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NASA NTRS2012

Lunar Topography: Results from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter

The Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has been operating nearly continuously since July 2009, accumulating over 6 billion measurements from more than 2 billion in-orbit laser shots. LRO's near-polar orbit results in very high data density in the immediate vicinity of the lunar poles, with full coverage at the equator from more than 12000 orbital tracks averaging less than 1 km in spacing at the equator. LRO has obtained a global geodetic model of the lunar topography with 50-meter horizontal and 1-m radial accuracy in a lunar center-of-mass coordinate system, with profiles of topography at 20-m horizontal resolution, and 0.1-m vertical precision. LOLA also provides measurements of reflectivity and surface roughness down to its 5-m laser spot size. With these data LOLA has measured the shape of all lunar craters 20 km and larger. In the proposed extended mission commencing late in 2012, LOLA will concentrate observations in the Southern Hemisphere, improving the density of the polar coverage to nearly 10-m pixel resolution and accuracy to better than 20 m total position error. Uses for these data include mission planning and targeting, illumination studies, geodetic control of images, as well as lunar geology and geophysics. Further improvements in geodetic accuracy are anticipated from the use of re ned gravity fields after the successful completion of the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission in 2012.

Neumann, Gregory↗

NASA NTRS1986

Low-gravity impact experiments: Progress toward a facility definition

Innumerable efforts were made to understand the cratering process and its ramifications in terms of planetary observations, during which the role of gravity has often come into question. Well known facilities and experiments both were devoted in many cases to unraveling the contribution of gravitational acceleration to cratering mechanisms. Included among these are the explosion experiments in low gravity aircraft, the drop platform experiments, and the high gravity centrifuge experiments. Considerable insight into the effects of gravity was gained. Most investigations were confined to terrestrial laboratories. It is in this light that the Space Station is being examined as a vehicle with the potential to support otherwise impractical impact experiments. The results of studies performed by members of the planetary cratering community are summarized.

Cintala, M. J.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Experiment plans to study preignition processes of a pool fire in low gravity

Science requirements are specified to guide experimental studies of transient heat transfer and fluid flow in an enclosure containing a two-layer gas-and-liquid system heated unevenly from above. Specifications are provided for experiments in three separate settings: (1) a normal gravity laboratory, (2) the NASA-LeRC Drop towers, and (3) a space-based laboratory (e.g., Shuttle, Space Station). A rationale is developed for both minimum and desired requirement levels. The principal objective of the experimental effort is to validate a computational model of the enclosed liquid fuel pool during the preignition phase and to determine via measurement the role of gravity on the behavior of the system. Preliminary results of single-phase normal gravity experiments and simulations are also presented.

Schiller, David N.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Fluid dynamics and solidification of levitated drops and shells

The fluid dynamic investigaton of simple free liquid drops is described based on ground-based and low-gravity experimental results. The behavior of compound drops and liquid shells as described in recent theoretical and experimental studies is discussed. Experimental investigations using both levitation devices and drop tubes are considered in the case of 1-g laboratory investigations, highlighting the advantages and drawbacks of both techniques.

Trinh, E. H.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Gravitational physiology of human immune cells: a review of in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro studies

The study of the function of immune cells in microgravity has been studied for more than 20 years in several laboratories. It is clear today that the immune system is depressed in more than 50% of the astronauts during and after space flight and that the activation of T lymphocytes by mitogens in vitro changes dramatically. This article gives an overview of the gravitational studies conducted by our laboratory in Spacelab, in MIR station, in sounding rockets and on the ground in the clinostat and the centrifuge. Three experimental approaches are followed in our work: (i) Ex vivo studies are performed with blood samples drawn from astronauts; (ii) in vivo studies are based on the application of seven antigens to the skin of the astronauts; (iii) in vitro studies are carried out with immune cells purified from the blood of healthy donors (not astronauts). The data from our in vivo and ex vivo studies are in agreement with those of other laboratories and show that the immunological function is depressed in the majority of astronauts as a consequence of the stress of space flight rather than by a direct influence of gravity on the cell. Immune depression may become a critical hazard on long duration flights on space stations or to other planets. In vitro experiments show that cultures of free-floating lymphocytes and monocytes undergo a dramatic depression of activation by the mitogen concanavalin A, while activation is more than doubled when the cells are attached to microcarrier beads. Such effects may be attributed to both direct and indirect effects of gravitational unloading on basic biological mechanisms of the cell. While the in vitro data are very important to clarify certain aspects of the biological mechanism of T cells activation, they are not descriptive of the changes of the immunological function of the astronauts.

