KSC has spent many years researching Hollow Fiber Membrane Bioreactors as well as research encompassing:Alternate ammonia removal/Advanced oxidation. Brine purification technologies KSC-ISRU has built an electrolysis cell for the removal of acids in ISRU mining brines. Our goal is to combine all such technologies

Anthony, Steve

Lunn, Griffin

Melendez, Orlando

NASA Technical Reports Server

WaterRecoveryfromBrineinthe
ShortandLongTerm:AKSCApproach
GriffinLunn (ESC)
Dr.OrlandoMelendez(NES)
SteveAnthony(NEF)
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20140012491 2019-08-30T16:28:07+00:00Z
Howdidwecometothesedesigns?
• KSChasspentmanyyearsresearchingHollow
FiberMembraneBioreactorsaswellas
researchencompassing:
– Alternateammoniaremoval
– Advancedoxidation
– Brinepurificationtechnologies
• KSCISRUhasbuiltanelectrolysiscellforthe
removalofacidsinISRUminingbrines
• Ourgoalistocombineallsuchtechnologies
HollowFiberMembraneBioreactors
• KSChasmainly~1Landsubliterbioreactorsusingsilastictubingwith,inmost
cases,aUchanneldesigntoalloweasyconstructionandoperation
• Reactorsetupshaveincluded:
– Combinedstagebioreactorsthatperformcarbonoxidation,ammoniaoxidation,and
denitrification
– Multistagedreactorsperformcarbonoxidationandnitrificationreactionsseparately
• Wehavealsoworkedonbioreactorautomation,flowimprovements,biofilm
attachment,reactorrapidstartup,andreactordormancystudies
TwoStageHFMBsystemforCarbonOxidationandNitrification
AdvancedAmmoniaRemoval
• Magnesiumphosphatedibasictrihydrate(MgHPO4*3H2O)orMPreactswithammonia,
exclusively,toproducestruvite
• Theresultingstruvite(MgNH4PO4*6H2O)orMAPistreatedusingheatand/orvacuumto
regeneratetheMP
• Cyclecanberepeatedindefinitelyandonlyrequiresbaseandvacuum(heatmakesitfaster)
• Hasmanyfoldhigherselectivitythancationexchangeresinsand24xioncapacitywithhigher
expectedlifecycles
Left:FluidizedBedTestStand
Above:PlugFlowTestStand(MockUp)
AdvancedCatalyticOxidation
• Usesozoneorhydroxylmoleculestorapidly
oxidizecontaminates(e.g.,urea,ammonia,
nitrate)
• OtherBenefits:
– ReducesTotalOrganicCarbon(TOC)
– Reducesmicrobialloadsbymanylogs(orders
ofmagnitude)
• BenefitsofOzone:
– CanbegeneratedviaUVlight,cavitation,orby
coronadischarge
– Doesnotpersistinthesystembeyondtheunit
operation(lowhalflife)
– Takeslowamountsofenergytoform
• Thereactionofozonewithrelevant
contaminantsisnotwelldocumented
– LimitedtestingatKSCseveralyearsagoshowed
promising,successfuldestructionof
contaminants
• Ozonebasedsystemscanbechallengedueto
twophaseflow,buttherearewaysaroundit
VortexVoyagerSystem
BrinePurification
• Originallydesignedforfertilizerrecoveryandincreasedwaterrecovery
• PretreatedECLSSbrine(removedurea/carbon)issequentiallytreatedtoremove
hardness,polyvalentions,and,optionally,nitrate
– Resultingsodium/potassiumchloridestreamisthendeionized,producingpurewater
andeitheraconcentratedbrinestreamorseparateacidandbasestreams
– Acidandbasestreamscanbeusedtocontinuouslyregeneratetheionexchangeresins
• Spentregeneratecontainsfertilizercomponents(i.e.,K3PO4,KNO3,K2SO4)
• KSCbuiltandtestedanelectrostaticseparatortoenrichdrysodium/potassiumsalt
streams
• Withoutfertilizerrecovery,onlythefirstionexchangeresinneedstobeusedto
preventmembranefouling,buttheotherionswillpersistinthebrines
ISRUAcidRemoval
• Theaboveteststandwasusedtodeionize2%HFfromacidstreamsgeneratedbyISRU
• Waterqualitywasextremelyhigh,butonly50%recoverywasnotedatloweramperage
• Weexpect8090%recovery(perstage)onceweuseahigheramperage(60insteadof
