Experimental Investigation of Mass Transfer in Fluid Systems in Microgravity Conditions

Paper number

IAC-07-A2.4.06

Author

Prof. Antonio Viviani, Seconda Universita di Napoli, Italy

Coauthor

Mr. Konstantin G. Kostarev, Russia

Coauthor

Mr. A. V. Shmyrov, Russia

Coauthor

Mr. Andrey L. Zuev, Russia

Coauthor

Mr. V. L. Levtov, Central Research Institute of Machine Building (TSNIIMASH), Russia

Coauthor

Mr. V. V. Romanov, Central Research Institute of Machine Building (TSNIIMASH), Russia

Year

2007

Abstract

Numerous technological experiments have provided much evidence supporting the view that the existence of the interface essentially complicates the character of mass transfer in fluid systems in conditions of low gravitation. The cause of abrupt changes in mass transfer is the Marangoni convection initiated by a local variation of temperature or mixture content at the interface. Investigation of the capillary force action in microgravity until recently was concerned mainly with the problems of semiconductor crystal growth from melts. Therefore actually only thermocapillary sources of motion have been the focus of researcher’s attention whereas the influence of the solutal effects has been passed over.
With the view of filling the gap in this area it is suggested to perform the orbital experiment with a drop of binary mixture consisting of a liquid and a surfactant (surface active substance), which dissolves in water. Investigation will be performed on a new original setup based on the interferometric method. For experimental model it is projected to use a thin Hele Show cell, in which the drop takes the form of a short liquid cylinder with a free lateral surface. The main targets of the experiment are to investigate the structure and evolution of the surfactant concentration field in the drop and the surrounding liquid, to identify characteristic stages of the dissolution process and to determine the effect of the sum acceleration vector on the propagation rate of the diffusion front. 
The paper presents the results of terrestrial simulation for possible variants of dissolution of a binary liquid drop in microgravity conditions. 

Abstract document

IAC-07-A2.4.06.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-07-A2.4.06.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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