{"project":{"acronym":"","projectId":94094,"title":"Generation of Chemical Commodities and Fertilizer from ISS and ISRU Water Brines Using Combined Ion Exchange and Electrodialysis","primaryTaxonomyNodes":[{"taxonomyNodeId":10684,"taxonomyRootId":8816,"parentNodeId":10682,"level":3,"code":"TX06.1.2","title":"Water Recovery and Management","definition":"Water recovery and management provides a safe and reliable supply of potable water to meet crew consumption and operational needs, including supply and storage, recycling, and management through dormant mission periods.","exampleTechnologies":"Wastewater collection, wastewater processing, brine processing, potable water microbial control","hasChildren":false,"hasInteriorContent":true}],"startTrl":1,"currentTrl":4,"endTrl":4,"benefits":"Create a closed-loop water purification system for the ISS to reduce resupply of water and chemicals with significant cost savings. The goal is to increase water recovery on the ISS from 85% to 92-98%, resulting in an estimated cost savings of $60 to $120 million per year. The proposed process (chlor-alkali) is an established industrial process, but it has not been used for spacecraft ECLSS/ISRU applications (TRL 1)","description":"The goal is to develop a next generation brine recovery and electrolysis grade potable water producing system for Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) use. The project will combine previously-developed waste water brine ion exchange pretreatment system with a modified electrodialysis unit to produce purified water and other useful chemicals. The combining of these two systems has not yet been attempted. This system would take water from various sources such as ISS brines, water generated via ISRU regolith processes, or Mars/Lunar polar deposits and generate drinking or electrolysis-grade water, fuel, and other useful chemicals to significantly reduce consumable use, resulting in more closed-loop, sustainable systems. The goal is to validate the mass and energy balances, attempt to optimize the system, and gain lifecycle insight. The envisioned deliverables of this project will be 1) A system which can deliver purified electrolysis grade water which can be used for drinking water or propellant production, and 2) Produce useful chemicals isolated for use as fertilizers and ion exchange membrane regeneration.","startYear":2018,"startMonth":3,"endYear":2019,"endMonth":3,"statusDescription":"Completed","principalInvestigators":[{"contactId":29054,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Anthony","lastName":"Muscatello","fullName":"Anthony C Muscatello","fullNameInverted":"Muscatello, Anthony C","middleInitial":"C","primaryEmail":"anthony.c.muscatello@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programDirectors":[{"contactId":335305,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Michael","lastName":"Lapointe","fullName":"Michael R Lapointe","fullNameInverted":"Lapointe, Michael R","middleInitial":"R","primaryEmail":"michael.r.lapointe@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programExecutives":[{"contactId":392233,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Richard","lastName":"Howard","fullName":"Richard W Howard","fullNameInverted":"Howard, Richard W","middleInitial":"W","primaryEmail":"richard.w.howard@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programManagers":[{"contactId":37541,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Barbara","lastName":"Brown","fullName":"Barbara L Brown","fullNameInverted":"Brown, Barbara L","middleInitial":"L","primaryEmail":"barbara.l.brown@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"website":"","libraryItems":[],"transitions":[{"transitionId":53172,"projectId":94094,"transitionDate":"2019-03-01","path":"Closed Out","details":"Reutilizing resources onboard the International Space Station (ISS) and for future deep space missions are critical for mission longevity and sustainability. Waste water brine produced from water recovery systems contain chemical species that could be processed into a potential fertilizer for future plant systems. Fertilizer production can be achieved through a process called electrodialysis ion exchange. Waste water containing inorganic salt components are fed through a series of ion exchange membranes to produce fertilizer (a phosphate rich stream), electrolysis-grade water, and other useful commodities. Electrodialysis cells consisting of anion and cation exchange membranes, monovalent anion exchange membranes, and bipolar membranes were utilized to achieve selective ion exchange. Ions successfully diffused across their respective membranes into the concentrate, acid, and base streams. This resulted in pure water, a phosphate rich stream, and separate acid and base streams.","infoText":"Closed out","infoTextExtra":"","dateText":"March 2019"}],"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"STMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"program":{"acronym":"KSC CIF","active":true,"description":"
Each individual NASA Center has full discretion on the use of the funds and the Center Chief Technologists coordinates a competitive process at their Center for the selection of projects. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) considers CIF very important because it encourages employees to develop innovative concepts that, if successful, can solve future mission needs. As in prior years, KSC put a strong emphasis on low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) technologies for CIF in support of Space Technology Area Roadmaps that align with KSC core capabilities.
KSC has emphasized partnerships for several years and has benefited in many ways from the other NASA centers and government agencies, academia and industry collaborations. In keeping with this emphasis, a key selection criterion for KSC CIF relates to collaborations and partnerships (with leveraged funding).
","parentProgram":{"acronym":"CIF","active":true,"description":"Through the Center Innovation Fund, the Space Technology Mission Directorate allocates a small portion of the NASA workforce and procurement budget to internal research and development to feed early stage innovation in technology and exploration. Activities with in the Center Innovation Fund are proposed and led by NASA scientists and engineers. These activities and creative initiatives pursue emerging technologies that leverage talent and capabilities at the NASA Centers.
","programId":64,"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"STMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdId":4875,"stockImageFileId":36643,"title":"Center Innovation Fund"},"parentProgramId":64,"programId":166,"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"STMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdId":4875,"stockImageFileId":36641,"title":"Center Innovation Fund: KSC CIF"},"leadOrganization":{"acronym":"KSC","canUserEdit":false,"city":"Kennedy Space Center","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4905,"organizationName":"Kennedy Space Center","organizationType":"NASA_Center","stateTerritory":{"abbreviation":"FL","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"Florida","stateTerritoryId":46},"stateTerritoryId":46,"naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Center"},"supportingOrganizations":[{"acronym":"JSC","canUserEdit":false,"city":"Houston","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4853,"organizationName":"Johnson Space Center","organizationType":"NASA_Center","stateTerritory":{"abbreviation":"TX","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"Texas","stateTerritoryId":29},"stateTerritoryId":29,"naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Center"},{"acronym":"MSFC","canUserEdit":false,"city":"Huntsville","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4854,"organizationName":"Marshall Space Flight Center","organizationType":"NASA_Center","stateTerritory":{"abbreviation":"AL","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"Alabama","stateTerritoryId":18},"stateTerritoryId":18,"naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Center"},{"canUserEdit":false,"city":"Lakewood","congressionalDistrict":"Colorado 07","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"external":true,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":2602,"organizationName":"Pioneer Astronautics","organizationType":"Industry","stateTerritory":{"abbreviation":"CO","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"Colorado","stateTerritoryId":15},"stateTerritoryId":15,"ein":"042657707 ","dunsNumber":"120561456","uei":"K4K5TTXNDSM3","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"Industry"}],"statesWithWork":[{"abbreviation":"AL","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"Alabama","stateTerritoryId":18},{"abbreviation":"FL","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"Florida","stateTerritoryId":46},{"abbreviation":"TX","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"Texas","stateTerritoryId":29}],"lastUpdated":"2023-7-11","releaseStatusString":"Released","viewCount":709,"endDateString":"Mar 2019","startDateString":"Mar 2018"}}