Review↗

NASA NTRS1990

On the facet-skeletal transition of snow crystals - Experiments in high and low gravity

A laboratory investigation of the influence of air velocity on the growth of columnar ice crystals from the vapor over the range -3 to -5 C shows that the linear growth velocity increases and that columns transform to sheath crystals or needles as air velocity increases from a few cm/s to 40 cm/s. Comparison with a similar transition of plates to dendrites shows that, macroscopically, in both cases the facets sprout rounded tips at a critical velocity which is lower for higher ambient supersaturation. Studies in low gravity show that chamber scale convection under normal gravity may have significant influence on growth even in the absence of an imposed air velocity. Falling snow crystals become more skeletal in shape as they grow and fall with increasing velocity. This development depends critically on temperature (+ or - 0.5 C) and demonstrates that the snow crystal shape is even more dependent on environmental growth conditions that previously thought.

Alena, T.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Atmospheric measurements using the LAMP lidar during the LADIMAS campaign

The results of the LAtitudinal DIstribution of Middle Atmosphere Structure (LADIMAS) experiment have provided a unique data set to improve our understanding of the middle atmosphere. The project included shipboard and rocket range coordinated measurements between 70 deg N to 65 deg S to study the structure, dynamics, and chemistry of the atmosphere. Results on important dynamical processes, such as gravity waves, tidal components, as well as the formation of the layers of meteoric ion and neutral species, were obtained with lidar, digisonde, microwave radiometer, and spectrometers. The cooperative study of the atmosphere was undertaken by researchers from several laboratories, including Penn State University (PSU), University Bonn, University Wuppertal, Lowell University, and others. Several of the parameters studied have never been measured before over such a wide range of latitudes. Instruments were assembled aboard the German research vessel RV POLARSTERN while this vessel was sailing from the Arctic to the Antarctic seas between 8 Oct. 1991 - 2 Jan. 1992. This paper presents an introduction to the data gathered by the PSU investigation with the Lidar Atmospheric Measurements Program (LAMP) lidar.

Philbrick, C. R.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Exploiting the Temperature Dependence of Magnetic Susceptibility to Control Convection in Fundamental Studies of Solidification Phenomena

It is well known that convection is a dominant mass transport mechanism when materials are solidified on Earth's surface. This convection is caused by gradients in density (and therefore gravitational force) that are brought about by gradients in temperature, composition or both. Diffusion of solute is therefore dwarfed by convection and the study of fundamental parameters, such as dendrite tip shape and growth velocity in the absence of convection is nearly impossible. Significant experimental work has therefore been carried out in orbiting laboratories with the intent of minimizing convection by minimizing gravity. One of the best known experiments of this kind is the Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment (IDGE), supported by NASA. Naturally such experiments are costly and one objective of the present investigation is to develop an experimental method whereby convection can be- halted, in solidification and other experiments, on the surface. A second objective is to use the method to minimize convection resulting from the residual accelerations suffered by experiments in microgravity. The method to be used to minimize convection relies on the dependence of the magnetic susceptibility of a fluid on temperature or composition (whichever is driving convection). All materials experience a force when placed in a magnetic field gradient. The direction and magnitude of that force depend on the magnetic susceptibility of the material. Consequently the force will vary if the susceptibility varies with temperature or composition. With a magnetic field gradient in the right direction (typically upward) and of the right magnitude, this variation in the magnetic force can be made to exactly cancel the variation in the gravitational force. Expressed another way, normal buoyancy is exactly countered by a "magnetic buoyancy". To demonstrate the principle, a solution of MnC12 in water has been used. First the variation of the susceptibility of this paramagnetic solution with temperature and concentration was measured. Then a "cell", containing this solution and 50mm long by 15mm high by 155mm wide, was placed in a superconducting magnet at Marshall Space Flight Center. The magnetic field was measured at various positions within the bore of the magnet using a Hall effect probe. In this way, a position was found where the magnetic field gradient was predominantly upward; the magnitude of the gradient could then be adjusted by adjusting the current of the magnet. The ends of the cell consisted of machined copper blocks maintained at controlled temperatures by circulating water from constant temperature baths. The walls of the cell were of rectangular section glass tubing so that the cell contents could be seen. Velocities arising from thermal gradients within the cell were measured by particle image velocimetry (PIV). Particles used for this purpose were silver-coated hollow glass spheres of micrometers diameter and nearly the same density as the solution. A central vertical plane of the cell was illuminated by a laser beam passing through a cylindrical lens. Digital images of the particles were captured on a CCD camera and fed to a computer so that frame-to-frame movements of particles traveling with the fluid were captured. These images were employed to compute velocity maps using commercial PIV software. In a typical experiment the cold end of the cell was maintained at 10C and the warm end at 30 C. With no current in the magnet, i.e.- with natural -convection allowed to occur, the fluid was observed to circulate with an average speed of approximately 0.3 millimeters per second. It was visually apparent that this circulation was diminished as the current was increased. At currents of approximately 20A the flow was halted, to within the precision of the PIV measurements. At yet higher currents the convection was reversed with the hotter solution sinking and the cooler solution rising. At 40A this reversed convection had speeds averaging 0.43 millimeters per second. The measurements of susceptibility and density allow an estimate of the field gradient necessary to halt convection in the experiment. That estimate was 7.8T (squared) per meter and the convection was observed to halt in the magnet at a current giving 7.21T (squared) per meter from the magnetic field measurements. Calculations of the flow have been carried out using the computational fluid dynamics software FLUENT and show good agreement with the measurements.

