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At least 55 records · Page 3

Disinfection of Spacecraft Potable Water Systems by Passivation with Ionic Silver

Microbial growth is common on wetted surfaces in spacecraft environmental control and life support systems despite the use of chemical and physical disinfection methods. Advanced control technologies are needed to limit microorganisms and increase the reliability of life support systems required for long-duration human missions. Silver ions and compounds are widely used as antimicrobial agents for medical applications and continue to be used as a residual biocide in some spacecraft water systems. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has identified silver fluoride for use in the potable water system on the next generation spacecraft. Due to ionic interactions between silver fluoride in solution and wetted metallic surfaces, ionic silver is rapidly depleted from solution and loses its antimicrobial efficacy over time. This report describes research to prolong the antimicrobial efficacy of ionic silver by maintaining its solubility. Three types of metal coupons (lnconel 718, Stainless Steel 316, and Titanium 6AI-4V) used in spacecraft potable water systems were exposed to either a continuous flow of water amended with 0.4 mg/L ionic silver fluoride or to a static, pre-treatment passivation in 50 mg/L ionic silver fluoride with or without a surface oxidation pre-treatment. Coupons were then challenged in a high-shear, CDC bioreactor (BioSurface Technologies) by exposure to six bacteria previously isolated from spacecraft potable water systems. Continuous exposure to 0.4 mg/L ionic silver over the course of 24 hours during the flow phase resulted in a >7-log reduction. The residual effect of a 24-hour passivation treatment in 50 mg/L of ionic silver resulted in a >3-log reduction, whereas a two-week treatment resulted in a >4-log reduction. Results indicate that 0.4 mg/L ionic silver is an effective biocide against many bacteria and that a prepassivation of metal surfaces with silver can provide additional microbial control.

Birmele, Michele N.↗

To Biocide or not to Biocide? Exploring the "No Biocide" Option in Spacecraft Potable Water Systems

Residual biocide has been used to protect against microbial growth in spacecraft potable water systems since the Gemini program. Iodine, the biocide currently used on the International Space Station (ISS) has a long history of use but presents a few challenges for exploration: it must be removed using a consumable absorbent before crew consumption and is known to lose its biocidal concentration due to interactions with wetted components, especially during periods of dormancy. Biocidal silver is being considered for exploration missions as it is safe for crew consumption, but it too has challenges with proper material design to maintain sufficient disinfection residuals. An idea proposed by some in the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) community has been that the biocide does not provide a true barrier against microbial growth, and therefore, perhaps the challenges of maintaining a residual biocide in the system could be best overcome by removing the biocide altogether. In this argument, they point to the regenerative water treatment system on the ISS which produces high purity water that theoretically meets the microbiological requirements before the iodine is added. Exploration water processing systems are expected to have similar water processing capabilities. This paper will discuss the role that residual biocide may play in controlling microbial growth and presents perspectives on the potential risks associated with removing it from exploration water systems.

biocide↗

To Biocide or not to Biocide? Exploring the "No Biocide" Option in Spacecraft Potable Water Systems

Residual biocide has been used to protect against microbial growth in spacecraft potable water systems since the Gemini program. Iodine, the biocide currently used on the International Space Station (ISS) has a long history of use but presents a few challenges for exploration: it must be removed using a consumable absorbent before crew consumption and is known to lose its biocidal concentration due to interactions with wetted components, especially during periods of dormancy. Biocidal silver is being considered for exploration missions as it is safe for crew consumption, but it too has challenges with proper material design to maintain sufficient disinfection residuals. An idea proposed by some in the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) community has been that the biocide does not provide a true barrier against microbial growth, and therefore, perhaps the challenges of maintaining a residual biocide in the system could be best overcome by removing the biocide altogether. In this argument, they point to the regenerative water treatment system on the ISS which produces high purity water that theoretically meets the microbiological requirements before the iodine is added. Exploration water processing systems are expected to have similar water processing capabilities. This paper will discuss the role that residual biocide may play in controlling microbial growth and presents perspectives on the potential risks associated with removing it from exploration water systems.

biocide↗

To Biocide or Not to Biocide? Exploring the "No Biocide" Option in Spacecraft Potable Water Systems

