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Space environmental control systems must control cabin temperature and humidity. This can be achieved by transferring the heat load to a circulating coolant, condensing the humidity, and separating the condensate from the air stream. In addition, environmental control systems may be required to remove particulate matter from the air stream. An assembly comprised of a filter, a condensing heat exchanger, a thermal control valve, and a liquid carryover sensor, is used to achieve all these requirements. A condensing heat exchanger and filter assembly (CHXFA) is being developed and manufactured by SECAN/AlliedSignal under a contract from Dornier Daimler-Benz as part of a European Space Agency program. The CHXFA is part of the environmental control system of the Columbus Orbital Facility (COF), the European laboratory module of the International Space Station (ISS).

Condensing heat exchangers (CHX) are used in many applications, including space life support systems, to control temperature and humidity. Temperature control is achieved by transfer of the heat load to a circulating coolant. Simultaneously, humidity control is provided by cooling the air below its dew point, and separating the condensed water from the gas flow. In space, the condensate does not drain from the heat exchanger because of the absence of gravity. To overcome this problem, slurping condensing heat exchangers have been developed that combine a hydrophilic coating on the air flow passages and an additional slurping section added to the air outlet of the heat exchanger to achieve efficient air-water separation. For short missions such as those typical for shuttle flights, microbial proliferation in the coatings has not been a major issue, despite the fact that the coatings are continuously moist and an ideal breeding ground for microbial species.

A hydrophilic, antimicrobial coating has been developed for the condensing heat exchanger and filter assembly (CHXFA), part of the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) of the Columbus Orbital Facility (COF), the European laboratory module of the International Space Station (ISS). Condensing heat exchangers (CHX) are used in many applications, including space life support systems, to control temperature and humidity. In space, condensate from the air does not drain from the heat exchanger because of the absence of gravity. To overcome this problem, slurping condensing heat exchangers have been developed which combine a hydrophilic coating on the air flow passages, and an additional slurping section added to the air outlet of the heat exchanger to achieve efficient air-water separation.

A condensing heat exchanger and filter assembly (CHXFA) has been developed by SECAN/AlliedSignal under a contract from Dornier Daimler-Benz as part of a European Space Agency program. The CHXFA is part of the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) of the Columbus Orbital Facility (COF), the European Laboratory Module of the International Space Station (ISS). Although the COF CHXFA has a lifetime requirement of 10 years, some of the assembly components have been designated orbital replacement units (ORU's), which means that they must be designed to be replaceable “on-orbit”, in micro-gravity conditions. The CHXFA contains a filter to remove particulates from the air stream, and a differential pressure sensor to monitor pressure drop across the filter. The filter is a limited lifetime ORU, which will be periodically replaced as part of routine maintenance. The differential pressure sensor is also designated as an ORU.