Seybert, C. D.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Exploiting the Temperature Dependence of Magnetic Susceptibility to Control Convective in Fundamental Studies of Solidification Phenomena

Seybert, C.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Molecular and cellular aspects of calcium action in plants

Calcium is known to be a second messenger in many developmental processes in animal systems, but it has only recently become evident that Ca is an important intracellular messenger in plants as well. The level of free Ca concentration in the cytoplasm is extremely low, and it is influenced by extracellular signals such as light, gravity, and hormones. Investigations from our laboratory indicated that Ca and its binding protein, calmodulin, play an important role in stimulus-response coupling by regulating enzyme activities, especially through protein phosphorylation. In vivo and in vitro protein phosphorylation studies have revealed Ca-dependent changes in various plant tissues. We have also been able to influence various physiological processes such as cell elongation, abscission, senescence, and tuberization by altering extracellular and intracellular Ca levels. Other examples of Ca-mediated processes in plants are as follows: a) cell division, b) geotropism, c) protoplasmic streaming, d) stomatal control, e) chloroplast movement, f) secretion, g) hormone-dependent changes, h) enzyme activation, and i) protein phosphorylation.

NASA Program Space Biology↗

NASA NTRS1998

Fiber-Supported Droplet Combustion Experiment-2

A major portion of the energy produced in the world today comes from the burning of liquid hydrocarbon fuels in the form of droplets. Understanding the fundamental physical processes involved in droplet combustion is not only important in energy production but also in propulsion, in the mitigation of combustion-generated pollution, and in the control of the fire hazards associated with handling liquid combustibles. Microgravity makes spherically symmetric combustion possible, allowing investigators to easily validate their droplet models without the complicating effects of gravity. The Fiber-Supported Droplet Combustion (FSDC-2) investigation was conducted in the Microgravity Glovebox facility of the shuttles' Spacelab during the reflight of the Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL- 1R) on STS-94 in July 1997. FSDC-2 studied fundamental phenomena related to liquid fuel droplet combustion in air. Pure fuels and mixtures of fuels were burned as isolated single and duo droplets with and without forced air convection. FSDC-2 is sponsored by the NASA Lewis Research Center, whose researchers are working in cooperation with several investigators from industry and academia. The rate at which a droplet burns is important in many commercial applications. The classical theory of droplet burning assumes that, for an isolated, spherically symmetric, single-fuel droplet, the gas-phase combustion processes are much faster than the droplet surface regression rate and that the liquid phase is at a uniform temperature equal to the boiling point. Recent, more advanced models predict that both the liquid and gas phases are unsteady during a substantial portion of the droplet's burning history, thus affecting the instantaneous and average burning rates, and that flame radiation is a dominant mechanism that can extinguish flames in a microgravity environment. FSDC-2 has provided well-defined, symmetric droplet burning data including radiative emissions to validate these theoretical models for heptane, decane, ethanol, and methanol fuels. Since most commercial combustion systems burn droplets in a convective environment, data were obtained without and with convective flow over the burning droplet (see the following photos).

