The CDRA Snorkel: Developing a Flow Diversion Device to Protect the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly from Liquid Water Ingestion

摘要

The International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) maintains two Carbon Dioxide Removal Assemblies (CDRA) that receive process air from Common Cabin Air Assemblies (CCAA). The Air Revitalization System (ARS) Port located just downstream of the condensing heat exchanger (CHX) provides dehumidified air to the CDRA. Various contaminants can foul the CHX surface over time, leading to water carrying over downstream into the ducting. That water can be ingested by the CDRA (via the ARS Port), thereby degrading performance, and potentially damaging the hardware. To reduce the risk of this carryover, a retrofit device was developed to shield the ARS Port from the water carryover. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis was used to optimize the device, while 3D printing was used for rapid development and build.