Abstract: This disclosure provides an integrated system and method for producing purified water, hydrogen, and oxygen from contaminated water. The contaminated water may be derived from regolith-based resources on the moon, Mars, near-Earth asteroids, or other destination in outer space. The integrated system and method utilize a cold trap to receive the contaminated water in a vapor phase and selectively freeze out water from one or more volatiles. A heat source increases temperature in the cold trap to vaporize the frozen contaminated water to produce a gas stream of water vapor and volatiles. A chemical scrubber may remove one or more volatiles. The integrated system and method utilize ionomer membrane technology to separate the water vapor from remaining volatiles. The water vapor is delivered for crew use or delivered to an electrolyzer to produce hydrogen and oxygen.

Abstract: This disclosure provides an integrated system and method for producing purified water, hydrogen, and oxygen from contaminated water. The contaminated water may be derived from regolith-based resources on the moon, Mars, near-Earth asteroids, or other destination in outer space. The integrated system and method utilize a cold trap to receive the contaminated water in a vapor phase and selectively freeze out water from one or more volatiles. A heat source increases temperature in the cold trap to vaporize the frozen contaminated water to produce a gas stream of water vapor and volatiles. A chemical scrubber may remove one or more volatiles. The integrated system and method utilize ionomer membrane technology to separate the water vapor from remaining volatiles. The water vapor is delivered for crew use or delivered to an electrolyzer to produce hydrogen and oxygen.

Abstract: This disclosure provides an integrated system and method for producing purified water, hydrogen, and oxygen from contaminated water. The contaminated water may be derived from regolith-based resources on the moon, Mars, near-Earth asteroids, or other destination in outer space. The integrated system and method utilize a cold trap to receive the contaminated water in a vapor phase and selectively freeze out water from one or more volatiles. A heat source increases temperature in the cold trap to vaporize the frozen contaminated water to produce a gas stream of water vapor and volatiles. A chemical scrubber may remove one or more volatiles. The integrated system and method utilize ionomer membrane technology to separate the water vapor from remaining volatiles. The water vapor is delivered for crew use or delivered to an electrolyzer to produce hydrogen and oxygen.

Abstract: A joint assembly thermally isolates a warm structure, such as a payload, from a cold structure, such as a cryogenic fuel tank, in a space vehicle while maintaining structural interconnection within the joint assembly. The joint assembly includes a primary joint that is capable of separating, and a secondary joint connected to and adjacent to the primary joint. The secondary joint includes an inflatable annulus structure and one or more restraining members, where separation of the primary joint causes the inflatable annulus structure to be in compression and the one or more restraining members to be in tension.

Abstract: This disclosure provides water processing apparatuses, systems, and methods for recovering purified water and concentrated brine from wastewater. The water processing apparatuses, systems, and methods utilize ionomer membrane technology to separate water vapor from volatiles of a wastewater stream. The wastewater stream is evaporated into a gas stream including water vapor and volatiles of the wastewater stream in an evaporation container. The gas stream is delivered to a water separation module spatially separated from and fluidly coupled to the evaporation container. The water vapor of the gas stream is separated out in the water separation module while the volatiles are rejected. The water vapor can be collected into purified water while concentrated brine from the wastewater stream is left behind in the evaporation container.

Abstract: This disclosure provides water processing apparatuses, systems, and methods for recovering purified water and concentrated brine from wastewater. The water processing apparatuses, systems, and methods utilize ionomer membrane technology to separate water vapor from volatiles of a wastewater stream. The wastewater stream is evaporated into a gas stream including water vapor and volatiles of the wastewater stream in an evaporation container. The gas stream is delivered to a water separation module spatially separated from and fluidly coupled to the evaporation container. The water vapor of the gas stream is separated out in the water separation module while the volatiles are rejected. The water vapor can be collected into purified water while concentrated brine from the wastewater stream is left behind in the evaporation container.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a regenerable, heat-abating, humidity-neutralizing, carbon dioxide removal system for a self-contained breathing apparatus. The self-contained breathing apparatus can include a carbon dioxide removal unit that scrubs carbon dioxide out of exhaled air from a user to provide humidified, scrubbed exhaled air. The self-contained breathing apparatus can further include a heat and humidity removal unit that is configured to receive the humidified, scrubbed exhaled air, and is configured to remove water vapor and heat associated with the water vapor from the humidified, scrubbed exhaled air in order to provide cooled, dehumidified inhalation air. The cooled, dehumidified air can be supplemented with oxygen and returned to the user at a comfortable temperature. In some implementations, the heat and humidity removal unit can replace conventional heat exchange and energy storage units, including heat exchange and energy storage units that use phase change materials.

Abstract: This disclosure provides an integrated system and method for producing purified water, hydrogen, and oxygen from contaminated water. The contaminated water may be derived from regolith-based resources on the moon, Mars, near-Earth asteroids, or other destination in outer space. The integrated system and method utilize a cold trap to receive the contaminated water in a vapor phase and selectively freeze out water from one or more volatiles. A heat source increases temperature in the cold trap to vaporize the frozen contaminated water to produce a gas stream of water vapor and volatiles. A chemical scrubber may remove one or more volatiles. The integrated system and method utilize ionomer membrane technology to separate the water vapor from remaining volatiles. The water vapor is delivered for crew use or delivered to an electrolyzer to produce hydrogen and oxygen.

