Brine Recovery in Containment (BRIC) Project
Project Description
The Brine Residual in Containment (BRIC) project aims to close the water recovery loop by enabling water to be extracted from concentrated wastewater brines. BRIC is based on an in-place drying concept within a sealed disposal container. The design is intended to accommodate the three phases of brine processing, liquid, gas and solid, while reducing the potential for system fouling and exposure of crew to toxic and hazardous brine material. BRIC is described in technology disclosure MSC-24964-1, which will be published in an upcoming issue of NASA Tech Briefs.
More »Anticipated Benefits
The BRIC technology will be infused into a system-level environmental control and life support system, supporting deep-space habitats or other exploration missions. The system will be demonstrated through integrated testing conducted by the Advanced Exploration Systems program as well as thorough microgravity testing in a microgravity aircraft. If successful, the technology will be proposed for demonstration in a Deep Space Habitation test bed or as an ISS detailed test objective. The technology could be integrated with the ISS life support system to recover brine wastewater currently discarded on-orbit. There is application of BRIC technology towards the national need of protection of the environment. Brine and hazardous waste disposal is a significant operating cost for terrestrial membrane separation applications. For instance, a BRIC system could be scaled up and integrated in a wastewater treatment plan to dry and dispose of solids. BRIC is currently being featured as part of NASA's joint initiatives with commercial enterprises, in particular water recovery needs and interest in the oil and gas industry. The BRIC technology will be incorporated in tours of JSC facilities and public exhibits through the use of simulated systems to demonstrate closed-loop water recovery systems.
More »Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Johnson Space Center
(JSC)
|
Lead Organization | NASA Center | Houston, Texas |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
Texas
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This is a historic project that was completed before the creation of TechPort on October 1, 2012. Available data has been included. This record may contain less data than currently active projects.