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Active TRL 6 (started at 5, targeting 9)
WPA upgrades, contracted to Boeing with subcontractor Collins Aerospace, have focused on addressing siloxanes and their conversion to DMSD (dimethylsilanediol) in waste water, as well as extending hardware life. The first major upgrade focused on the Multi-Filtration Bed (MF Bed). The MF Bed ORU was upgraded to make use of new synthetic charcoal which has a better capacity for DMSD, IRN-67 material was removed in order to eliminate a leachate problem affecting the EMU sublimator, and the configuration of WPA on-orbit was updated to include only one MF Bed rather than two in series, which allows contaminant loading to be monitored more closely and extend MF bed life.
The Catalytic Reactor (Cat Reactor) ORU, which has a consistently short life due to leaking in the elastomeric seals in the hot section, was redesigned to make use of metal seals. Additionally, the catalyst to improve performance and single-pass efficiency for known contaminants such as DMSD.
The second WPA Catalytic Reactor (Cat Reactor) DTO flew on SpX-28 in June 2023, but was not installed until May 2024 because the legacy Cat Reactor sparing dictated that the installed ORU be run as long as possible. However, the DTO only ran for 8 days before failing due to a leak through the seals (similar to the legacy design and the first DTO attempt which lasted 10 days). The DTO Cat Reactor was returned to earth and the team conducted TT&E. Due to the ISS Program nearing end of its mission, the upgraded reactor will likely be utilized in the Integrated ECLSS Ground Testbed for reliability evaluation.
An upgrade effort with Boeing is ongoing for replacing the Microbial Check Valve (historically non-functional) with a solenoid valve. This will allow better protection from back-flow from grey water to potable water and simplify dormancy efforts.
The Cat Reactor upgrade primarily targets extending the life of the existing ORU, which would reduce the number of spares required for a given mission. Increased performance/resilience to DMSD helps many systems within Regen ECLSS. Better isolation between waste water (grey water) and potable water by installing a solenoid valve between the two sections will reduce risk of potable water contamination. This valve will also simplify dormancy by reducing the number of fluid lines needed to be disconnected for long periods of inactivity.
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