| Microgravity
Science Glovebox Investigations |
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| Status |
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October 2012 – The first round of testing for the Burning
And Suppression of Solids (BASS)
experiment was completed in August, where BASS testing will resume in
2013. The BASS hardware was removed and the glovebox is now being
used for the Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates
from Colloidal Emulsions (InSPACE-3)
experiment.
April 2012 – After a temporary setback because of a hardware
glitch, the Structure & Liftoff In Combustion Experiment (SLICE)
was conducted semiweekly during the months of February and March. Some
of those tests were in support of the Smoke Point In Coflow Experiment
(SPICE),
which first operated in 2009. With the depletion of the gaseous
fuel, SLICE testing came to an end on March 23, where preliminary results
and more can be seen on the experiment’s Facebook page. The
hardware was quickly reconfigured and is now being used for the Burning
And Suppression of Solids (BASS)
experiment, which like SLICE is being conducted by astronaut
Don Pettit. In
the summer, the flames will give way to a fluid physics experiment, Investigating
the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions (InSPACE-3).
December
2011 – A series of four
NASA Glenn experiments will be conducted in the MSG glovebox during
the first half of 2012. The Structure & Liftoff In Combustion
Experiment (SLICE)
is expected to begin in January, where the final tests will be for the
Smoke Point In Coflow Experiment (SPICE)
which first operated in 2009. These gas-fueled investigations
will be followed in the spring by the Burning And Suppression of Solids
(BASS)
experiment which uses the same experimental hardware (built for SPICE). This
trio of combustion investigations should be followed in the summer by
a fluid physics experiment, Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic
Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions (InSPACE-3)
which last operated in 2009. |
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| Smoke
Aerosol Measurement Experiment (SAME) |
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 Spacecraft
smoke detectors must detect different types of smoke. For example,
hydrocarbon fuels typically produce soot and plastics produce droplets
of recondensed polymer fragments. While paper and silicone rubber
produce smoke comprised of liquid droplets of recondensed pyrolysis
products. Each of these materials produces a different type of smoke,
with particles of various sizes and properties.
SAME will assess the size and distribution of smoke particles produced by different
types of material found on spacecraft such as, Teflon, Kapton, cellulose and
silicone rubber. SAME will evaluate the performance of the ionization smoke detectors
(used on Space Shuttles), evaluate the performance of the photoelectric smoke
detectors (used on the ISS) and collect data for which a numerical formula can
be developed and used to predict smoke droplet growth and to evaluate alternative
smoke detection devices on future spacecraft. |
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| Smoke
Aerosol Measurement Experiment-R (SAME-R) |
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The Smoke Aerosol Measurement Experiments (SAME) is a combustion and
aerosol science flight experiment that investigates the formation
of smoke aerosol (solid particulate and liquid drops) in low gravity. The
purpose of the SAME experiment is to make measurements of the smoke
particle size distribution to enable design of future smoke detection
systems that are more sensitive and specific. The SAME data
is important to the success of Vision for Space Exploration by improving
crew health, safety and mission assurance in that it provides data
necessary to ensure reliable detection of incipient spacecraft fires
should one occur during an exploration mission.
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| The
Boiling Experiment Facility (BXF) |
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 The
Boiling Experiment Facility (BXF) will accommodate two separate investigations,
BXF–MABE (Microheater Array Boiling Experiment) and BXF–NPBX
(Nucleate Pool Boiling Experiment), to examine fundamental boiling phenomena.
BXF is planned for the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) located in
the U.S. Laboratory on the International Space Station (ISS). The purpose
of the BXF is to validate models being developed for heat transfer coefficients,
critical heat flux, and the pool boiling curves. |
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| Investigating
the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates From Colloidal Emulsions
(InSPACE) -2, -3 |
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  InSPACE
is a microgravity fluid physics experiment that will be performed on
the International Space Station (ISS). The purpose of this investigation
is to obtain fundamental data of the complex properties of an exciting
class of smart materials termed magnetorheological (MR) fluids. MR fluids
are suspensions of small (micron-sized) superparamagnetic particles
in a nonmagnetic medium. These controllable fluids can quickly transition
into a nearly solidlike state when exposed to a magnetic field and return
to their original liquid state when the magnetic field is removed. Their
relative stiffness can be controlled by controlling the strength of
the magnetic field. Due to the rapid-response interface that they provide
between mechanical components and electronic controls, MR fluids can
be used to improve or develop new brake systems, seat suspensions, robotics,
clutches, airplane landing gear, and vibration damping systems. |
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| Shear
History Extensional Rheology Experiment (SHERE) |
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 The
resistance of a fluid to an imposed flow is termed a ‘viscosity’,
and is a fundamental material parameter by which manufacturers and end-users
characterize a material. Normally, researchers will place a material
in a commercial instrument that imposes a simple shearing flow, and
will report a rate-dependent shear viscosity. While this level of characterization
is sufficient for some processes, in typical industrial polymer processing
operations, the material experiences a complex flow history with both
shear and extensional kinematic characteristics. |
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| Shear
History Extensional Rheology Experiment-II (SHERE-II) |
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 The Shear History Extensional Rheology Experiment (SHERE) is designed
to investigate of the effect of preshearing on the stress/strain response
of a model viscoelastic suspension (dilute polymer solution filled with
PMMA particles) being stretched in microgravity. This experiment will
look at polymer processing operations that involve complex flows, i.e.
both shearing (”rotation”) and elongation (“stretching”).
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| Coarsening
in Solid-Liquid Mixtures (CSLM) |
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 The
Coarsening in Solid-Liquid Mixtures (CSLM) experiment is a materials
science space flight experiment whose purpose is to investigate the
kinetics of competitive particle growth within a liquid matrix. During
coarsening, small particles shrink by losing atoms to larger particles,
causing the larger particles to grow. In this experiment solid particles
of tin will grow (coarsen) within a liquid lead-tin eutectic matrix.