Residual biocide has been used to protect against microbial growth in spacecraft potable water systems since the Gemini program. Iodine, the biocide currently used on the International Space Station (ISS) has a long history of use but presents a few challenges for exploration: it must be removed using a consumable absorbent before crew consumption and is known to lose its biocidal concentration due to interactions with wetted components, especially during periods of dormancy. Biocidal silver is being considered for exploration missions as it is safe for crew consumption, but it too has challenges with proper material design to maintain sufficient disinfection residuals. An idea proposed by some in the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) community has been that the biocide does not provide a true barrier against microbial growth, and therefore, perhaps the challenges of maintaining a residual biocide in the system could be best overcome by removing the biocide altogether. In this argument, they point to the regenerative water treatment system on the ISS which produces high purity water that theoretically meets the microbiological requirements before the iodine is added. Exploration water processing systems are expected to have similar water processing capabilities. This paper will discuss the role that residual biocide may play in controlling microbial growth and presents perspectives on the potential risks associated with removing it from exploration water systems.

biocide↗

To Biocide or Not to Biocide? Exploring the "No Biocide" Option in Spacecraft Potable Water Systems

Residual biocide has been used to protect against microbial growth in spacecraft potable water systems since the Gemini program. Iodine, the biocide currently used on the International Space Station (ISS) has a long history of use but presents a few challenges for exploration: it must be removed using a consumable absorbent before crew consumption and is known to lose its biocidal concentration due to interactions with wetted components, especially during periods of dormancy. Biocidal silver is being considered for exploration missions as it is safe for crew consumption, but it too has challenges with proper material design to maintain sufficient disinfection residuals. An idea proposed by some in the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) community has been that the biocide does not provide a true barrier against microbial growth, and therefore, perhaps the challenges of maintaining a residual biocide in the system could be best overcome by removing the biocide altogether. In this argument, they point to the regenerative water treatment system on the ISS which produces high purity water that theoretically meets the microbiological requirements before the iodine is added. Exploration water processing systems are expected to have similar water processing capabilities. This paper will discuss the role that residual biocide may play in controlling microbial growth and presents perspectives on the potential risks associated with removing it from exploration water systems.

biocide↗

Installation package for a solar heating and hot water system

Development and installation of two commercial solar heating and hot water systems are reported. The systems consist of the following subsystems: collector, storage, transport, hot water, auxiliary energy and controls. General guidelines are provided which may be utilized in development of detailed installation plans and specifications. In addition, operation, maintenance and repair of a solar heating and hot water system instructions are included.

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Solar heating and hot water system installed at office building, One Solar Place, Dallas, Texas

A solar heating on cooling system is described which is designed to provide 87 percent of the space heating needs, 100 percent of the potable hot water needs and is sized for future absorption cooling. The collection subsystem consists of 28 solargenics, series 76, flat plate collectors with a total area of 1,596 square feet. The solar loop circulates an ethylene glyco water solution through the collectors into a hot water system exchanger. The water storage subsystem consists of a heat exchanger, two 2,300 gallon concrete hot water storage tanks with built in heat exchangers and a back-up electric boiler. The domestic hot water subsystem sends hot water to the 10,200 square feet floor area office building hot water water fixtures. The building cold water system provides make up to the solar loop, the heating loop, and the hot water concrete storage tanks. The design, construction, cost analysis, operation and maintenance of the solar system are described.

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Solar hot water system installed at Quality Inn, Key West, Florida

The solar energy hot water system installed in the Quality Inn, Key West, Florida, which consists of four buildings is described. Three buildings are low-rise, two-story buildings containing 100 rooms. The fourth is a four-story building with 48 rooms. The solar system was designed to provide approximately 50 percent of the energy required for the domestic hot water system. The solar system consists of approximately 1400 square feet of flat plate collector, two 500 gallon storage tanks, a circulating pump, and a controller. Operation of the system was begun in April 1978, and has continued to date with only three minor interruptions for pump repair. In the first year of operation, it was determined that the use of the solar facility resulted in forty percent fuel savings.