Abstract: This disclosure provides water processing apparatuses, systems, and methods for recovering purified water and concentrated brine from wastewater. The water processing apparatuses, systems, and methods utilize ionomer membrane technology to separate water vapor from volatiles of a wastewater stream. The wastewater stream is evaporated into a gas stream including water vapor and volatiles of the wastewater stream in an evaporation container. The gas stream is delivered to a water separation module spatially separated from and fluidly coupled to the evaporation container. The water vapor of the gas stream is separated out in the water separation module while the volatiles are rejected. The water vapor can be collected into purified water while concentrated brine from the wastewater stream is left behind in the evaporation container.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a joint assembly that thermally isolates a warm structure, such as a payload, from a cold structure, such as a cryogenic fuel tank, in a space vehicle while maintaining structural interconnection within the joint assembly. The joint assembly includes a primary joint that is capable of separating, and a secondary joint connected to and adjacent to the primary joint. The secondary joint includes an inflatable annulus structure and one or more restraining members, where separation of the primary joint causes the inflatable annulus structure to be in compression and the one or more restraining members to be in tension.

Abstract: This disclosure provides an integrated busbar and coldplate system, where the busbar is configured to provide electrical interconnection between adjacent batteries in a battery module, and the coldplate is configured to remove heat from the busbar and is disposed over a major surface of the busbar. An electrically insulating layer is between the coldplate and the busbar, where the electrically insulating layer is thermally conducting and electrically isolates the busbar from the coldplate.

Abstract: A system is designed to increase diver safety in a high-risk environment containing one or more hazardous materials. The system includes chemically-hardened surface-supplied diving equipment designed to provide full environment isolation for the diver. The system also includes a dive helmet and a surface-return exhaust system, where the surface-return exhaust system includes a demand exhaust regulator that serves as a pressure-actuated valve to enable exhausting to a breathable atmosphere outside of a dive helmet instead of exhausting into the environment containing one or more hazardous materials. The system also includes retrofittable kits enabling the upgrading of contaminant-vulnerable materials of an existing dive helmet. The system also includes fluoroelastomeric materials and components to implement in a closed circuit dive system.

Abstract: This disclosure provides water processing apparatuses, systems, and methods for recovering purified water and concentrated brine from wastewater. The water processing apparatuses, systems, and methods utilize ionomer membrane technology to separate water vapor from volatiles of a wastewater stream. The wastewater stream is evaporated into a gas stream including water vapor and volatiles of the wastewater stream in an evaporation container. The gas stream is delivered to a water separation module spatially separated from and fluidly coupled to the evaporation container. The water vapor of the gas stream is separated out in the water separation module while the volatiles are rejected. The water vapor can be collected into purified water while concentrated brine from the wastewater stream is left behind in the evaporation container.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a regenerable, heat-abating, humidity-neutralizing, carbon dioxide removal system for a self-contained breathing apparatus. The self-contained breathing apparatus can include a carbon dioxide removal unit that scrubs carbon dioxide out of exhaled air from a user to provide humidified, scrubbed exhaled air. The self-contained breathing apparatus can further include a heat and humidity removal unit that is configured to receive the humidified, scrubbed exhaled air, and is configured to remove water vapor and heat associated with the water vapor from the humidified, scrubbed exhaled air in order to provide cooled, dehumidified inhalation air. The cooled, dehumidified air can be supplemented with oxygen and returned to the user at a comfortable temperature. In some implementations, the heat and humidity removal unit can replace conventional heat exchange and energy storage units, including heat exchange and energy storage units that use phase change materials.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a protective diving system for isolating a diver from a hazardous diving environment. The protective diving system can include a dry suit system including a dry suit and a surface exhaust valve coupled to the dry suit, and a return-surface exhaust assembly configured to exhaust gas from the dry suit system to a breathable atmosphere outside of the diving environment of the diver. The surface exhaust valve is configured to receive gas from the dry suit and exhaust gas to the return-surface exhaust assembly without exhausting to the surrounding diving environment. The protective diving system can further include one or more chemically-resistant components, where the chemically-resistant components include a fluoroelastomer.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a protective diving system for isolating a diver from a hazardous diving environment. The protective diving system can include a dry suit system including a dry suit and a surface exhaust valve coupled to the dry suit, and a return-surface exhaust assembly configured to exhaust gas from the dry suit system to a breathable atmosphere outside of the diving environment of the diver. The surface exhaust valve is configured to receive gas from the dry suit and exhaust gas to the return-surface exhaust assembly without exhausting to the surrounding diving environment. The protective diving system can further include one or more chemically-resistant components, where the chemically-resistant components include a fluoroelastomer.

Abstract: A system designed to increase diver safety in high-risk environments containing one or more hazardous materials. The system comprises one or more retrofittable kits enabling the upgrading of contaminate-vulnerable materials of an existing dive helmet to provide full environment isolation for the diver. The system preferably utilizes fluoroelastomeric replacement materials and components to convert an open circuit dive system to a closed circuit dive system. Methods of system development are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system designed to increase diver safety in high-risk environments containing one or more hazardous materials. The system comprises one or more retrofittable kits enabling the upgrading of contaminate-vulnerable materials of an existing dive helmet to provide full environment isolation for the diver. The system preferably utilizes fluoroelastomeric replacement materials and components to convert an open circuit dive system to a closed circuit dive system. Methods of system development are also disclosed.