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A preliminary waste water model for input to the Space Station Freedom (SSF) Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Water Processor (WP) has been generated for design purposes. Data has been compiled from various ECLSS tests and flight sample analyses. A discussion of the characterization of the waste streams comprising the model is presented, along with a discussion of the waste water model and the rationale for the inclusion of contaminants in their respective concentrations. The major objective is to establish a methodology for the development of a waste water model and to present the current state of that model.

In support of Space Station Freedom Phase C/D Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) regenerative systems development, comparative testing was performed on predevelopment hardware of competing technologies for each regenerative function. This testing was conducted by The Boeing Aerospace and Electronics Company (BAE) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) from late 1989 through early 1990. The purpose of the test program was to collect data on latest generation hardware in order to make final technology selections for each subassembly in the oxygen recovery and water reclamation strings. This paper discusses the testing performed, test results, and evaluation of these results relative to subsystem selections for CO2 reduction, O2 generation, potable water processing, hygiene water processing, and urine processing.

The Volatile Removal Assembly Flight Experiment (VRAFE) was performed in May of 1999, on board Shuttle Flight STS-96 to support the development of the International Space Station (ISS) Water Recovery System (WRS). The objective of this experiment was to address concerns in the performance of a two-phase, catalytic reactor in a microgravity environment. During the experiment, an unexpected finding was discovered when the VRAFE Gas/Liquid Separator (GLS) failed to separate gas from the reactor outlet stream. The VRAFE GLS was a two-membrane (flat sheet hydrophobic and hydrophilic membrane) gas trap. Flight data as well as the post-flight failure investigation determined that the GLS hydrophobic membrane failed as a result of very fine hydrophilic catalyst particles from the VRAFE reactor that had contaminated the surface of the hydrophobic membrane.