Patents Assigned to United States Government as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
  • Patent number: 7655145
    Abstract: Method and system for processing of a liquid (“contaminant liquid”) containing water and containing urine and/or other contaminants in a two step process. Urine, or a contaminated liquid similar to and/or containing urine and thus having a relatively high salt and urea content is passed through an activated carbon filter to provide a resulting liquid, to remove most of the organic molecules. The resulting liquid is passed through a semipermeable membrane from a membrane first side to a membrane second side, where a fortified drink having a lower water concentration (higher osmotic potential) than the resulting liquid is positioned. Osmotic pressure differential causes the water, but not most of the remaining inorganic (salts) contaminant(s) to pass through the membrane to the fortified drink. Optionally, the resulting liquid is allowed to precipitate additional organic molecules before passage through the membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: United States Government as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
    Inventors: Sherwin J. Gormly, Michael T. Flynn