This invention concerns waste management devices and methods for waste management.
Disposal of waste, such as human waste, that is generated during extended periods of travel (e.g., during space travel) is a serious challenge. For example, if waste cannot be recycled during human space travel, the thrust capability of the spacecraft will need to be sufficient to launch a large volume of water. In addition, other systems employed in a space vessel, or after landing on an extraterrestrial surface, may also require recovery of water to maximize resource efficiency. For example, systems, such as hydroponic farm, bio-reactor, medical lab, or cleaning solution collection tank, that are typically used in spacecraft, may often need to be emptied and it is desirable to separate and reuse water from any of these systems for the benefit of the mission. Separation and recovery of water from human waste and other systems employed in space is critical to the success of space missions.
Additionally, on earth, separation of pure water from sources that are too contaminated for use by humans, animals, and plants remains a resource-intensive process. Water sources polluted with human and animal waste, agricultural runoff, or heavy metals are hazardous to drink, and desalination of salt water requires significant investment in energy, filters, and equipment that creates barriers for adoption of salt water sources into the general water supply
Therefore, there exists a growing need for enhanced waste management and water recycling on earth. Additionally, there is also a growing need for waste management solutions that will enable further extraterrestrial exploration, for example, that allow extended periods of human travel and living in space.
Disclosed herein is an embodiment of a waste management device that comprises a vessel having a wall that defines an inlet opening and an outlet opening, the wall having an inner surface that defines a vessel passageway extending between the inlet opening and the outlet opening, at least a portion of the inner surface being a hydrophobic material, the inlet opening being configured to receive a mixture of water and other compounds from a source of the mixture; and a heater operable to maintain at least a portion of the hydrophobic material of the inner surface at a temperature that is at least a Leidenfrost temperature for the mixture.
In some embodiments, the waste management device comprises a nozzle having a body that defines an orifice inlet, an orifice outlet, and an orifice passageway extending between the orifice inlet and the orifice outlet, wherein the nozzle is located in the inlet opening, the orifice inlet is configured to receive the mixture from a source of the mixture, and the orifice outlet is configured to inject droplets of the mixture into the passageway of the vessel.
In some embodiments, the inner surface of the waste management device is configured to propagate droplets through the passageway, wherein the hydrophobic material of the inner surface has a composition, configuration, and temperature sufficient that water is separated from the mixture in a droplet in the vessel passageway without the droplet contacting the hydrophobic material.
In some embodiments, the nozzle of the waste management device is disposed at an angle relative to the inner surface sufficient to direct the droplet in a first direction toward a first location on the inner surface and such that, as the droplet approaches the first location on inner surface, the droplet is redirected in a second direction that is toward a second location on the inner surface, wherein an angle between the first direction and the second direction is from greater than zero degrees to less than 180 degrees.
In some embodiments, the composition of the hydrophobic material and the temperature of hydrophobic material are configured to levitate an injected droplet of the mixture, thereby inhibiting contact between the droplet and the hydrophobic material.
In some embodiments, the waste management device is configured such that the size of an injected droplet of the mixture decreases while propagating through the passageway.
In some embodiments, the waste management device further comprises the vessel outlet that is configured to vent a water-containing fluid from the passageway, and the device further comprises a storage unit configured to collect at least one non-water component of the mixture.
In some embodiments, the waste management device comprises at least a portion of the hydrophobic portion of the inner surface that has a serpentine configuration.
In some embodiments, the vessel of the waste management device comprises a tube in a spiral configuration, wherein an injected droplet of the mixture propagates by rolling and/or sliding along a portion of the inner surface that is proximal to the center of the spiral.
In some embodiments, the waste management device further comprises an insulating layer disposed over the wall, and a protective layer disposed over the insulating layer, wherein each of the insulating layer and the protective layer are configured to inhibit transfer of heat from the inner surface of the wall.
In some embodiments, at least a portion of the wall comprises a porous material, and wherein the device further comprises a jacket that surrounds at least a portion of the wall and that defines a plenum between the jacket and the portion of the wall that comprises the porous material such that pressurized gas in the plenum generates a gas cushion within the passageway alongside the inner surface.
In some embodiments, the hydrophobic material of the inner surface has a Leidenfrost temperature within a range from 30° C. to 230° C.
In some embodiments, the hydrophobic material of the inner surface has a contact angle within a range from about 120 degrees to about 170 degrees.
In some embodiments, the waste management device further comprises a pre-treatment unit fluidly coupled to the inlet opening of the waste management device, a post-treatment unit fluidly coupled to the outlet opening of the waste management device, or a combination thereof.