6)powersupplyrunningat35volts
• Treatmenttimefor1Loffluidforateststandthissizewaswellunderanhour
LongTermMultiRedundantSystem
Nitrification
HFMB
pH6
60L
Nitrification
HFMB
pH7
60L
Nitrification
HFMB
pH8
60L
Urea
Hydrolysis
HFMB
60L
Struvite
Column1L
IRC747
Column1L
IRC747
Column1L
Struvite
Column1L
60L/daymixedISS
Wastewater
Nopretreatment
~58L
H2O
~1L
Base
• Uses4modularHFMBs,2carouselabsorbers,
and2membraneelectrolyzers
• Designedtosurviveupto3HFMBfailuresor
2HFMBandstruvitefailurebyincreasing
consumableuseuntilrepairsorreplacements
aremade
• Cascadingelectrolyzersfirstconcentrate
brineandproducewater,thenproduce
concentratedacidandbasefrombrine
concentrate
• If1electrolyzerfails,theothercan
becomethefirststagewhilestillyielding
8090%waterrecovery
• BaseconsumedthenitrifyingHFMBsand/or
struvitecolumns
• Acidconsumed(alongwithsomebase)by
IRC747columns
• Energyrequiredforelectrolyzers
• Vacuumand/orheatrequiredforstruvite
columns
Electrolysis
Cell4L
Electrolysis
Cell4L
~1L
Acid
LongtermMultiRedundantSystem
ExcludingBiologicalReactors
Advanced
Catalytic
Oxidation
3L
• Replacesthecarbon/ammoniaremovaltrainwitha
single(ordual,redundant)AdvancedCatalytic
Oxidation(ACO)unit.
• Similartothepreviousdesign
• Muchsmallerandmore“mechanical”
• Shouldhaveasimilarconsumableloop
• ACOunit:
• Shouldbeabletobreakdownureato
ammonia/nitrate/N2
• Dependingontheratio,itwillpotentially
requiremoreunitops
• WehavetwocompetingACOtechnologies:
• Bothrequiresomemodificationforμgravity
use
• Alsohaveathirddesignthatisahybridofthe
two
60L/daymixedISS
Wastewater
Nopretreatment
IRC747
Column1L
IRC747
Column1L
~58L
H2O
~1L
Base
Electrolysis
Cell4L
Electrolysis
Cell4L
~1L
Acid
ProposedTesting
1LbatchmixedISSWastewater
Variablepretreatments*
VariableNfate**
Ionremoval†
• TestmultipleinfluentstreamsforKSC’s
currentelectrolysiscelltodetermine
processingcapabilities
• Calculatemassandenergybalances
(wh/Ltreated,residence,removalrates,
etc.)
• Examineperformanceovertimeand
assesspossiblemembranefoulingagents
• Figureoutany“blockers”andremove
themusingersatzmixturesformulated
withoutthem
• Alsoincludestestingofalternate
unitoperationscapableofremoving
speciesinquestion
• ThiscellcurrentlyexistsatKSCand,if
funded,wewouldbuildanotheroneat
lowcosts(costofheadersand
machining)
Concentrated
Brine
Electrolysis
Cell1L
H2O
*:chromicacids,organicacids,none
**:urea,ammonia,nitrate,mixture
†:hardness,polyvalents,C,N
FurtherTestingCapabilities
• EffluentStreamfromACOunitshouldbe
assessedtodeterminecompatibilitywith
electrolysiscells
– Maybetheonlyviablephysicalchemicalmethod
capableofremovingureaandotherorganics
– Suchcompoundswilllikelyfoul/preventwater
recoveryfromtheelectrolyzeroranyotherbrine
dewateringsystem
• Aswiththeelectrolyzer,pretreatment
regimes,Nfate,andionconcentrationscan
betestedtodeterminefullcapabilities
• KSCcurrentlyownsanozoneteststandcan
alsoprocure/buildtheother2designs
• Basedontestingresults,itmaybepossibleto
combineunitstomakeahighfidelitytest
standandaddotherrequiredunitops
(hardnessremoval,maybesomesortofN
removal,etc.)
Advanced
Catalytic
Oxidation
3L
UnknownEffluentStream
(tobeassessed)
1LbatchmixedISSWastewater
Variablepretreatments*
VariableNfate**
Ionremoval†
TestVariables:
ResidenceTime
RecycleRatio
“EnhancedOxidation”methods
*:chromicacids,organicacids,none
**:urea,ammonia,nitrate,mixture
†:hardness,polyvalents,C,N
Questions?


Water Recovery from Brine in the Short and Long Term: A KSC Approach

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