psi)14.69 Vapor Fraction0 Volume Fraction Chemical0.04 Water0.96 Flash Operating Conditions Temperature (°C)25-50 Pressure (psi)0 One stage flash (worst case scenario) Simulation Conditions

29. Simulation Results % Water Recovery% Chemical Recovery Fumaric Acid98.4999.59 Sulfuric Acid96.9499.98 Boric Acid99.9781.97

30. Summary Laboratory tests results: –Chemicals tested do meet pretreatment requirements for short term storage –Chemicals tested do not meet pretreatment requirements for long term storage Distillation results: –Chemicals are separable from water in the flash operating range of 25-50°C. –Preliminary simulations indicate that high % chemical removal is possible. –Determine operating conditions to achieve >99% pretreatment agent removal by volume –Add ionic strengths to mimic influent urine stream

31. Future Tasks: UV Urine Pretreatment

32. Characteristics of UV Disinfection Germicidal or UV-C range: 200 – 280nm UV light rearranges DNA Thymine dimers formation Replication is prevented

33. Accomplished Tasks Developed work plan Determined absorbance of untreated urine Urine Water Germicidal range

34. Future Tasks Task 1- Determine preliminary apparatus design –Housing unit design –Light intensity –Distance –Exposure time –Others Task 2- Analyze performance of preliminary design –Determine changes needed for next design

35. 2008-09 Team Accomplishments Publications –AIAA Regional Conference proceedings –2 nd Civil Engineering Student Research Symposium proceedings –TAMU Undergraduate Journal Presentations –AIAA Regional Conference, San Antonio, TX –2 nd Civil Engineering Student Research Symposium, TAMU –Student Research Week, TAMU –SEDS Space Vision Conference, TAMU Awards –2 nd place: TAMU Student Research Week –Only undergraduate presentation at the 2 nd CESRS, AceDocs

36. Past Team Accomplishments 2007-2008 Publications AIAA Regional Conference proceedings ASCE Earth and Space proceedings (1) ASCE Earth and Space proceedings (2) Presentations AIAA Regional Conference, Houston, TX 2008 ASCE Earth and Space Conference, Long Beach, CA (1) 2008 ASCE Earth and Space Conference, Long Beach, CA (2) TAMU Student Research Week Awards 2 nd Place: Weirdest Job on Campus 2006-2007 Presentations TAMU Student Research Week Prairie View A&M Undergraduate Research Awards 2 nd Place: TAMU Student Research Week 3 rd Place: TAMU Student Research Week 2005-2006 Presentations TAMU Student Research Week Awards 2 nd Place: Weirdest Job on Campus

37. Acknowledgements –Dr. Pickering (JSC) –Dr. Muirhead (JSC) –Dr. Boulanger (TAMU) –Dr. Autenreith (TAMU) –Dr. Miskevich (TAMU-Commerce) –Ms. Lagoudas (TAMU-SEI)

38. Questions?