SBIR-STTR Award

The proposed work in phase I will address the problem of establishingthe feasibility of a new approach for developing a system to be used with military land vehicles for the on-board recovery and purificationof water. The system will ultimately generate 15 gallons of potable water per day. The aims are to produce a lightweight, compact, robust, reliable, and energy efficient unit that requires minimum maintenance. The preferred source of water will be from the vehicle engine exhaust emissions, where it will be collected by condensation. The principal challenge is the purification of this water. The core of the proposed purification system relies upon different forms of novel, rigid fiber composite materials that will be used to produce a combined purification train. The first section of the train will contain activated carbon fibers for the removal of organic contaminants and residual particulates. The second section will contain immobilized ion exchange resin to remove ionic species, and final polishing will be achieved by another section of activated carbon fiber. The train will be formed asingle monolithic cartridge that will be sealed into a lightweight container. The absence of moving parts or particulates means that the cartridge is extremely robust and resistant to movement under rugged conditions. The same principles can be applied to the development of lightweight portable units for use in the field. The goals of phase I are to confirm that the system can be operated to meet potable water standards, to achieve a reasonable period of on-line service, and to provide reasonable estimates of production, maintenance, and operating costs. The work will also establish whether there are any other practical requirements for a phase II development, such as the need to inCorporationorate a disinfection protocol.

Benefits:
The market for on-board water recovery units include applications in both military and recreational vehicles. Lightweight, rugged portable water treatment units is another potential application for this technology.

The objectives of this project are to extend the successful outcomes of Phase I to develop a prototype system for the on-board recovery and purification of water from the diesel e>d~aust of military land vehicles. The target is to develop a rugged system that will: 1.) produce a minimum of 15 gallons per day of potable water; 2.) have a low parasitic power demand; and 3.) be easy to operate and maintain. In Phase I, most of the goals for the rate of water collection and purification were satisfied. However, the system was not evaluated under desert conditions. To enhance water collection, the Phase II project will investigate use of an air conditioning unit, in addition to the heat exchanger to give additional cooling of the exhaust. Water treatment studies will address the remaining questions from Phase I, namely the removal of boron, total organic carbon and pH control. An integrated, on-board system will be fitted on a army-spec High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle and subjected to rigorous road tests. Success in Phase II will lead to a prototype of a combined water collection and treatment system ready for more extensive field testing.

Benefits:
The market for on-board water recovery units includes applications in both military and recreational vehicles. Lightweight, rugged portable water treatment units is another application. The composites are suited to a variety of other points-of-use water treatment processes and devices in buildings and for field use.

Keywords:
On-Board Water Recovery Unit Water Purification Diesel Engine Exhaust Ion-Exchange Resin Activated C