The fluids and Combustion facility and first payloads, the multi-user droplet combustion apparatus and the light microscopy module: enabling research on the iss
- Paper number
IAC-06-A2.1.07
- Author
Mr. Terence O'Malley, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Glenn Research Center, United States
- Coauthor
Dr. Karen Weiland, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Glenn Research Center, United States
- Coauthor
Mr. Frank Gati, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Glenn Research Center, United States
- Coauthor
Dr. Myron Hill, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Glenn Research Center, United States
- Coauthor
Mr. Robert Corban, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Glenn Research Center, United States
- Coauthor
Mr. John Snead, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Glenn Research Center, United States
- Coauthor
Mr. Craig A. Myhre, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Glenn Research Center, United States
- Year
2006
- Abstract
The Fluids and Combustion Facility (FCF) is an International Space Station (ISS) research facility designed to support physical and biological research and exploration-related technology experiments in space. The FCF consists of two modular, reconfigurable racks called the Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) and the Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR). The CIR will accommodate experiments that address critical needs in the areas of spacecraft fire safety (i.e., fire prevention, detection and suppression), flame spread, sooting, in-situ resource utilization, environmental monitoring and materials synthesis. The FIR will accommodate experiments that address critical needs for advanced life support (i.e., air revitalization, water reclamation, etc.), power, propulsion, and spacecraft thermal control systems. Specific investigations could include: boiling heat transfer, multiphase flow, and liquid/vapor evaporation/condensation. The CIR provides a large environmental chamber in which the space environment or Lunar, Mars, or other planetary surface environments can be simulated. Other features include a fluid/oxidizer management assembly, digital cameras, a gas chromatograph, and, after initial crew set-up, ground-based experiment commanding. The CIR can also serve as a test bed for technology demonstrations and concepts for exploration missions on board the ISS. The FIR provides a large, contiguous volume for experimental hardware, easily reconfigurable diagnostics, customizable software, active rack-level vibration isolation, data acquisition and management and various other subsystems that will support a wide range of uses. It can also serve as a platform for experiments that address human health and performance, medical technologies, and biosciences. The initial payload in the CIR is the Multi-User Droplet Combustion Apparatus (MDCA), which will perform the Droplet Flame Extinguishment in Microgravity experiment (FLEX). MDCA consists of two major components: a Chamber Insert Assembly and an Avionics Package. The Chamber Insert Assembly is a platform for the mounting of internal components such as the droplet dispensing, deployment, and ignition mechanisms and radiometers. The Avionics Package provides for the command, control, and data handling of the experiment. The initial FIR payload is the Light Microscopy Module (LMM), which will perform the Constrained Vapor Bubble (CVB) experiment. The LMM is an automated, fully motorized sub-rack mini-facility based on the Leica RXA microscope. The capabilities of the LMM include Brightfield, Darkfield, Phase Contrast, and Differential Interference Contrast imaging techniques. Filters are available to perform fluorescence microscopy. LMM also provides a range of microscope objectives up to 100X oil immersion. The LMM system provides one level of containment for frangible materials.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-06-A2.1.07.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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