Disclosed herein is also a method that comprises providing the waste management device; and introducing a mixture comprising water and at least one other compound into the passageway to propagate through the passageway, wherein the hydrophobic material of the inner surface has a composition, configuration, and temperature sufficient that water is separated from the mixture in a droplet in the vessel passageway without the droplet contacting the hydrophobic material.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying figures.
The following explanations of terms are provided to better describe the present disclosure and to guide those of ordinary skill in the art in the practice of the present disclosure. As used herein, “comprising” means “including” and the singular forms “a” or “an” or “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “or” refers to a single element of stated alternative elements or a combination of two or more elements, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
Although the steps of some of the disclosed methods are described in a particular, sequential order for convenient presentation, it should be understood that this manner of description encompasses rearrangement, unless a particular ordering is required by specific language set forth below. For example, steps described sequentially may in some cases be rearranged or performed concurrently. Additionally, the description sometimes uses terms like “produce” or “provide” to describe the disclosed methods. These terms are high-level abstractions of the actual steps that are performed. The actual steps that correspond to these terms will vary depending on the particular implementation and are readily discernible by one of ordinary skill in the art.
Unless explained otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present disclosure, suitable methods and materials are described below. The materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting, unless otherwise indicated. Other features of the disclosure are apparent from the following detailed description and the claims.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of components, percentages, temperatures, times, and so forth, as used in the specification or claims are to be understood as being modified by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless otherwise indicated, implicitly or explicitly, the numerical parameters set forth are approximations that can depend on the desired properties sought and/or limits of detection under standard test conditions/methods. When directly and explicitly distinguishing embodiments from discussed prior art, the embodiment numbers are not approximates unless the word “about” is recited. Furthermore, not all alternatives recited herein are equivalents.
Boiling point: is a temperature of a liquid at which the vapor pressure of the liquid equals the pressure surrounding the liquid and the liquid changes into a vapor.
Capillary action: is the ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces without the assistance of, or even in opposition to, external forces, such as gravity.
Contact angle: is an angle at which a liquid-vapor interface meets a solid surface, and is represented by the Greek symbol θ. The contact angle is typically measured through the liquid, and is shown in
Hydrophobicity: is the physical property of a molecule (also referred herein as a hydrophobe) that is seemingly repelled from a mass of water.
Leidenfrost phenomenon: a phenomenon in which a liquid, in near contact with a solid significantly above the liquid's boiling point, produces an insulating vapor layer keeping that liquid from boiling rapidly.
Leidenfrost temperature: the temperature of the solid surface above which the liquid undergoes the Leidenfrost phenomenon. In particular disclosed embodiments, Leidenfrost point is the temperature above which the liquid no longer wets the solid surface. In some embodiments, Leidenfrost temperature and Leidenfrost point can be used interchangeably.
Non-contact force: is a force which acts on an object without coming physically in contact with it. Exemplary non-contact force can include, but is not limited to, gravity, electromagnetism, and the like.
Superhydrophobic surface: is a surface that is extremely difficult to wet with water. In particular, a solid surface is super hydrophobic if the water contact angle is greater than 150°.
Surface energy: the excess energy at the surface of a material compared to the bulk of the material, or it is the work required to build an area of a particular surface.
Wetting: is the ability of a liquid to maintain contact with a solid surface, resulting from intermolecular interactions when both the liquid and the solid surface are brought together.
Disclosed herein are embodiments of a novel waste management device, for example, for use with separation and recovery of water from waste, such as human waste, and a method of separation and recovery of water from waste. Although significant advances have been achieved in space exploration, disposal and storage of the wastes, such as human waste, generated during human space travel remains a challenge for maintaining sanitary conditions during such travel. Maintenance of the human wastes is not only desirable due to issues related to hygiene and space constraints, but the recovery of purified liquids, such as water from such waste may be useful for the sustenance of the crew without jeopardizing their health and safety. For example, urine comprises approximately 85% water and contaminants, such as urea. Water separated from the other compounds in urine during space travel is a valuable resource. Prior recovery methods have drawbacks, such as bulky and noisy waste management devices, caustic urine pretreatment techniques to prevent microbial growth, use of mechanical parts that are subject to breakdown, such as dynamic seals, valves, and batch control systems, and low recovery goals, in part, due to the addition of pretreatment chemicals. Prior recovery methods that are based on reverse osmosis are energy intensive.
