The Water Cycle
Lisa Brown
Aerospace Education Specialist
Johnson Space Center
Houston, Texas
Visit
http://www.nasa-news.org/resources/movies/WaterCycleMovie.mpg
to view The Water Cycle video.
(Link is clickable in ‘Slideshow View’)
What do we use water for?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Drinking
Shower/Wash
Brush Teeth
Laundry
Toilet
Cleaning
How do we
get water in
space?
We take it!
Water Recycling on ISS
VIDEO
– This is a close-up view of the Environmental Control and Life Support
System (ECLSS) Water Recovery System (WRS) racks. The WRS
provides clean water through the reclamation of wastewaters,
including water obtained from the Space Shuttle’s fuel cells,
crewmember urine, used hand wash and oral hygiene water, cabin
humidity condensate, and extravehicular activity (EVA) wastes.
Iodine
isThe
added
to the
water
to use.
control
the
growth
of is
It
is stored
and
ready
for
The
process
steam
is
condensed
to
form
a
Then,
the
water
is
Contaminants
heated
to
265
such
ºF
in
a
Most
As the
chemical
water
contaminants
flows through
are
microorganisms
just
like
chlorine
is
added
to the
relatively
clean
liquid,
which
then
joins
thorough.
It
has
to
be.
The
result
is
pure
special
reactor
as
as
oxygen
hair,
skin
is
cells,
space,
urine
will
undergo
the
most
removed
the
tubes,
using
the
resins
contaminants
and
sorbents
waterInwe
drink
at
home.
Iodine
is used
instead
of like
The
urine
is
first
sent
to
the
urine
other
types
of
wastewater
that
have
been
water,
a steady
supply
of
it,easier
and
the
means
to
injected.
The
high
dust,
temperature
etc.,
are
kills
the
treatment.
By
following
a
drop
of
urine
chlorine
because
iodine
is
much
to
transport
to
those
are
attracted
found
in
common
to
these
household
water
generated
– from
suchitactivities
as to
processor
where
is turned
help
support
life
in
space.
orbit,
and
because
itthe
isfiltered
less
corrosive.
Once all ofare
germs
in
the
water,
and
chemical
from
the
we
can
see
entire
process
filtration
materials,
devices.
thereby
These
removing
materials
washing,
brushing
teeth,
housekeeping,
steam leaving
the solids
behind
these
processes
are
completed,
and
the
water passes
contaminants
composed
wastewater
of
carbon,
and
even
humidity
from
the
air
conditioning
packed
them from
in titanium
the water
tubes
stream
automated
purity
hydrogen,
andinspections
oxygen are broken down
system
to form carbon dioxide.
Acids and Bases
» An acid is any of a class of substances that yields
hydrogen ions (H+) when dissolved in water. The
greater the concentration of hydrogen ions
produced, the more acidic the substance is. Acids
are characterized by a sour taste and the ability to
react with bases and certain metals to form salts.
» A base is any of a class of substances that yields
hydroxide ions (OH-) when dissolved in water. The
greater the concentration of hydroxide ions
produced, the more basic the substance is. Bases
are characterized by a bitter taste, a slippery feel,
and the ability to react with acids to form salts.
What is pH?
Test pH using litmus paper, pH paper, or a pH sensor.
Conductivity
• Dissolved ions.
Disassociation
Conductivity
Team Jobs
• Principal Investigator
• Materials Engineer
• CapCom
• PAO
The Challenge
• Briefly design and
draw your filtration
device that will yield
the purest water.
• Predict what will
happen.
• Build your filtration
system.
• Test systems.
• Redesign & repeat
• Report results.
Budget = $50 mil dollars
Cotton balls = $1 mil each
Coffee Filters = $5 mil each
Activated Carbon = $15 mil
for bag
Macaroni = $10 mil for bag
Sand = $10 mil for bag
Cheese cloth = $5 million
Rice = $10 mil for bag
So what does all that stuff do?
• Activated carbon – used to remove organic
containments responsible for taste, odor, color,
and clarity problems; remove chlorine and
particulates
• Sand – natural filter materials; acts as a
strainer and traps particulates; aka mechanical
or physical filtration
• Cotton balls, coffee filters, cheese cloth –
traps particulates; absorb water – ions, color,
clarity
• Macaroni & rice – absorbs; raises pH because
of Carbohydrates