A Space Station Trash Recovery and Recycling System
The quantity of trash produced on the Space Station during its lifetime will be substantial and will include useful waste materials. Given the high cost of transportation to orbit, it...
Biosphere II: Closed Ecological Systems Engineering
This paper provides a general description of the Biosphere II project - a 3.15 acre materially closed ecological system containing tropical rainforest, savannah, marsh, marine, desert,...
Conceptual Design for a Lunar-Base CELSS
Future human exploration is key to the United States National Space Policy goal of maintaining a world leadership position in space. In the past, spacecraft life support systems have used...
Composting for Lunar Agriculture
Alternative technologies for the microbially mediated biological oxidative transformation (composting) of human wastes and other organic wastes are presented. Batch mode and continuous...
Fluid Behavior Considerations for Waste Management in Low-Gravity Environments
Design of waste recycling systems for spacecraft requires a knowledge of fluid behavior in microgravity. As gravity is reduced, phenomena usually ignored in the One-G environment of earth...
Commercial Launch Facility Economic factors
Launch facility construction, maintenance and modification costs remain a largely invisible part of the cost of putting mass into orbit. The government can lease launch facilities to commercial...
Considerations for the Development of a Commercial Spaceport
Several states and countries are currently reviewing the feasibility of developing a commercial spaceport in their homeland. United Engineers & Constructors Inc. completed an extensive...
Columbus Generic Element Management Concept
The concept for largely autonomous onboard management of the ESA Columbus project elements relies on the automation of operational procedures. Reconfigurable items are commanded in sequence...
Normal Accidents and Logistics in Space Operations
Unpredictable systemic accidents, normal accidents, will occur in highly-complex large-scale space systems. To mitigate the catastrophic consequences of normal accidents, containment engineering...
Level of Recycling Effectiveness
The Level Of Recycling Effectiveness (LORE) scale is presented. It is a conceptual framework for evaluating recycling and other alternative strategies of meeting needs in space activities....
Black Holes
For many years, scientists have searched the skies for black holes; stars even more massive than white dwarves. As of yet, there have been no 100% sure sightings. Since they do not emit...
Challenges and Opportunities in the '90s and Beyond?A U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's Perspective
In the foreseeable future, water resources expenditures will probably be dominated by environmental/water quality concerns. Strong focus is coming to bear on the state of repair, rehabilitation...
Planning Model for Sewer System Rehabilitation
A probabilistic model is developed to simulate long-term variation in the structural condition of wastewater collection systems. The effects of both deterioration and rehabilitation can...
Creatively Cost Sharing a Large Flood Control Dam
The passage of Public Law 99-662 in November of 1986, commonly known as the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, added a new dimension to Federal development of water resource projects....
Infrastructure Investment During a Boom/Bust Cycle
During a boom period, a utility can find itself in a position where the usual rules of thumb for making investment decisions are no longer trusted. If the utility enters the boom period...
Probabilistic Basis for Managing Maintenance
The paper discusses a procedure based on component failure probabilities, consequences of failure, and risk associated with loss of system. Aging effect of structures and equipment on...
Urban Drainage Pipe Systems: Failure Diagnosis and Rehabilitation Planning
A Task Committee on Failure Diagnosis and Rehabilitation of Urban Drainage Infrastructure has been organized by the Urban Water Resorces Committee of the Water Resourcs Planning and Management...
Retrofitting a Regional Stormwater Facility
The City of Tacoma, Washington, constructed a regional stormwater detention facility in the Leach Creek watershed in 1961 to permit development in the southwest corner of the City while...
Rehabilitation of Rapidly Urbanizing Streams
DuPage County, Illinois is implementing a stream maintenance program with the purpose of restoring and preserving the hydraulic efficiency of its streams and drainageways. The program...
Recognizing Institutional Barriers in Regionalizing Water Supply Infrastructure
The Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (District) is conducting a study to determine the feasibility of implementing expanded regional cooperation for future municipal and industrial...
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