Described herein are embodiments of a reliable, passive, and cost-effective method and device that are capable of separating one or more liquids from a mixture of liquids. In some embodiments, the mixture can be a non-aqueous mixture, such as a mixture of solvents, a mixture of oils, or the like, and the separated liquids can be a corresponding liquid, such as solvent, oil, and the like. In some embodiments, the mixture can be a mixture of organic solvents and non-aqueous solvents, a mixture of organic solvents and aqueous solvents, or any combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the mixture can be a mixture of miscible liquids, a mixture of immiscible liquids, or any combinations thereof. In yet some other embodiments, the mixture can be a homogenous mixture of liquids, heterogeneous mixture of liquids, or any combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the mixture can be mixotrophic solutions. In some embodiments, the mixture can be an aqueous mixture, and the separated liquid can be water that is suitable for reuse. In one example, the aqueous mixture may include, or may be, contaminated water, such as waste water, urine, brine, condensates, and the like. In some embodiments, the liquid (e.g., water) is separated from the mixture by evaporating the liquid at its Leidenfrost point, and subsequently condensing the evaporated liquid. For example, waste management devices of the type disclosed herein can be used to separate water from other compounds and to store the residual waste compounds effectively for extended periods of time.
In one embodiment, a waste management device separates water, using a “Leidenfrost phenomenon” which allows a substantially continuous non-contact mechanism to separate the water from the contaminated water. For example, a mixture containing water and other liquid human wastes is ejected through a nozzle in one or more discrete droplets that travel through a passageway of the waste management device. In particular disclosed embodiment, the inner surface of a vessel comprises a hydrophobic material (such as, superhydrophobic material) that is heated at or above a Leidenfrost temperature of water (i.e., at about 150° C.). In some embodiments, the temperature of the superhydrophobic surface is just sufficient to promote evaporation, and to prevent uncontrolled boiling of the liquid disposed therein. As such, in particular disclosed embodiment, the Leidenfrost temperature at which the surface is maintained can be within a range from 30° C. to 230° C., and in particular, at temperature within a range from 40° C. to about 170° C., depending on the pressure at which the device can be operated.
One embodiment of a waste management device 100 comprising a vessel 101 is depicted in
In another embodiment, orifice outlet 105 of the nozzle 102 may have an opening of any suitable diameter that is sufficient to produce droplets at a rate and size suitable for use in the device. In some embodiments, orifice outlet 105 of nozzle 102 may define a hole having a diameter within a range from 0.2 mm to 3 mm, such as 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm, or 1.75 mm to 2 mm. In some embodiments, hole of orifice outlet 105 can produce droplets having a size from 2 mm to 6 mm, such as 3 mm to 5 mm, or 3.5 mm to 4 mm, and at a rate within a range from 2 droplets/second to 7 droplets/second, such as 3 droplets/second to 6.5 droplets/second, or 4 droplets/second to 4 droplets/second. In an exemplary embodiment, orifice outlet opening 105 defines a hole having diameter 2 mm that produces droplets having a size 4 mm, and at a rate of 5 droplet/second. Exemplary embodiment of a material of each of tube 104 and tube 106, respectively, may include, or may be, stainless steel or aluminum. Each of these tubes, i.e., tube 104 and/or tube 106, may be, or may include, a porous material such that, due to the negative pressure in the passageway of the tube, the gas that is jacketed around the device is drawn through the pores to generate a gas cushion within the passageway. As understood, negative pressure refers to a pressure at or below ambient pressure in the one or more passageways of the device. In an exemplary embodiment, operating pressures can range from 0.05 atm to 1 atm. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the gas cushion generated alongside the inner surface of tube 106 is analogous to an air cushion generated over an air hockey table. Advantageously, the gas cushion inhibits a liquid droplet from contacting the inner surfaces of the tube and promotes self-cleaning of the potentially contaminated inner surfaces of the tube. Solely by way of example, the airflow of the device may be maintained at 0.02 CFM (wherein CFM is cubic feet per minute) for a 1 cm inner diameter of tube 106 (with an average velocity of about 10 cm/s). Additionally, or alternatively, vessel 101 may also comprise a jacket (not depicted) that surrounds at least a portion of the walls and that defines a plenum (not depicted) between the jacket and tube 106 (i.e., the portion of the wall that comprises the porous material) such that pressurized gas in the plenum generates a gas cushion within the passageway alongside the inner surface of tube 106.
