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Technical Paper

Membrane-Based Humidity Control in Microgravity: A Comparison of Membrane Materials and Design Equations

1997-07-01
972275
A microgravity dehumidification system for plant growth experiments requires the generation of no free-liquid condensate and the recovery of water for reuse. In membrane dehumidification, the membrane is a barrier between the humid air phase and a liquid coolant water. The coolant water temperature combined with a trans-membrane pressure differential establishes a water flux from the humid air into the coolant water. Building on the work of others, we directly compared hydrophilic and hydrophobic membranes for humidity control. Hydrophobic membranes did not meet the required operational parameters. In a direct comparison of the hydrophilic membranes, cellulose ester membranes were superior to metal and ceramic membranes in the categories of condensation flux per surface area, ease of start-up and stability. However, cellulose ester membranes were inferior to metal membranes in one significant category, longevity/durability.
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