Colantonio, Renato O.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Time-dependent computational studies of flames in microgravity

The research performed at the Center for Reactive Flow and Dynamical Systems in the Laboratory for Computational Physics and Fluid Dynamics, at the Naval Research Laboratory, in support of the NASA Microgravity Science and Applications Program is described. The primary focus was on investigating fundamental questions concerning the propagation and extinction of premixed flames in Earth gravity and in microgravity environments. The approach was to use detailed time-dependent, multispecies, numerical models as tools to simulate flames in different gravity environments. The models include a detailed chemical kinetics mechanism consisting of elementary reactions among the eight reactive species involved in hydrogen combustion, coupled to algorithms for convection, thermal conduction, viscosity, molecular and thermal diffusion, and external forces. The external force, gravity, can be put in any direction relative to flame propagation and can have a range of values. A combination of one-dimensional and two-dimensional simulations was used to investigate the effects of curvature and dilution on ignition and propagation of flames, to help resolve fundamental questions on the existence of flammability limits when there are no external losses or buoyancy forces in the system, to understand the mechanism leading to cellular instability, and to study the effects of gravity on the transition to cellular structure. A flame in a microgravity environment can be extinguished without external losses, and the mechanism leading to cellular structure is not preferential diffusion but a thermo-diffusive instability. The simulations have also lead to a better understanding of the interactions between buoyancy forces and the processes leading to thermo-diffusive instability.

Oran, Elaine S.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Mathematical model investigation of long-term transport of ocean-dumped sewage sludge related to remote sensing

An existing, three-dimensional, Eulerian-Lagrangian finite-difference model was modified and used to examine the transport processes of dumped sewage sludge in the New York Bight. Both in situ and laboratory data were utilized in an attempt to approximate model inputs such as mean current speed, horizontal diffusion coefficients, particle size distributions, and specific gravities. The results presented are a quantitative description of the fate of a negatively buoyant sewage sludge plume resulting from continuous and instantaneous barge releases. Concentrations of the sludge near the surface were compared qualitatively with those remotely sensed. Laboratory study was performed to investigate the behavior of sewage sludge dumping in various ambient density conditions.

Kuo, C. Y.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Lithium Battery Space Experiment

The In-Space Technology Experiments Program selected the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to conduct a Phase A study of the Lithium Battery Experiment. The experiment will mark the first time a rechargeable lithium battery will be flown in space. The operation of the battery involves lithium deposition and dissolution processed. Micro gravity influences these processes significantly. The experiment will check the rate capability, discharge voltage, capacity and the phenomena affecting cycle life. The paper describes the design and methodology of this experiment.

Mueller, R.↗

NASA NTRS1976

JPL Activated Carbon Treatment System (ACTS) for sewage

An Activated Carbon Treatment System (ACTS) was developed for sewage treatment and is being applied to a one-million gallon per day sewage treatment pilot plant in Orange County California. Activities reported include pyrolysis and activation of carbon-sewage sludge, and activated carbon treatment of sewage to meet ocean discharge standards. The ACTS Sewage treatment operations include carbon-sewage treatment, primary and secondary clarifiers, gravity (multi-media) filter, filter press dewatering, flash drying of carbon-sewage filter cake, and sludge pyrolysis and activation. Tests were conducted on a laboratory scale, 10,000 gallon per day demonstration plant and pilot test equipment. Preliminary economic studies are favorable to the ACTS process relative to activated sludge treatment for a 175,000,000 gallon per day sewage treatment plant.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2012