Source record↗

Water system microbial check valve development

Development work on a device for the Space Shuttle that will prevent the transfer of viable microorganisms within water systems is described. The device serves as a check valve in that it prevents the transfer or cross-contamination of microorganisms from a nonpotable system into a potable water system when these systems are interconnected. In this regard, the function of the device is similar to that of the air gap found in conventional one gravity systems. The device is essentially a bed of resin material impregnated with iodine. Basic design data for a variety of flow and temperature conditions are presented, together with results of challenging the beds with suspensions of seven microorganisms including aerobes, anaerobes, and spore formers.

Colombo, G. V.↗

Material Compatibility Study of Coated Metals to Maintain Biocidal Silver in a Spacecraft Potable Water System

Ionic silver-based biocide remains an option of choice for microbial control in spacecraft potable water systems. However, depletion of silver ions by wetted materials readily reduces ionic silver to nonbiocidal levels. This phenomenon occurs via various transport mechanisms at the liquid-solid interfaces between the silver-containing water and adjacent surfaces. Consequently, challenges remain in the design and/or selection of materials that can be used for the wetted system components that will help ensure silver is maintained at biocidal levels. Since silver has been baselined, and/or remains, as a potable water biocide option for several future spacecraft potable water systems, a multitiered approach is being investigated, looking at heritage materials, new processes, and/or alterative materials. This study conducted the application of eleven chemically-resistant coatings onto coupons that were cut out from three types of spacecraft-grade metals (Titanium Grade 2, Inconel 718, and 316L Stainless Steel) to investigate the performance of this material strategy as a barrier against silver depletion. In this investigation, the coated metals were immersed in a static 400 parts per billion silver biocide solution at a surface-area-to-volume ratio of 2.0 cm^(-1) and left to soak for predefined time periods. The concentration of the solution in contact with the coated samples was analyzed at various points via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and the measurements were interpreted as silver retention percentages over time. This paper summarizes the coating selection process, the configuration of the test, and the performance of each coating-metal combination at diminishing silver depletion. The preliminary results demonstrate that some of the selected coatings succeeded at maintaining biocidal silver concentrations far beyond the corresponding base metal in a similar test. The knowledge acquired through this investigation supports the deploying of coatings on plumbing lines for the integration of biocidal silver in the water system architecture of a spacecraft. Nevertheless, further testing must be continued to assess the performance of these coatings on other wetted geometries and any implications of unifying this material strategy with traditional and developmental engineering design processes for spacecraft potable water systems.

water↗

Solar hot-water system

Design data brochure describes domestic solar water system that uses direct-feed system designed to produce 80 gallons of 140 F hot water per day to meet needs of single family dwelling. Brochure also reviews annual movements of sun relative to earth and explains geographic considerations in collector orientation and sizing.

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Compatibility Study of Silver Biocide in Drinking Water with Candidate Metals for Crew Exploration Vehicle Potable Water System

The stability of silver biocide, used to keep drinking water on the CEV potable water sterile, is unknown as the system design is still in progress. Silver biocide in water can deplete rapidly when exposed to various metal surfaces. Additionally, silver depletion rates may be affected by the surface-area-to-volume (SA/V) ratios in the water system. Therefore, to facilitate the CEV water system design, it would be advantageous to know the biocide depletion rates in water exposed to the surfaces of these candidate metals at various SA/V ratios. Certain surface treatments can be employed to reduce the depletion rates of silver compared to the base metal. The purpose of this work is to determine the compatibility of specific spaceflight-certified metals that could used in the design of the CEV potable water system with silver biocide as well as understand the effect of surface are to volume ratios of metals used in the construction of the potable water system on the silver concentration.

