Low Temperature Liquid CO2 Laundry for Logistics Reduction

Completed TRL 4 (started at 3, targeting 4)

Description

One significant logistical liability for human spaceflight is clothing and other textiles (i.e., towels, wipes, etc.). Currently, crew wear their garments until they become soiled, at which time they are disposed of along with the other trash generated onboard. This creates a two-fold logistical problem: First, the additional, single use garments represent a significant payload required to support the crew. Second, the garments themselves then become waste that must be either stored (i.e., in a logistics module until disposal via reentry, as is currently the procedure on the ISS), or processed into either useable synthetic gas, or vented as a waste gas (as is currently being investigated through projects such as Trash to Gas).

Benefits

The work proposed here is directed at investigating an alternative approach to liquid CO2-based laundry. For this approach, the CO2 would be maintained as a liquid at lower temperature (~0 ˚C), rather than the higher temperatures required for a supercritical fluid. What's more, a low-temperature liquid CO2 (LTLCO2) system would require lower pressures than scCO2, thus reducing the mass of a proposed system. Since the device would (ultimately) be used in microgravity, the 'gaseous' nature of a supercritical fluid would not be as advantageous as on Earth – in the liquid phase, droplets would still be able to permeate the textiles, removing soils and carrying them away to a filter. Furthermore, since the washing vessel would contain less liquid CO2, a complete accidental release would result in less CO2 released into the cabin, and thus a reduced hazard to the crew.

Details

Technology area	Human Health, Life Support, and Habitation Systems > Environmental Control and Life Support Systems and Habitation Systems
Program	Center Innovation Fund: KSC CIF (KSC CIF)
Lead organization	Kennedy Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, FL
Start date	2020-10-01
End date	2021-09-30

Project contacts

Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.

James G Captain — james.g.captain@nasa.gov

How to get involved

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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