Use of Sorption Technology for Treatment of Humidity Condensate for Potable Water

This research focused on the testing of the original potable water processor aboard Space Station Freedom that was to produce potable water from the humidity condensate and additional water generated by carbon dioxide reduction. Humidity condensate was simulated by an influent water model “Ersatz.” The humidity condensate was treated with multifiltration (MF) beds that consisted of a train of sorption beds (referred to as “Unibed”) designed to remove specific contaminants.

For the complete simulated MF system runs tested for 100 bed volumes (BV) (volume processed/total column volume), 0.6% of the TOC was removed by the SAC/IRN 77 (Strong Acid Cation exchange resin), 39.6% of the total organic carbon (TOC) was removed by the WBA/IRA 68 (Weak Base Anion exchange resin), 13.2% of the TOC was removed by activated carbon adsorption (580-26), and the remaining sorbent media acted as polishing units to remove an additional 1.6% of the TOC at steady state. At steady state, 45% of the influent TOC passed through the MF bed.