Adam, Niklas M.↗

Mitigation of Biofouling in Plant Watering Systems Using AgXX, a Novel Surface Treatment

The development of plant growth systems with high yields and low maintenance for food production is a key focus area for NASA. One of the remaining technical challenges is keeping the plant watering systems clean without affecting plant growth, requiring consumables, or demanding crew time. Plant watering systems, such as the one onboard the International Space Station (ISS), provide a nutrient rich environment for biofilm formation. Frequent maintenance is necessary to prevent biofouling, which currently requires crew time and a mechanical means of cleaning. Better solutions are needed. The current ISS practices for biofilm mitigation in the water recovery and distribution system include the use of biocides (silver ion or iodine) along with regular maintenance (e.g. flushing, filter replacement). These biocide-based strategies could be problematic for plant watering systems, such as in Ohalo, the Exploration Garden, and the APH, due to incompatibilities of the biocides with plants. We propose the application of AgXX, a novel antifouling surface treatment that meets the above requirements. This paper will report on an initial study that was completed to determine whether AgXX would be effective in a plant nutrient solution, and whether it would negatively impact plant growth in a hydroponics-type system.

Tesia D. Irwin↗

Fractionating and Purifying Softwood Kraft Lignin with Aqueous Renewable Solvents: Liquid–Liquid Equilibrium for the Lignin–Ethanol–Water System

Hot ethanol–water solutions can be used to simultaneously fractionate and purify softwood Kraft lignin through the Aqueous Lignin Purification with Hot Agents (ALPHA) process, using the regions of liquid–liquid equilibrium (LLE) that form at selected temperatures and solvent-to-lignin feed (S/F) ratios. Lignin, ethanol, and water compositions are measured for the solvent-rich (SR) and lignin-rich (LR) liquid phases in mutual equilibrium, as well as the lignin and metals mass distributions between the two phases. As depicted in quasi-ternary diagrams for clarity, both temperature and S/F ratio can be used to grow, merge, and even split the regions of LLE, giving significant control over both molecular weight (MW) and lignin purity. For example, a solvent comprising 45:55 EtOH/H 2 O at 75 °C and an S/F ratio of 6:1 enables recovery of an ultrapure (95 % of Na removed), higher MW (M n =8400 Da) lignin fraction in the LR phase. On the other hand, 95:5 EtOH/H 2 O at 45 °C and S/F=3:1 enables recovery of an ultrapure, low MW (1500 Da) lignin in the SR phase.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

LARGO hot water system thermal performance test report

The thermal performance tests and results on the LARGO Solar Hot Water System under natural environmental conditions is presented. Some objectives of these evaluations are to determine the amount of energy collected, the amount of energy delivered to the household as contributed by solar power supplied to operate the system and auxiliary power to maintain tank temperature at proper level, overall system efficiency and to determine temperature distribution within the tank. The Solar Hot Water system is termed a Dump-type because of the draining system for freeze protection. The solar collector is a single glazed flat plate. An 82-gallon domestic water heater is provided as the energy storage vessel. Water is circulated through the collector and water heater by a 5.3 GPM capacity pump, and control of the pump motor is achieved by a differential temperature controller.

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Prototype solar heating and hot water systems

Two prototype solar heating and hot water systems are reported that of the following subsystems: collector, storage, control, transport, hot water, and auxiliary energy.

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Bioburden control for Space Station Freedom's Ultrapure Water System

Bioburden control is one of the challenges for the Ultrapure Water System on Space Station Freedom. Bioburden control must enable the system to deliver water with a low bacterial count as well as maintain biological contamination at a manageable level, to permit continued production of quality water. Ozone has been chosen as the primary means of Bioburden control. Planned tests to determine the effectiveness of ozone on free-floating microbes and biofilms are described.

Snodgrass, Donald W.↗

Climate change and its influence on water systems increases the cost of electricity system decarbonization

The electric sector simultaneously faces two challenges: decarbonization to mitigate, and adaptation to manage, the impacts of climate change. In many regions, these challenges are compounded by an interdependence of electricity and water systems, with water needed for hydropower generation and electricity for water provision. Here, we couple detailed water and electricity system models to evaluate how the Western Interconnection grid can both adapt to climate change and develop carbon-free generation by 2050, while accounting for interactions and climate vulnerabilities of the water sector. We find that by 2050, due to climate change, annual regional electricity use could grow by up to 2% from cooling and water-related electricity demand, while total annual hydropower generation could decrease by up to 23%. To adapt, we show that the region may need to build up to 139 GW of additional generating capacity between 2030 and 2050, equivalent to nearly thrice California's peak demand, and could incur up to $\$$150 billion (+7%) in extra costs.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