Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation

Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International, Inc.

Other

United Technologies Corporation

Thomas J Stapleton

Terrell Lee Morrison

Charles H Todd, Iv

David G Converse

Miguel Angel Torres

Kenneth P Flynn

W Clark Dean

Benjamin Elmer Bishop

Lynne Ann Stapleton

Robert H Howe

Wayne G Savage

Iv Charles H Todd

A waste compaction apparatus may include a housing and a connector arm. The housing may define a drive chamber and a compaction chamber and the connector arm may include a drive piston portion movably positioned within the drive chamber and a compaction piston portion movably positioned within the compaction chamber. The drive chamber may be selectively fluidly coupleable to the near-vacuum of outer space, such that the compaction piston portion of the connector arm is configured to move within the compaction chamber to compact waste material contained within the compaction chamber in response to movement of the drive piston portion of the connector arm within the drive chamber.

Outer space waste compaction

A boot-binding system includes a sole plate, integrated into an inner boot, that mates to a second sole plate that may be integrated into the floor of a pressurized vehicle or integrated into an outer boot configuration also referred to as a surface boot, a spring loaded pin/bushing arrangement couples the sole plates, while a latching mechanism located on the surface boot sole plate captures the heel of the inner boot sole plate against a spring loaded heel plate integrated into the surface boot sole plate that presses upwards against the inner boot heel.

Boot-binding system

A waste handling system includes a urinal having a urinal outlet and first and second urine storage containers. Each of the first and second urine storage containers includes a cavity having a bag. A distribution system fluidly interconnects the urinal to the first and second urine storage containers. The distribution system includes a switching system selectively fluidly connecting the urinal outlet to at least one of the first and second urinal storage containers in response to an input. The switching system includes a flow diverter valve. The input corresponds to a command signal to the flow diverter valve. The command signal commands the flow diverter valve between first and second positions. The first position corresponds to a fluid connection between the first urine storage container and the urinal while blocking a fluid connection between the second urine storage container and the urinal. The second position corresponds to a fluid connection between the second urine storage container and the urinal while blocking a fluid connection between the first urine storage container and the urinal. The switching system includes a plurality of switches configured to provide the command signal. A switch is arranged in each of the first and second urine storage containers. Each switch includes first and second contact elements biased apart from one another in a first condition corresponding to a first volume and electrically engages one another in a second condition corresponding to the second volume. A water processing unit is configured to produce potable water. The bag is configured to be coupled to the water processing unit by the quick disconnect to generate potable water from the urine.

Urine stowage system for spacecraft

A dosing pump according to an exemplary aspect of this disclosure includes, among other things, a first chamber having an outlet fluidly coupled to a mixing area, and a second chamber having an outlet fluidly coupled to the mixing area. The dosing pump further includes a piston moveable between a suction position and a discharge position. The piston has a first head portion moveable within the first chamber, and a second head portion moveable with the second chamber. Further, movement of the piston from the suction position to the discharge position discharges fluid from the first and second chambers into the mixing area.

Dosing pump

A fluid extraction apparatus includes a first chamber within which waste material is configured to be disposed and a second chamber having a vacuum source interface. The first chamber may be in selective fluid communication with the second chamber. In various embodiments, the fluid extraction apparatus further includes an intermediate valve disposed on a conduit extending between the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein the intermediate valve is selectively actuatable to control the selective fluid communication. In various embodiments, the selective fluid communication between the first chamber and the second chamber is exclusively via the intermediate valve and the conduit.

Space waste fluid extraction

A microgravity urine collection apparatus may include a bellows defining an internal chamber having a selectively adjustable volume. The bellows may include an inlet and an outlet. The microgravity urine collection apparatus may further include a first valve coupled to the bellows and configured to selectively control fluid flow through the inlet. The microgravity urine collection apparatus may also include a second valve coupled to the bellows and configured to allow fluid flow out of the bellows via the outlet and prevent fluid flow into the bellows via the outlet.

Microgravity urine collection and storage

A method of treating fecal waste according to an example of the present disclosure includes bringing a reactor containing fecal matter to a first temperature and a first pressure, exposing the reactor to an environment with a second temperature and a second pressure such that the water in the fecal waste undergoes flash evaporation, and pyrolizing the fecal waste. A fecal waste processing unit is also disclosed.

Method and apparatus for processing of fecal waste

A waste handling system includes a urinal and first and second urine storage containers. A distribution system fluidly interconnects the urinal to the first and second urine storage containers. The distribution system includes a switching system that selectively fluidly connects the urinal outlet to at least one of the first and second urinal storage containers in response to an input.

A waste handling system includes a waste processing unit that includes a urine inlet configured to receive urine from a urinal. A pumping element is fluidly connected between the urine inlet and the urine outlet. A distribution system with a differential pressure valve selectively fluidly connects the urine outlet to first and second urine storage containers. The distribution system includes a switching system that selectively fluidly connects the urinal to the first and second urinal storage containers in response to an input. Each urine storage containers includes a cavity with a bag. The bag is movable between first and second volumes. An electrical switch communicates with the bag and includes first and second contact elements biased apart from one another in a first condition that corresponds to the first volume. The first and second contact elements electrically engage one another in a second condition corresponding to the second volume.

A concentric split flow filter may be configured to remove odor and/or bacteria from pumped air used to collect urine and fecal waste products. For instance, filter may be designed to effectively fill the volume that was previously considered wasted surrounding the transport tube of a waste management system. The concentric split flow filter may be configured to split the air flow, with substantially half of the air flow to be treated traveling through a first bed of filter media and substantially the other half of the air flow to be treated traveling through the second bed of filter media. This split flow design reduces the air velocity by 50%. In this way, the pressure drop of filter may be reduced by as much as a factor of 4 as compare to the conventional design.

Concentric split flow filter

A vortex separator includes a vortex chamber having a circular cross section, an inlet for delivering a fluid to the vortex chamber, a gas outlet through which gas present in the fluid exits the vortex chamber, a membrane positioned to substantially prevent liquid from passing through the gas outlet, and a liquid outlet through which liquid present in the fluid exits the vortex chamber.

Vortex separator and separation method

A waste collection unit includes a motor supported by a housing. A fan is coupled to the motor by a first member configured to provide a rotational input speed. A liquid-gas separator is coupled to a second member configured to provide a rotational output speed. A speed reduction device is coupled to the first and second members. The speed reduction device is configured to provide a rotational output speed that is less than the rotational input speed. In another embodiment, the fan is arranged in the housing and is directly coupled to the motor by the first member. The fan includes first and second sides respectively including first and second pumping elements. A first waste collection line fluidly connects a urinal to the first side. A second waste collection line fluidly connects a fecal storage container to the second side.

Universal commode processing unit

A heat exchanger includes a first plate and a second plate connected to the first plate to define a duct between the first plate and the second plate. At least one elastic cooling fin is disposed inside the duct between the first plate and the second plate. The at least one elastic fin exerts a load on the first plate.

Spring-loaded heat exchanger fins

A contaminate control device for filtering contaminates from a gas such as air is provided. The device includes a housing having a first inlet and a first outlet. An axial flow filter is fluidly coupled between the first inlet and the first outlet, the axial flow filter has a second inlet and a second outlet. A second filter disposed about the axial flow filter and is fluidly coupled between the first inlet and the first outlet, the second filter having a third inlet on an inner diameter and a third outlet disposed on an outer diameter. A flow restrictor is fluidly coupled between the second inlet and the first inlet.

Growing community of inventors

Southwick, MA, United States of America

Thomas J Stapleton