UMPQUA RESEARCH COMPANY — National Aeronautics and Space Administration SBIR Phase I: H3.03

Description

A Nautilus Centripetal Capillary Condenser (NCCC) is proposed for the microgravity compatible removal of water from a saturated air stream. Successful development of this technology will result in a device that effectively dries a hot, moist airstream to a dew point of no more than 10 degrees Celsius with no entrained water droplets in the dry air effluent. Non-mechanical inertial forces are employed to collect liquid water condensate via centripetal action along a spiral flow path. A continuously varying groove shape along the outer edge of the spiral geometry uses capillary forces to assist liquid transfer to a collection region near the device center. The proposed technology is an integration of conventional finned condenser operation combined with static phase separation and capillary transport phenomena. Droplet entrainment is prevented via surface adhesion and reduced exit gas velocities. Condensate and dry air exit along separate pathways, each orthogonal to the spiral flow plane.