Microgravity Science Glovebox / ISS Research Program

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Smoke Aerosol Measurement Experiment (SAME)
	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.



The Boiling Experiment Facility (BXF)
	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.


Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates From Colloidal Emulsions (InSPACE)
	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.


Shear History Extensional Rheology Experiment (SHERE)
	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.


Coarsening in Solid-Liquid Mixtures (CSLM)
	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).


Smoke Point in Coflow Experiment (SPICE)
	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.


Capillary Channel Flow (CCF)
	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.


Zero Boil-Off Tank Experiment (ZBOT)
	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.


Foam Optics And Mechanics (FOAM)
	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.