By conducting this experiment in a microgravity environment, a greater
range of solid volume fractions can be studied, and the effects of convection
present in terrestrial experiments will be negligible. The flight hardware
consists of two separable pieces of equipment, the sample processing
unit (SPU) and the electronic control unit (ECU). |
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| Coarsening
in Solid-Liquid Mixtures-2R (CSLM-2R) |
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Coarsening in Solid-Liquid Mixtures-2 Reflight (CSLM-2R) is a materials
science experiment that will support the development and accuracy
of theoretical models of the Oswald Ripening (coarsening) process. CSLM-2R
will determine the factors controlling the morphology of solid-liquid
mixtures during coarsening.
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| Smoke Point in Coflow
Experiment (SPICE) |
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 The
Smoke Point in Coflow Experiment (SPICE) will observe nonbuoyant round
laminar jet diffusion flames in air coflow at standard temperature and
pressure (STP) to:
- Determine the effects of fuel type, burner diameter
and coflow velocity on smoke point properties.
- Identify test conditions for closed- and open-tip
smoke point behavior and resolve mechanisms of these transitions.
- Determine the effect of fuel type, burner diameter,
and approach to the smoke point on luminous flame shapes.
- Develop and evaluate models of soot formation,
luminous flame shapes and flame radiation.
Data to be obtained from SPICE
include video of flames, digital photographs of flames, radiometer
output, fuel flow velocity, fan voltage, and coflow air velocity.
The purpose of this test was to measure the acoustic emission levels
of SPICE for purposes of comparison with the noise emission limits
for Microgravity Glovebox experiments. |
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| Structure & Liftoff
In Combustion Experiment (SLICE) |
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 Structure and Liftoff in Combustion Experiment (SLICE) is a combustion
science experiment that will extend the SPICE investigation by introducing
additional objectives that relate to flame stability and structure
rather than the smoke point. The SLICE objectives will provide
experimental results that will allow optimization of the ACME Co-flow
Laminar Diffusion Flame experiment, increasing its scientific return.
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| Burning and Suppression
of Solids (BASS) |
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Burning and Suppression of Solids (BASS) is a combustion science experiment
that will bridge the gap between normal gravity NASA-STD-6001 Test
# 1 method, ground based microgravity tests, and actual material
flammability in microgravity. BASS will also assess the effectiveness
of an inert, gaseous extinguishing agent (similar to that used on
ISS) in putting out flames over different material, geometries,
and flow.
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| Capillary
Channel Flow (CCF) |
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 CCF
is a versatile experiment for studying a critical variety of inertial-capillary
dominated flows key to spacecraft systems that cannot be studied on
the ground. Applications of the results of CCF are direct to the portion
of the aerospace community challenged by the containment, storage, and
handling of large liquid inventories (fuels, cryogens, water) aboard
spacecraft. The results are immediately useful for the design, testing,
and instrumentation for verification and validation of liquid management
systems of current orbiting, design stage, and advanced spacecraft envisioned
for future lunar and Mars missions. The results will also be used to
improve life support system design, phase separation, and enhance current
system reliability by designing into the system passive, in this case
capillary redundancies. |
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| Zero Boil-Off Tank
Experiment (ZBOT) |
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 ZBOT
research will aid the design of long-term storage systems for
cryogenic fluids. Simulated by Perfluoro-normal-Pentane (P-n-P).- Obtain 1-g and microgravity two-phase flow data
for pressure control
through mixing and active cooling.
- Verify and validate a Computational Fluid Dynamics
(CFD) model for
cryogenic storage in 1g and microgravity.
- Use data and CFD model to assess and optimize
cryogenic liquid storage
design concepts.
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| Observation and Analysis
of Smectic Islands in Space (OASIS) |
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 The
Observation and Analysis of Smectic Islands In Space (OASIS) experiment
is designed to exploit the unique characteristics of freely suspended
liquid crystals in a microgravity environment to advance the understanding
of fluid state physics.
OASIS is being developed under contract by ZIN Technologies, Inc. The
OASIS sample module flight hardware will be developed from a functional
model of the liquid crystal mixture dispensing system from commercial
off the shelf (COTS) parts and will be designed to be integrated into
the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG). |
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| Packed Bed Reactor Experiment
(PBRE) |
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 The
Packed Bed Reactor Experiment (PBRE) is being developed under the Space
Flight Systems Development and Operations Contract (SpaceDOC), through
the collaboration of ZIN Technologies and the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center (GRC), the International
Space Station (ISS), the University of Houston, the National Center
for Space Exploration Research (NCSER) and NASA Johnson Space Center
(JSC). PBRE is an ISS payload designed to validate the hydrodynamics
of two phased flow in a packed bed reactor operating within a microgravity
environment. Packed bed reactors will be used of future space missions
to purify water and air, two substances essential for human life. |
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| Foam
Optics And Mechanics (FOAM) |
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The objective of the FOAM (Foam Optics And Mechanics) flight experiment
is to study the characteristics of wet foams in the absence of gravity.
The microgravity environment on the ISS will eliminate drainage
of liquid out of the wet foams at high liquid contents. This experiment
is a joint collaborative project between the European Space Agency
(ESA) and NASA. As part of the ISS Non-Exploration Program, Professor
Douglas Durian, University of Pennsylvania, Department of Physics,
participates as the U.S. principal investigator, and is supported
by NASA. Professor Dominique Langevin of the University of Paris
South (UPS) leads the flight project. As part of the international
science team, ESA also supports several additional scientists from
Germany, Ireland, France, Belgium and Sweden, mostly from universities. |
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