German Army and Air Force | KATADYN hand-operated seawater desalinator Survivor 06-LS-RES customized for the German Air Force

Katadyn delivered a customized version of the world's smallest manual desalination machine, the KATADYN hand-operated desalinator Survivor 06-LS-RES, to the German Air Force.

project:	Customized Survivor 06 Titan for the German Air Force
customer:	German Army, Air Force
product:	Katadyn Survivor 06
area:	German

Project description

Katadyn has delivered a customized version of the world's smallest manually operated desalinator, the Katadyn Survivor 06 Titan, to the German Air Force. This device is used for the following purposes:

Equipment on life rafts for transport and reconnaissance aircraft (Transall and AWACs)
Equipment on life rafts, for helicopters (MH 90, CH53)
Army Special Forces backup desalinators and water filtration equipment

These life rafts on aircraft and helicopters are designed for 6 or 20 people. In the event of an emergency landing, all life rafts, including emergency equipment, must be capable of ensuring the survival of all crew members. In this case, the availability of drinking water on the high seas is a fundamental survival factor. Compared to alternative systems such as packaged drinking water, a manually operated desalinator is the best solution as it can treat unlimited quantities of water. This means that in the event of an emergency at sea, drinking water is guaranteed for all crew members, no matter how long the distress lasts.

operating conditions

In addition to the normal requirements for a desalinator in terms of performance, size and weight, this purpose-built equipment had to meet the following additional requirements:

Can be used even in very cold conditions (down to freezing point) because cold seawater is much denser than warm seawater.
Able to handle extreme temperature changes. This is necessary because, as part of the emergency equipment, the desalinator is transported in an uncontrolled area of the aircraft interior (e.g., within the wings). Temperatures may be as low as -65°C at service altitude.

product modifications

Desalination using very cold seawater requires highly specialized material selection and fabrication processes. Because the high density of cold seawater requires higher pressure to move the water through the desalinator's reverse osmosis membrane. For this purpose, a special titanium housing was developed, which is durable enough and suitable for the needs. In addition, the desalinator's reverse osmosis membrane is protected and preserved using a special biocide/antifreeze mixture to cope with the effects of temperature. This guarantees reverse osmosis membrane performance in extreme temperatures, up to altitudes of 30,000 feet and as low as -65°C. In addition to this, in order to simplify the application of the device, the silicone parts of this customized version (the seawater suction tube and the discharge tube for the salt concentrate) had to be extended.

To meet the Air Force's logistics needs, the packaging and labeling of the equipment will also need to be adjusted. After these modifications, the device passed the long-term extreme tests of the Luftwaffe and its reliability in emergency situations was guaranteed.

product

Product name : Survivor 06-LL-7 titanium shell hand-operated seawater desalinator
Weight : 2.02kg
Technology : Reverse osmosis, manually operated pump mechanism
Water production : 0.89 liters/hour
Salt removal rate : 98.40%
Dimensions : 12.7 x 20.3 x 6.5 cm
NATO number : 4620014486409

application

Katadyn Survivor 06 is capable of processing approximately 0.89 liters of drinking water per hour and is a desalinator designed for emergency and backup use. It is extremely lightweight, compact and requires no external energy source (manual operation), making it an indispensable emergency equipment in life rafts, lifeboats and personal survival kits.

improve usage

Pump handle extends for improved leverage. Additionally, the device comes with a leg strap that secures the device on your thigh. This allows the user to create back pressure during the pumping process, making pumping easier. This is a decisive advantage, since the water pumping process requires considerable force. Additionally, the device can be operated with one hand, which is especially important in the event of an injury to the user.

security

To ensure this survival-critical device does not accidentally fall overboard, it comes with a high-visibility rope and a clip to secure the Katadyn Survivor 06 to the life raft.

reverse osmosis technology

Reverse osmosis technology reverses the pressure of the natural osmosis process. This means that salt water or brackish water is forced through a reverse osmosis membrane and converted into potable water. Unlike traditional membrane filters, the pores of this membrane are impermeable to water. Instead, ions and molecules pass through the membrane material by diffusion. The pressure required for the Katadyn Survivor 06 is generated manually to be completely independent of external energy sources.