Considerations for Development of a Total Organic Carbon Analyzer for Exploration Missions

摘要

Monitoring the Total Organic Carbon (TOC) in spacecraft potable water will be of major importance in long-duration human space exploration. In-flight analysis of potable water produced from a regenerative water processor provides immediate feedback on the quality of reclaimed water along with a system health check on the processing hardware. While the International Space Station (ISS) successfully employs a Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) to complete these tasks, this device is not configured in a mass and volume form factor most suitable for long-duration missions nor is it efficiently integrated into the water processing system. A TOC analyzer that is designed to fit the specified mission requirements would benefit mass, volume, crew time, and resupply needs. This paper discusses the challenges presented by exploration requirements, the status of commercially available technologies, and the research and development progress toward the goal of a next generation, exploration Total Organic Carbon Analyzer.