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Technical Paper

Development and Testing of Membrane Biological Wastewater Processors

1999-07-12
1999-01-1947
Ground-based laboratory and closed-chamber human tests have demonstrated the ability of microbial-based biological processors to effectively remove carbon and nitrogen species from regenerable life support wastewater streams. Application of this technology to crewed spacecraft requires the development of gravity-independent bioprocessors due to a lack of buoyancy-driven convection and sedimentation in microgravity. This paper reports on the development and testing of membranebased biological reactors and addresses the processing of planetary and International Space Station (ISS) waste streams. The membranes provide phase separation between the wastewater and metabolically required oxygen, accommodate diffusion-driven oxygen transport, and provide surface area for microbial biofilm attachment. Testing of prototype membrane bioprocessors has been completed.
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