NASA Lunar Loo Contest Scam?
Or maybe just sour grapes you decide.
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I would like everyone to keep this in mind while you read through the rest of the site.
NASA requirements:Collect up to 1 liter of urine per use, with an average of 6 uses per crew per day = 1 kg. urine * 6 uses * 2 crew * 14 days = 168 kg. = 370 lb.
Accommodate 500g of fecal matter per defecation, with an average of 2 uses per crew per day = 1/2 kg. * 2 uses * 2 crew * 14 days = 28 kg. = 62 lb.
Accommodate 500g of diarrhea per event (could be 0)
Accommodate an average of 114g of female menses, per crew per day (could be 0)
Lets say 430 lb. that's a lot of weight and space (6.7 cubic feet!) for somethings that's over 75% water!My system concentrates the solids and vents the excess filtered and disinfected water leaving about 100 lbs. of disinfected solids to deal with._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
My entry (shown below) is mechanically complex but so is a bidet compared to an outhouse Additionally I did not violate the rules. It appears the 2nd and 3rd place winners did and the first place winner as well as the second and third winners submitted designs that I believe simple will not work.
The first and second place contest winners show basically a fan combined with a bag. The third place winner substitutes the bag with a centrifuge but violates the rules by using a solid non-disposable tank to collect the waste (see Contest Rules).
NASA: "Although the preferred method for capturing vomit will be emesis bags (“throw up” bags), bonus points will be awarded to designs that can capture vomit without requiring the crew member to put his/her head in the toilet".
None of the winners addressed this problem.
Scroll down to see details of the design and my comments for all 3 entries.
This machine uses a closed water cycle to carry human waste into the processing unit with a small amount of air being used to clear the waste connection between the human user and the processing unit at the end of the cycle. For a full description go to My Loo.
System that use air to transport the waste products are inherently messy (as the first place contestant admits) turbulent flow will dominate the air stream and coat all surfaces below the "seat" with waste product.
Third Place Entry:
Third Place Entry:
The centrifuge as shown does not have an air outlet? Also since all waste goes to a single tank what is really required is a Gas Separator. As your butt would mostly block air intake into the funnel the air intake needs to be between the bottom of the seat and the funnel. Also, as mentioned, the tank needs to be replaced with a disposable bag arrangement. Additionally it will not conform to another rule "Be clear of previous user’s urine and feces in preparation for the next use". Other than that?
Second Place Entry:
Second Place Entry:
Quote from the following NASA site:
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-names-lunar-loo-challenge-winners/
Second Prize: Individualized Collapsible Astronaut Toilet (ICAT). The ICAT team’s novel approach outlines an ideal interface for an Apollo bag-like system that could allow the heavier Waste Management System on board the HLS to be jettisoned before lunar ascent. The crew could then shift to using the ICAT bag system during the transit back to lunar orbit rendezvous with Orion and Gateway.
What happen to the 2 crew 14 day rule? I was expecting like I imagine everyone else was (except this entry) that this was a real requirement. (430 lbs. of waste).
If they had asked for a fancy diaper for the return trip I would have supplied that!
First Place Entry:
First Place Entry:
The first problem I see is the bags. The bags are micro pore material that allows air to escape but will block liquids and solids. So what happens when water which has been broken down to fine droplets due to the air flow coats the bags interior under zero g conditions? My guess is that the droplets seal the pores blocking any further air flow through the material. The second problem would be the blade less fan. Blade less fans rely on establishing a laminar flow of air and the coanda effect this will not happen with your butt blocking the fan! As there is no secondary suction system down stream what you will end up with is a high pressure area under your aforementioned butt.
Additionally as is the case with the third place winner and as admitted in their submission it will not conform to the rule "Be clear of previous user’s urine and feces in preparation for the next use".
In Conclusion:
In Conclusion:
The first and second place winners coincidentally are friends with NASA astronauts the third place winner is from a large company that makes toilets etc. from a very neutral European country.
I'm saying this because I believe this was judged by the PR department and not the engineers as they said would happen.
sour grapes perhaps?I designed my water cycle system not merely for this application but for every person that has to defecate in zero g including people that will be going to Mars and possibly beyond.
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