Prof. Dr. Berrin Tansel Receives Award from NASA

Prof. Dr. Berrin Tansel, Chair of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Florida International University in the United States and a researcher collaborating with NASA, has won the Science Award from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers & Scientists.

Prof. Dr. Berrin Tansel, who went to the University of Wisconsin in the United States on a Fulbright scholarship to study environmental engineering, conducted significant research with students at Florida International University. Prof. Dr. Berrin Tansel, Chair of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Florida International University and participant in numerous projects with NASA including the separation of ammonia from wastewater, has won the Science Award from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers & Scientists (AAEES). [caption id="attachment_123375" align="aligncenter"] Photo Source: Cumhuriyet[/caption]

MY WORK WITH NASA HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR 20 YEARS

Prof. Dr. Tansel stated that he has been conducting joint projects with NASA for 20 years. "After I started working at the university in 1991, I took on a major project on water purification. That project was about separating oils from water. We researched several technologies on that subject," Prof. Dr. Tansel said, adding the following about his research: "One of them was a study we conducted to prevent filter clogging. My work with NASA has been ongoing for 20 years. For the first time, I worked on filters for 2 summers in the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at Kennedy Space Center. Back then, spacecraft carried as much water as was needed, and more than half of spacecraft sent to space were filled with water. This caused a major challenge. To send humans to space, water, especially wastewater, had to be made recyclable. The amount of water in spacecraft sent to space is less compared to usage on Earth. However, inside the spacecraft it took up a lot of space. Astronauts' wastewater is more concentrated than wastewater on Earth. Therefore, different technologies are needed to purify the water. As part of this purification, filters are necessary. Because there is no gravity in space, these filters need to function differently. We conducted some studies on this subject and contributed to making the water recyclable."

'WE WILL WORK TO DEVELOP THE TECHNOLOGY'

Prof. Dr. Tansel noted that astronauts' wastewater is 40-60 times more concentrated than wastewater on Earth, and stated: "This water contains high levels of nitrogen and ammonia. To make the water usable, ammonia must first be separated. NASA developed a technology to separate this ammonia and obtained a patent for it. Two years ago, we conducted research on how we could use such a technology in the world and how we could use it for water purification purposes at present, and that technology is not yet fully developed for the world; it needs further development. In the coming years, we will work on developing this technology and conducting experiments. The technology is quite efficient compared to methods currently used in the world. If we can improve it, we can create an opportunity to clean wastewater more effectively, more efficiently and in a better way," he said.

'EVERY PROJECT I THOUGHT WAS FINISHED OPENS THE DOOR TO NEW PROJECTS'

Prof. Dr. Tansel, noting that each project brings along a new one, also commented on his future projects. "I have several projects on hand. All of them are related to water. We are researching how water can be used efficiently," Prof. Dr. Tansel said, adding: "How can we clean water faster and more inexpensively for better and different purposes is one of our areas; how can we reduce water loss in pipes? By listening to water sounds, we are trying to find where water is leaking. Another project of ours is how can we separate oil pollution from water? Especially the oil problem in coastal areas causes considerable water pollution," he said.

'I AM VERY HAPPY TO RECEIVE THIS AWARD'

Prof. Dr. Tansel, winner of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers & Scientists Science Award, expressed his happiness about the award he received from NASA, saying: "The award will be presented in April. When I heard the news that I received the award, I was very pleased. This award is given to one person each year. It was previously given to people who made significant contributions to environmental issues and whom we greatly respect. I was very happy to be included in such a list."   Source