Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!mips!pacbell.com!ucsd!nosc!crash!pro-canaveral.cts.com!gandalf
From: gandalf@pro-canaveral.cts.com (Ken Hollis)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re : whither the water?
Message-ID: <6717@crash.cts.com>
Date: 6 Jan 91 04:37:42 GMT
Sender: root@crash.cts.com
Lines: 28

Greetings and Salutations:

In article <1990Dec31.204130.2390@morrow.stanford.edu>
GE.LJB@forsythe.stanford.
edu (Louis J Bookbinder) writes:
>Does the Shuttle just dump human wastes, or does it filter out the
>solids?

The Waste Collection System is an integrated, multifunctional system used
primarily to collect and process biological wastes from crew members in a
zero-gravity environment.  The system collects, stores and dries fecal wastes
and associated tissues;  processes urine and transfers it to the waste water
tank; processes EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) condensate water from the
airlock and transfers it to the waste water tank if an extravehicular activity
is required; provides an interface for venting trash container gasses
overboard;  provides an interface for dumping ARS (Air Revitalization System)
waste water overboard in a contingency situation; and transfers ARS waste
water to the waste water tank.

To "dry" the solids, the commode is depressurized.  To separate the liquids
from the air, the mixture enters a fan where centrifugal force separates the
liquid and draws it into a stationary pitot tube in a reservoir.

Ken Hollis

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