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This paper reviews the development and testing of the distillation subsystem of water regeneration system from urine (WRS-UM) based on a method of vacuum distillation with a rotary multistage vacuum distiller and a thermal pump. Test results show that with relatively small power consumption the subsystem using rotary three-stage vacuum distiller provides high rates of heat and mass transfer processes, useful productivity and distillate quality. The conducted tests have confirmed that it will be efficient to use the presented system as a part of WRS-UM system in Russian segment of the International Space Station.

The paper presents the results of ground and flight (on OSS Mir) tests of an updated purification assembly of the WRS-C system outfitted with a filter-reactor. The tests have proved that the filter-reactor oxidizes effectively basic organic contaminants in humidity condensate including ethyleneglycol to ones that easily undergo sorption, enables the operation of the recovery system in the event of an off-design increase in organic contaminants in condensate and significantly improves the lifetime of the purification assembly. The data obtained confirm a wise selection of the purification assembly hardware for the system for water recovery from humidity condensate WRS-CM for the ISS service module.

At the initial phase of the construction of the international space station (ISS) water supply will be provided by the systems located in the Russian segment. The paper reviews the systems for water recovery from humidity condensate and urine to be incorporated in the Russian segment of the ISS. The similar systems have been successfully operated on the Mir space station. The updates aim at enhancing system cost-effectiveness and reliability. The system for water recovery from humidity condensate (WRS-C) features an added assembly for the removal of organic contaminants to be catalytically oxidized in an air/liquid flow at ambient temperature and pressure. The system for water reclamation from urine (WRS-U) incorporates a new distillation subsystem based on vacuum distillation with a multistage rotary distiller and a vapor compression or thermoelectric heat pump. The updating of the WRS-C system will enable an increase in the multifiltration bed's life at least two fold.

The paper is devoted to consideration of the possible approach to forecasting functioning physico/chemical Regenerative Life Support Systems (RLSS) in regular and off-normal conditions of operation on the basis of methods of mathematical simulation. Prediction of RLSS functioning under operating conditions represents the special interest for the analysis of off-normal situations, caused by development of a resource or presence that or that or of the other of failure of the equipment, or change of external conditions. In the given situations working mechanisms of transfer of mass and energy change not only characteristic and modes of operations of separate apparatus, but also, in a number of cases. The given peculiarities should be taken into account at formation of the formalized descriptions of the RLSS hardware.

The paper deals with possible performance enhancement of the system for water reclamation from urine based on a principle of atmospheric distillation. It is shown by way of example using the system operating on Mir that the introduction of heat energy recuperation, an increase in heat-and-mass transfer efficiency on evaporation and the optimization of the air flowrate in the distillation cycle allow a rise in the capacity of the distillation assembly and a reduction in specific energy. The system outfitted with a rotary evaporator/separator and a thermoelectric heat pump is reviewed. The design and experimental data verify the feasibility and benefits of the system updating.