Control of electro-osmotic flow
Electro-osmotic mobility of glass capillary is sharply reduced by coating of methyl cellulose. Stable protective layer is formed after approximately ten minute exposures to methyl cellulose solution.
Patterson, W. J.↗
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Apparatus for determining surface tension
System for studying capillary action uses pressure transducer and chart recorder instead of manometer. Apparatus enables measurements to be made under controlled atmospheres. It also may be remotely operated. These features are particularly useful when dealing with noxious liquids and for study of surface tension under high-pressure conditions that require use of all-metal apparatus.
Razouk, R. E.↗
Preparation and characterization of methacrylate hydrogels for zeta potential control
A technique based on the measurement of streaming potentials has been developed to evaluate the effects of hydrophilic coatings on electroosmotic flow. The apparatus and procedure are described as well as some results concerning the electrokinetic potential of glass capillaries as a function of ionic strength, pH, and temperature. The effect that turbulence and entrance flow conditions have on accurate streaming potential measurements is discussed. Various silane adhesion promoters exhibited only a slight decrease in streaming potential. A coating utilizing a glycidoxy silane base upon which methylcellulose is applied affords a six-fold decrease over uncoated tubes. Hydrophilic methacrylate gels show similar streaming potential behavior, independent of the water content of the gel. By introduction of positive or negative groups into the hydrophilic methacrylate gels, a range of streaming potential values are obtained having absolute positive or negative signs.
Gregonis, D. E.↗
Electrophoretic separator for purifying biologicals
This technique separates a single narrow zone of sample mixture in an electrolyte medium into many zones containing a single component of the mixture and electrolyte between them. Since the densities of the separated zones generally differ from that of the intervening medium, such systems are gravitationally unstable and stabilization is required. The various techniques for stabilization include using the capillary space provided by thin films, the interstices of solid material such as filter paper and a variety of gel-forming substances.
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Behavior of fluids in a weightless environment
Fluid behavior in a low-g environment is controlled primarily by surface tension forces. Certain fluid and system characteristics determine the magnitude of these forces for both a free liquid surface and liquid in contact with a solid. These characteristics, including surface tension, wettability or contact angle, system geometry, and the relationships governing their interaction, are discussed. Various aspects of fluid behavior in a low-g environment are then presented. This includes the formation of static interface shapes, oscillation and rotation of drops, coalescence, the formation of foams, tendency for cavitation, and diffusion in liquids which were observed during the Skylab fluid mechanics science demonstrations. Liquid reorientation and capillary pumping to establish equilibrium configurations for various system geometries, observed during various free-fall (drop-tower) low-g tests, are also presented. Several passive low-g fluid storage and transfer systems are discussed. These systems use surface tension forces to control the liquid/vapor interface and provide gas-free liquid transfer and liquid-free vapor venting.
Fester, D. A.↗
An investigation of electrohydrodynamic heat pipes
The principles of electrohydrodynamic heat pip operation are first discussed. Evaporator conductance experiments are then described. A heat pipe was designed in which grooved and ungrooved evaporator surfaces could be interchanged to evaluate the necessity of capillary grooves. Optimum electrode spacing was also studied. Finally, heat convection in evaporating thin films is considered.
Loehrke, R. I.↗
Development of a jet pump-assisted arterial heat pipe
The development of a jet pump assisted arterial heat pipe is described. The concept utilizes a built-in capillary driven jet pump to remove vapor and gas from the artery and to prime it. The continuous pumping action also prevents depriming during operation of the heat pipe. The concept is applicable to fixed conductance and gas loaded variable conductance heat pipes. A theoretical model for the jet pump assisted arterial heat pipe is presented. The model was used to design a prototype for laboratory demonstration. The 1.2 m long heat pipe was designed to transport 500 watts and to prime at an adverse elevation of up to 1.3 cm. The test results were in good agreement with the theoretical predictions. The heat pipe carried as much as 540 watts and was able to prime up to 1.9 cm. Introduction of a considerable amount of noncondensible gas had no adverse effect on the priming capability.
Bienert, W. B.↗
Flat-plate heat pipe
Flat plate (vapor chamber) heat pipes were made by enclosing metal wicking between two capillary grooved flat panels. These heat pipes provide a unique configuration and have good capacity and conductance capabilities in zero gravity. When these flat plate vapor chamber heat pipes are heated or cooled, the surfaces are essentially isothermal, varying only 3 to 5 C over the panel surface.
Marcus, B. D.↗
Metal melting, joining, and alloying under weightlessness
During the Skylab mission experiments were conducted concerning the influence of weightlessness on molten metals and the solidification process. It was found that the absence of gravity-induced thermal convection and sedimentation modified the properties of the bulk melt. A metals melting experiment was conducted to study the behavior of metal melted by an electron beam and to evaluate the feasibility of joining metals in space. An exothermic brazing experiment investigated the spreading, mixing, and capillary flow of molten braze material. The containerless melting and solidification of small samples of several metals was studied in another experiment. A description is also given of a study of the directional solidification of solid solution alloys.
Snyder, R. S.↗
The gas chromatographic resolution of DL-isovaline
Isovaline is of cosmological interest because it is one of the 12 non-protein amino acids which have been isolated from the Murchison meteorite, and unlike the other chiral amino acids in this meteorite, it has no alpha-hydrogen at its asymmetric center and hence cannot racemize by the customary alpha-hydrogen-dependent mechanisms which engender racemization in ordinary amino acids. Experiments were conducted in which a .01 M solution of N-TFA-DL-isovalyl-L-leucine isopropyl ester in nitromethane was injected into the capillary column of a gas chromatograph coupled to a digital electronic integrator-recorder. Efflux times and integrated peak area percents are shown next to each diastereometer peak.