Combustion, Complex Fluids, and Fluid Physics Experiments on the ISS

From the very early days of human spaceflight, NASA has been conducting experiments in space to understand the effect of weightlessness on physical and chemically reacting systems. NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio has been at the forefront of this research looking at both fundamental studies in microgravity as well as experiments targeted at reducing the risks to long duration human missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond. In the current International Space Station (ISS) era, we now have an orbiting laboratory that provides the highly desired condition of long-duration microgravity. This allows continuous and interactive research similar to Earth-based laboratories. Because of these capabilities, the ISS is an indispensible laboratory for low gravity research. NASA GRC has been actively involved in developing and operating facilities and experiments on the ISS since the beginning of a permanent human presence on November 2, 2000. As the lead Center for combustion, complex fluids, and fluid physics; GRC has led the successful implementation of the Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) and the Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) as well as the continued use of other facilities on the ISS. These facilities have supported combustion experiments in fundamental droplet combustion; fire detection; fire extinguishment; soot phenomena; flame liftoff and stability; and material flammability. The fluids experiments have studied capillary flow; magneto-rheological fluids; colloidal systems; extensional rheology; pool and nucleate boiling phenomena. In this paper, we provide an overview of the experiments conducted on the ISS over the past 12 years.

Motil, Brian↗

NASA NTRS2012

Combustion, Complex Fluids, and Fluid Physics Experiments on the ISS

From the very first days of human spaceflight, NASA has been conducting experiments in space to understand the effect of weightlessness on physical and chemically reacting systems. NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio has been at the forefront of this research looking at both fundamental studies in microgravity as well as experiments targeted at reducing the risks to long duration human missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond. In the current International Space Station (ISS) era, we now have an orbiting laboratory that provides the highly desired condition of long-duration microgravity. This allows continuous and interactive research similar to Earth-based laboratories. Because of these capabilities, the ISS is an indispensible laboratory for low gravity research. NASA GRC has been actively involved in developing and operating facilities and experiments on the ISS since the beginning of a permanent human presence on November 2, 2000. As the lead Center both Combustion, Fluid Physics, and Acceleration Measurement GRC has led the successful implementation of an Acceleration Measurement systems, the Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR), the Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) as well as the continued use of other facilities on the ISS. These facilities have supported combustion experiments in fundamental droplet combustion fire detection fire extinguishment soot phenomena flame liftoff and stability and material flammability. The fluids experiments have studied capillary flow magneto-rheological fluids colloidal systems extensional rheology pool and nucleate boiling phenomena. In this paper, we provide an overview of the experiments conducted on the ISS over the past 12 years. We also provide a look to the future development. Experiments presented in combustion include areas such as droplet combustion, gaseous diffusion flames, solid fuels, premixed flame studies, fire safety, and super critical oxidation processes. In fluid physics, experiments are discussed in multiphase flows, capillary phenomena, and heat pipes. Finally in complex fluids, experiments in rheology and soft condensed materials will be presented.

Motil, Brian↗

NASA NTRS1993

Time-dependent Computational Studies of Premixed Flames in Microgravity

This report describes the research performed at the Center for Reactive Flow and Dynamical Systems in the Laboratory for Computational Physics and Fluid Dynamics, at the Naval Research Laboratory, in support of NASA Microgravity Science and Applications Program. The primary focus of this research is on investigating fundamental questions concerning the propagation and extinction of premixed flames in earth gravity and in microgravity environments. Our approach is to use detailed time-dependent, multispecies, numerical models as tools to simulate flames in different gravity environments. The models include a detailed chemical kinetics mechanism consisting of elementary reactions among the eight reactive species involved in hydrogen combustion, coupled to algorithms for convection, thermal conduction, viscosity, molecular and thermal diffusion, and external forces. The external force, gravity, can be put in any direction relative to flame propagation and can have a range of values. Recently more advanced wall boundary conditions such as isothermal and no-slip have been added to the model. This enables the simulation of flames propagating in more practical systems than before. We have used the numerical simulations to investigate the effects of heat losses and buoyancy forces on the structure and stability of flames, to help resolve fundamental questions on the existence of flammability limits when there are no external losses or buoyancy forces in the system, to understand the interaction between the various processes leading to flame instabilities and extinguishment, and to study the dynamics of cell formation and splitting. Our studies have been able to bring out the differences between upward- and downward-propagating flames and predict the zero-gravity behavior of these flames. The simulations have also highlighted the dominant role of wall heat losses in the case of downward-propagating flames. The simulations have been able to qualitatively predict the formation of multiple cells and the cessation of cell-splitting. Our studies have also shown that some flames in a microgravity environment can be extinguished due to a chemical instability and without any external losses. However, further simulations are needed to more completely understand upward-propagating and zero-gravity flames as well as to understand the potential effect of radiative heat losses.

Kailasanath, K.↗