System and a rotary vacuum distiller for water recovery from aqueous solutions, preferably from urine aboard spacecraft

Abstract

The system for the recovery of water from urine aboard spacecraft includes a urine intake and pretreatment unit, a unit for water reclamation from urine and a condensate purification unit. The unit for water reclamation from urine is made on the basis of a rotary multistage vacuum distiller, each stage of which is formed by at least one heat-transfer plate and comprises an evaporation zone and a condensation zone. The stages of the distiller are separated from each other by separation plates, a chamber for collecting condensate and noncondensable gases being disposed downstream of the last stage and communicated with all the condensation zones of all the stages through water seals of condensate overflow and openings for the removal of noncondensable gases in disks mounted in the condensation zones. The distiller also includes a loop for circulation of the aqueous solution being evaporated, a device for supplying heat to the first stage and removing heat from the last stage, and lines for discharging condensate, noncondensable gases, and concentrate of the aqueous solution being evaporated.