Further, in some embodiments, the inner surfaces of one or more tubes, (such as, 104, tube 106, and/or any intervening tubes disposed therein) can be coated with a hydrophobic material, superhydrophobic material, omniphobic material, or any combinations thereof, depending on the implementation of the device disclosed herein. In an exemplary embodiment, inner surface of the tubes (e.g., tube 106 and/or tube 104) is coated with a hydrophobic material having a contact angle within a range from 120 degrees to 170 degrees, such as from 130 degrees to 165 degrees. Exemplary embodiment of the hydrophobic material may include, or may be, materials having micro-textured or micro-patterned surfaces; and nano-textured or nano-patterned surfaces, each of these materials may have any suitable surface roughness profile and a surface energy that is less than about 25 mJ/m2. Solely by way of example, parameters of the micro-surface roughness profile may be within a range from 1 to 200 micrometers, while parameters of the nano-surface roughness profile may be within a range from 0.5 nanometer to 100 nanometers. Exemplary hydrophobic materials utilized in coating the inner surfaces of tube 106 and/or tube 104 may include, or may be materials, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or silanes, such as, trimethoxypropylsilane, trichloro (1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctyl)silane, trichloro(octadecyl)silane, or the like. In some embodiments, one or more silane materials can be used for micro- and/or nano-roughened materials (which, for example, may be roughened via hydrochloric acid etching). In additional embodiments, the inner surface of tubes (such as, tube 106 and/or tube 104) may be subjected to one or more laser treatments to provide the desired superhydrophobicity. Exemplary laser treatments can include, but are not limited to, pulse laser treatments. In an exemplary embodiment, micro- and/or nano-structured materials (such as, aluminum and/or steel) of tubes (e.g., tubes 104 and 106) can be subjected to a laser etching treatments, and can then be coated with low-energy coatings to induce the desired superhydrophobicity.
In yet other embodiments, the inner surface of tubes (such as, tube 106 and/or tube 104) may include, or may be, an omniphobic surface having a contact angle of about 70 degrees to 160 degrees, such as 90 degrees to 150 degrees, or 120 degrees to 140 degrees. In some embodiments, contact angle of an inner omniphobic surface of tube 106 and/or tube 104 can be from 120 degrees to 160 degrees for water, and from 100 degrees to 130 degrees for oils. In such example, the inner surface of tubes (such as, tube 106 and/or tube 104) may be coated with omniphobic materials that are configured to repel solvents, such as polar solvents, non-polar solvents, or any combinations thereof. Exemplary omniphobic materials can include, but are not limited to, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), or the like. The omniphobic surface can be used to repel a wide range of fluids including low-surface tension fluids, such as crude oil, Krytox oils, water, etc. Although a tube may have any suitable length that is sufficient for the implementation of the device, solely by way of example, tube 104 may have a length from 5 m to 15 m, and a diameter from 2 mm to 10 mm, while tube 106 may have a length from 5 m to 15 m, and a diameter from 2 mm to 10 mm.
In yet another embodiment, omniphobic surfaces can also be utilized in combination with hydrophobic and/or superhydrophobic surfaces in different portions of the device disclosed herein. In an exemplary embodiment, inner surfaces of tube 106 may be partially coated with superhydrophobic material, and partially with omniphobic material. For example, inner surfaces of tube 106 may be partially coated with superhydrophobic material at a portion proximal to tube 104, while the portion distal to tube 104 may be coated with omniphobic material. Advantageously, a combination of superhydrophobic material and omniphobic material at the inner surfaces of tube 106 can continue to promote non-contact evaporation even when there is a phase transition of the residual wastes that, for example, may be dependent on the concentration of the liquids during the implementation of the device. For example, when water is separated from the contaminated water, such as urine, as the concentration of the water decreases and the concentration of the residual wastes increases in the contaminated water, the residual wastes may tend to be oily. In such an example, the omniphobic surface of tube 106 can continue to promote non-contact evaporation as the oily residual waste component propagates through the device.
Additionally, tube 106 (i.e., of the passageway) is fluidly connected to outlet 108 via an outlet opening 106″. For example, outlet 108 is configured to vent a water-containing fluid from the passageway, and to retrieve liquid vapor that is evaporated during the operation of the waste management device 100. In an exemplary embodiment, outlet 108 may be, or may include, a spherical-shaped container that is hollow inside to allow condensation of the retrieved liquid vapor in the form of purified liquid. Still further, tube 106 (i.e., of the passageway) is connected to storage unit 110 disposed at an opposite end from tube 104, for instance, via storage connector 107. In one embodiment, storage unit 110 is configured to collect the residual wastes during the operation of the waste management device 100, and may be attached directly to tube 106 via storage connector 107. Exemplary sealing components may include, or may be, silicone seals). A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that each of outlet 108 and storage unit 110 may optionally be connected to tube 106 via one or more sealing components (not shown), and that the positions of each of the outlet and the storage unit relative to tube 106 can be interchangeable, depending on the implementation.
