Water Vent Design for Space Station Freedom

Space Station Freedom (SSF) will be required to vent water during non-quiescent periods. During Man Tended Configuration (MTC), before the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) water loop is closed, humidity condensate will be periodically vented. At Permanently Manned Configuration (PMC), water will be vented on contingency if there is excess water on SSF. The thrust due to venting must be minimized to be considered non-propulsive. Also, ice formation and clogging of the vent nozzle must be avoided. Many aspects of the Space Shuttle water vent design were utilized in development of the preliminary SSF water vent design presented in this paper. Design modifications which improved the shuttle vent as well as those necessary for SSF are discussed. The exterior vent location, direction and environment on SSF are unique compared to previous space water vent designs. From data collected in the vent tests and analyses, a finalized SSF water vent design will be developed.