Flores, J. J.↗
Production
The manufacturing tasks and life support systems that would pertain to a space habitat located at the Lagrange equilibrium point L5 are examined. Aluminum and titanium could be obtained from the moon minerals anorthosite and ilmenite, respectively. Although hydrogen required for purifying the metals would probably have to be imported from earth, the L5 project should have abundant energy for the processing. Methods of utilizing various glasses and ceramics common in the moon are being investigated. Manufacturing processes, such as capillary brazing, ceramic melting, laser welding, and other techniques, are considered with respect to their suitability at zero gravity and in a vacuum. With regard to life support, high-intensity agriculture is discussed, with attention to the use of a mirror system to provide continuous illumination.
Hibbs, A. R.↗
A structured surface for high performance evaporative heat transfer
An evaporative surface is described for heat pipes and other two-phase heat transfer applications that consists of a hybrid composition of V-grooves and capillary wicking. Characteristics of the surface include both a high heat transfer coefficient and high heat flux capability relative to conventional open faced screw thread surfaces. With a groove density of 12.6/cm and ammonia working fluid, heat transfer coefficients in the range of 1 to 2 W/sq cm K have been measured, along with maximum heat flux densities in excess of 20 W/sq cm. A peak heat transfer coefficient in excess of 2.3 W/sq cm K at 20 W/sq cm was measured with a 37.8/cm hybrid surface.
Saaski, E. W.↗
Flat-plate heat pipe
Heat pipe has its working fluid sealed between two flat panels rather than in conventional cylindrical housing. Metal wick is installed between planes to provide continuous fluid path in cooperation with capillary groves on inside surfaces of plates. Heat pipe is easily coupled to flat surfaces such as integrated circuit substrates, mirrors, and electronic cold plates and is more effective than conventional heat pipes when removing heat in these applications.
Fleischman, G. L.↗
Study of a high performance evaporative heat transfer surface
An evaporative surface is described for heat pipes and other two-phase heat transfer applications that consists of a hybrid composition of V-grooves and capillary wicking. Characteristics of the surface include both a high heat transfer coefficient and high heat flux capability relative to conventional open-faced screw thread surfaces. With a groove density of 12.6 cm/1 and ammonia working fluid, heat transfer coefficients in the range of 1 to 2 W/sq cm have been measured along with maximum heat flux densities in excess of 20 W/sq cm. A peak heat transfer coefficient in excess of 2.3 W/sq cm was measured with a 37.8 cm/1 hybrid surface.
Saaski, E. W.↗
Heat pipe development
The objective of this program was to investigate analytically and experimentally the performance of heat pipes with composite wicks--specifically, those having pedestal arteries and screwthread circumferential grooves. An analytical model was developed to describe the effects of screwthreads and screen secondary wicks on the transport capability of the artery. The model describes the hydrodynamics of the circumferential flow in triangular grooves with azimuthally varying capillary menisci and liquid cross-sections. Normalized results were obtained which give the influence of evaporator heat flux on the axial heat transport capability of the arterial wick. In order to evaluate the priming behavior of composite wicks under actual load conditions, an 'inverted' glass heat pipe was designed and constructed. The results obtained from the analysis and from the tests with the glass heat pipe were applied to the OAO-C Level 5 heat pipe, and an improved correlation between predicted and measured evaporator and transport performance were obtained.
Bienart, W. B.↗
Mathematical modelling of a human external respiratory system
A closed system of algebraic and common differential equations solved by computer is investigated. It includes equations which describe the activity pattern of the respiratory center, the phrenic nerve, the thrust produced by the diaphragm as a function of the lung volume and discharge frequency of the phrenic nerve, as well as certain relations of the lung stretch receptors and chemoreceptors on various lung and blood characteristics, equations for lung biomechanics, pulmonary blood flow, alveolar gas exchange and capillary blood composition equations to determine various air and blood flow and gas exchange parameters, and various gas mixing and arterial and venous blood composition equations, to determine other blood, air and gas mixing characteristics. Data are presented by means of graphs and tables, and some advantages of this model over others are demonstrated by test results.
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A two-scale scattering model with application to the JONSWAP '75 aircraft microwave scatterometer experiment
The general problem of bistatic scattering from a two scale surface was evaluated. The treatment was entirely two-dimensional and in a vector formulation independent of any particular coordinate system. The two scale scattering model was then applied to backscattering from the sea surface. In particular, the model was used in conjunction with the JONSWAP 1975 aircraft scatterometer measurements to determine the sea surface's two scale roughness distributions, namely the probability density of the large scale surface slope and the capillary wavenumber spectrum. Best fits yield, on the average, a 0.7 dB rms difference between the model computations and the vertical polarization measurements of the normalized radar cross section. Correlations between the distribution parameters and the wind speed were established from linear, least squares regressions.
Wentz, F. J.↗
Heat pipes in space and on earth
The heat pipe is a closed tube whose inner surfaces are lined with a porous capillary wick. The wick is saturated with the liquid phase of a working fluid. The heat supplied at one end of the tube, the evaporator, causes evaporation of the working fluid. The vapor will pass to the other end of the tube, the condenser, where it will condense and release the latent heat of vaporization to a heat sink in that section of the pipe. Problems concerning a design of heat pipes for space applications are related to certain difficulties regarding the prediction of device performance under zero-g conditions. Heat pipes are usually tested on the ground under the influence of gravity, and then their performance is extrapolated to space. A description is presented of the approaches used to insure good heat pipe performance in space. Attention is given to an international heat pipe experiment conducted to accumulate zero-g performance data for several new and unique heat pipe designs, heat pipes for ATS-6, cryogenic heat pipes, and future activities.
Ollendorf, S.↗