In an additional, or an alternative embodiment, tube 106 may be connected to each of tube 104 (
Further, with reference to
In one exemplary embodiment, the inner surfaces of tube 106 may have an angled configuration (which, for example, may be commonly referred to as “rachets”), owing to either an inherent surface roughness profile of the material of tube 106 or due to the surface roughness profile of the hydrophobic material disposed within the inner surfaces thereof, as depicted in
In yet another additional, or an alternative embodiment, tube 106 may be connected to tube 104 (
Further, with reference to
As such, waste management device 100 disclosed herein provides a non-contact, cost-effective solution for effective separation of liquids, such as water from liquid human waste, and in particular, low- and zero-gravity conditions. In enhanced embodiment, the device disclosed herein can also be utilized for effectively purifying other liquid streams, including in a cryogenic system. Additionally, the device disclosed herein requires minimal maintenance, and will require a low amount of power (e.g., less than 1500 watts) to operate. Still further, in one example, waste management device 100 disclosed herein is a device that is configured to target a standard urine void for an astronaut (i.e., a crew member), for example, with an optimal volume from 1 L to 100 L, such as 400 mL to 700 mL, for the device. In one implementation, the operating temperatures and pressures utilized may be in the range of 45 to 180° C. and 0.1 to 1 Patm, respectively. As understood, temperature and pressure are typically dictated by water saturation temperature and can be modified to optimize energy loads of the device. In some embodiments, the waste management device disclosed herein is designed to accommodate droplets of liquid waste of about 5 mm in diameter travelling at about 50 cm/s. Still further, although not depicted in the figures, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that waste management device 100 disclosed herein may include other components, but are not limited to, resistance heaters to establish system set point temperatures, control electronics, and airflow equipment (ex. Fan/pump, ducting, valving, etc.).
Disclosed herein is an embodiment of a method for using the waste management device described herein. In some embodiments, the mixture, for example, contaminated water (such as, liquid human waste) is introduced into the waste management device disclosed herein through nozzle 102 (
Further, in some embodiments, the liquid droplets propagate in a first direction through tube 106 (
The velocities of the liquid droplet that bounce off the surface of the hydrophobic tube surface will depend on one or more factors, such as, droplet volume, contact angle of the material, wettability pattern, and curvature of the hydrophobic surface. In an exemplary embodiment,
In enhanced embodiment, as described above, the liquid droplet propagating through (i.e., tube 106 (
In summary, although various other physical phenomena may be involved, the novel waste management device disclosed herein separates one or more liquids (e.g., water) from a mixture (such as, from contaminated water) by combining the principles of physics including, but not limited to, superhydrophobicity, Leidenfrost phenomena, gas suction, reduced pressure, porous walls, electrostatic fields and the like. In a specific disclosed embodiment, the above key principles of physics ensure that a non-contact force between the capillary motion of the liquid droplets and heated walls of the passageway provide the thermal energy that is required for a distillation process. As such, the five mechanisms of the physical phenomena may be summarized as follows: (1) superhydrophobic walls of the passageway allow dynamic rebounding of the liquid upon impact; (2) Leidenfrost temperatures of the walls of the passageway ensure production of vapor layers around the liquid droplet preventing a droplet-wall contact and adhesion of the droplet; (3) operation of the waste management device at a reduced pressure (i.e., relative to atmospheric pressure) enhances evaporation of the liquid droplet, and wall-vapor recoil force while lowering temperatures for favorable energetics; (4) porous walls (for instance, of the passageway) of the waste management device ensure inward suction of non-condensable portion of the mixture providing cushion of air preventing contact, adhesion, and substrate contamination; and (5) electrostatic field repelling charged droplets from substrate into passageway core, away from heated substrates. Additionally, in some embodiments, the waste management device disclosed herein can be utilized in a variety of implementations that include, but are not limited to, desalination device, hydroponic waste recovery device, waste recovery during space travel, and the like.
Additionally, in some embodiments, the waste management device described herein can be fluidly coupled to a pre-treatment unit via an inlet opening, and/or a post-treatment unit via an outlet opening, such as outlet 108 (see
In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the disclosed invention may be applied, it should be recognized that the illustrated embodiments are only preferred examples of the invention and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims. We therefore claim as our invention all that comes within the scope and spirit of these claims.
This application continuation of International Application No. PCT/US2019/044527, filed on Jul. 31, 2019, which was published in English under PCT Article 21(2), which in turn claims the benefit of the earlier filing dates of U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/716,793, filed Aug. 9, 2018, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62716793 | Aug 2018 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/US2019/044527 | Jul 2019 | US |
Child | 17161212 | US |