TITLE: Synthetic Biological Membrane Forward Osmosis Trade Study
WRITTEN BY: Michael Flynn, Jaione Romerio, Jurek Parodi, Rocco Mancinaelli, Hali Shaw, Adrian Brozell, Simone Tatum, Abdelrahman Budair
PRESENTED AT: 48th International Conference on Environmental Systems
8-12 July 2018, Albuquerque, New Mexico
ABSTRACT: The study presented in this paper provides an equivalent system mass (ESM) evaluation of the Synthetic Biological Membrane (SBM) compared to the current International Space Station (ISS) state of the art as defined by the Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) technology. Results of this trade study indicate that the SBM System has an 80% lower ESM than the UPA when combined with a forward osmosis/reverse osmosis (FO/RO) water treatment system. Additionally, the ESM of the FO/RO is 50% lower when used with the SBM technology. Water quality data are comparable between the SBM and UPA, with the UPA having a slightly better performance. Differences between biological fatty acid (FA) synthesis and ground resupply of FA’s is minimal for the 182 day mission studied but increases with mission duration. The majority of the nutrients needed for cyanobacteria and E. coli growth used in the SBM can be provided by the feed, using customized selective transport membranes. This trade is not sensitive to FA bilayer replacement frequency assumptions.