Digital Video System for TEMPUS on Parabolic Flights

Paper number

IAC-05-A2.5.03

Author

Dr. Rainer Willnecker, Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Wolram Sies, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Wolfram Koerver, Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Frank Muenstermann, Germany

Year

2005

Abstract

For the DLR parabolic flight campaign in 2005 a new digital video system for the TEMPUS facility was designed, built and tested during the flight aboard the A-300 Zero-G. TEMPUS (Tiegelfreies ElektroMagnetisches Prozessieren Unter Schwerelosigkeit) is a facility for containerless processing of metallic samples under microgravity conditions. One subject of research is the determination of viscosity and surface tension of liquid metals. For this purpose two digital cameras have been implemented in the facility and a video rack for the control and recording of the digital video data during the flight was developed by DLR. The new cameras were operated for the surface tension and viscosity measurements up to 150 Hz and it was possible to evaluate data for industrial relevant Al-alloys at their low melting temperatures around 600°C. The video data were recorded on a raid hard disk system with a data transfer rate up to 47MB/s.

The stored digital video data can be analyzed together with the experiment and payload data (sample temperatures, diagnostic sensors, g-level, etc.) by the new application software package TeVi (Tempus Visualization Software). This software provides tools for image processing (defining regions of interest, calculation of the edge of the sample, radii, area), and with the time dependent data of sample radius, area, center of mass etc. a Fast Fourier Transformation can be performed for the frequency analysis of sample motions. As a result the surface tension can be determined from the frequencies of the FFT-spectra; if necessary a Cummings and Blackburn correction (ground based measurements) can be taken into account.  

The new implemented video rack together with the TeVi application software provides an entire support tool for digital video data recording and analysis. From the control of the camera, the recording of the digital data, the time synchronised visualisation of video and experiment data, to the determination of surface tension and viscosity, a full digital image processing tool is available for experiments in microgravity environments. 

Abstract document

IAC-05-A2.5.03.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-05-A2.5.03.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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