System Level Design and Initial Equivalent System Mass Analysis of a Solid-Phase Thermophilic Aerobic Reactor for Advanced Life Support Systems

Abstract

This paper presents a system-level design and initial equivalent systems mass (ESM) analysis for a solid-phase thermophilic aerobic reactor (STAR) system prototype that is designed for a Mars surface mission. STAR is a biological solid waste treatment system that reduces solid waste, neutralizes pathogens, and produces a stabilized product amenable to nutrient reuse and water recovery in a closed life support system. The STAR system is designed for long-duration space missions or long-term remote planetary operations. A system-level design analysis for sizing a STAR process and the subsequent ESM-based sensitivity analysis based on a 600-day Mars surface mission with a 6-person crew will be presented. Preliminary ESM sensitivity analysis identified that improving system energy conservation efficiency should be the focus of future research once the fundamental STAR process development has matured.

Comments

Presented at International Conference on Environmental Systems, July 2005, Rome, ITALY, Session: Biological Waste Processing & Microbial Processes I. This article was also part of the proceedings of the 2005 SAE ICES

Date of this Version

7-1-2005

Identifier

ALS-NSCORT:p30

Publisher Identifier:

SAE Document Number: 2005-01-2983

Publisher

SAE International

ALS NSCORT Project Number

Project 1: Solid Thermophilic Aerobic Reactor (STAR)

Project Lead

James E. Alleman

Language

English

ALS NSCORT Series

Published Materials

Administrative Contact

Dave Kotterman, dkotter@purdue.edu

Rights

Copyright 2005 SAE International. For additional information please visit the intellectual property section of the publisher's website: http://www.sae.org/about/intelproperty/ or the publisher's home page at: http://www.sae.org

Access

This article is not available through e-pubs. To purchase a copy of this article visit: http://www.sae.org/technical/papers/2005-01-2983. This article is available on CD-ROM at Purdue University's Engineering Library.

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