Trash Compaction and Processing System (TCPS) Risk Reduction Work: Various Trash Input Testing and Offgassing Analysis

The current lab-scale Trash Compaction and Processing System (TCPS) at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) consists of two subsystems: Heat Melt Compactor (HMC), which physically compacts the trash into a tile with heat and pressure, and the Source Contaminant Control System (SCCS), which aims to reduce the contaminants that are released by the trash processing. The Solid Waste Management group addressed two areas of the risk reduction work. Firstly, testing non-typical trash in the TCPS, which incorporates items that are not included in the current waste models but common enough items that crew members use, and observed their trash processing performance. Secondly, the group is working on an updated analysis for tile offgassing with the current nominal waste model by using a diffusive sampling method with thermal desorption tubes. This paper summarizes the current risk reduction activities and TCPS testing being addressed at ARC.