Pretreat hose holder—For use with the

Colorimeter

Lens cover--open

Calibration standard

This is the Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC—also known as the space toilet). This is background information only.

Inlet vent to cool internal equipment

Removable panels for access to equipment

Foot restraints to keep yourself situated

Solid waste container with air flow to pull solids and smells into container

Urine hose with air flow to pull fluid into system

Control panels for powering the system and monitoring functionality

Hygiene and cleaning materials

This is what it looks like when someone is working on the WHC and has all the panels are off. This is a little more complicated than the water tank and flapper valve at home. The surrounding privacy Kabin has been removed for easier access.

This is the area we are interested in—behind panel WHC-03. To prevent solids from precipitating out of the urine and causing damage or clogging of equipment, a concentrated acid is first diluted and mixed with water, then mixed with the incoming urine. If this mixture of water and acid is too dilute, it won’t do its job of keeping the salts and minerals dissolved in solution. If the mixture is too strong then the acid is being used too quickly and other damage can occur in the water reclamation system.

Concentrated acid –double hose

Diluted acid—double hose– O.D. of outer hose is 11mm

Mixing pump

We are trying to measure the color of the fluid in this hose. When we know the accurate color of the fluid, we will know the concentration of the acid.

The hose is fairly long and should allow for a color reading anywhere along the hose.

Mixing pump

Diluted acid

Concentrated acid hose

Water inlet

Top of Colorimeter

Protective cover--open

Protective cover--closed

Interface for color measurement

This is where the hose interfaces with the colorimeter. Light is emitted from the colorimeter goes through the circular opening in the middle, goes through the transparent hoses, enters the colored liquid where some light is absorbed and some reflected. The reflected light travels back up to the colorimeter where it determines the color signature of the fluid. The piece you make to hold the hose needs to fit snugly with bottom of the colorimeter. The hose needs to be up close to the circular opening. We are expecting that the holding block should be printed with white plastic to aid in the reflection of light through the fluid.

Light emitter and receiver

Protective cover Interface for color measurement