Fluid Science Laboratory
Encyclopedia
The Fluid Science Laboratory is a European (ESA's) science payload designed for use in Columbus
built by Alenia Aeronautica
Spazio and OHB-System
. It is a multi-user facility for conducting fluid physics research in microgravity conditions. It can be operated in fully or in semi-automatic mode and can be controlled on board by the ISS
astronaut
s, or from the ground in the so-called telescience mode.
The major objective of performing fluid science experiments in space is to study dynamic phenomena in the absence of gravitational forces. Under microgravity such forces are almost entirely eliminated thereby significantly reducing gravity-driven convection
, sedimentation
and stratification
and fluid static
pressure, allowing the study of fluid dynamic
effects normally masked by gravity. These effects include diffusion-controlled heat and mass transfer
.
The absence of gravity-driven convection eliminates the negative effects of density gradients
(inhomogeneous mass distribution) that arise in processes involving heat treatment, phase transitions, diffusive transport or chemical reaction. Convection in terrestrial processes is a strong perturbing factor, the effects of which are seldom predictable with great accuracy and which dominate heat and mass transfer in fluids.
The ability to accurately control such processes remains limited, and their full understanding requires further fundamental research by conducting well-defined model experiments for developing and testing related theories under microgravity. This should facilitate the optimisation of manufacturing processes here on Earth and improve the quality of high value products, such as semiconductor
s.
The Fluid Science Laboratory fully occupies one International Standard Payload Rack. The Facility Core Element consists of the Optical Diagnostics Module and Central Experiment Module into which the experiment containers are sequentially inserted and operated.
The Optical Diagnostics Module houses the equipment for visual and interferometric observation, their related control electronics and the attachment points and interfaces for Front Mounted Cameras. The Central Experiment Module is divided into two parts:
Experiments must be integrated in an FSL Experiment Container (FSL EC). With a typical mass of 25–30 kg (55.1–66.1 ), a maximum mass of 40 kilograms (88 lb), and standard dimensions of 400x270x280 mm (15.7x10.6x11.0 in), the EC provides ample space to accommodate the fluid cell assembly, including any necessary process stimuli and dedicated electronics.
For observation of experiments the Fluid Science Laboratory includes:
Flight Support Equipment such as spare parts, special tools and consumables (e.g. cleaning agents), Front Mounted Cameras and Optical Reference Targets for experiment and diagnostic calibration will also be available on-board to support customer experiments.
A number of upgrades, partly resulting from new technological developments, are presently under investigation. A decision for their implementation will be taken in the near future. Most notable among these is the Microgravity Vibration Isolation Subsystem (MVIS) developed by the Canadian Space Agency. Scientists may choose to activate MVIS to isolate (via magnetic levitation
) the experiment and optical diagnostics from space station g-jitter perturbations.
FSL is operated according to ESA's decentralised payload operation concept. The Facility Responsible Centre (FRC) for FSL is MARS, located in Naples
, Italy
.
File:233881main_FSL4.jpg| NASA Image: ISS016E031567 - The Fluid Science Laboratory installed in the Columbus laboratory. Image taken during Expedition 16.
File:183431main_FSL1.jpg|The experiment container that will hold the experiment is inserted into the Fluid Science Laboratory for execution of the science protocol.
Columbus (ISS module)
Columbus is a science laboratory that is part of the International Space Station and is the largest single contribution to the ISS made by the European Space Agency ....
built by Alenia Aeronautica
Alenia Aeronautica
Alenia Aeronautica, a Finmeccanica subsidiary, is a European aerospace company from Italy. Its subsidiaries include Alenia Aermacchi and Alenia Aeronavali...
Spazio and OHB-System
OHB-System
OHB-System is a medium-sized spaceflight company located in Bremen, northern Germany, which belongs to the OHB-Technology AG. OHB-System is a systems provider in the areas of telematics, space technology, security and satellite services...
. It is a multi-user facility for conducting fluid physics research in microgravity conditions. It can be operated in fully or in semi-automatic mode and can be controlled on board by the ISS
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
s, or from the ground in the so-called telescience mode.
The major objective of performing fluid science experiments in space is to study dynamic phenomena in the absence of gravitational forces. Under microgravity such forces are almost entirely eliminated thereby significantly reducing gravity-driven convection
Convection
Convection is the movement of molecules within fluids and rheids. It cannot take place in solids, since neither bulk current flows nor significant diffusion can take place in solids....
, sedimentation
Sedimentation
Sedimentation is the tendency for particles in suspension to settle out of the fluid in which they are entrained, and come to rest against a barrier. This is due to their motion through the fluid in response to the forces acting on them: these forces can be due to gravity, centrifugal acceleration...
and stratification
Stratification (water)
Water stratification occurs when water masses with different properties - salinity , oxygenation , density , temperature - form layers that act as barriers to water mixing...
and fluid static
Fluid statics
Fluid statics is the science of fluids at rest, and is a sub-field within fluid mechanics. The term usually refers to the mathematical treatment of the subject. It embraces the study of the conditions under which fluids are at rest in stable equilibrium...
pressure, allowing the study of fluid dynamic
Fluid dynamics
In physics, fluid dynamics is a sub-discipline of fluid mechanics that deals with fluid flow—the natural science of fluids in motion. It has several subdisciplines itself, including aerodynamics and hydrodynamics...
effects normally masked by gravity. These effects include diffusion-controlled heat and mass transfer
Mass transfer
Mass transfer is the net movement of mass from one location, usually meaning a stream, phase, fraction or component, to another. Mass transfer occurs in many processes, such as absorption, evaporation, adsorption, drying, precipitation, membrane filtration, and distillation. Mass transfer is used...
.
The absence of gravity-driven convection eliminates the negative effects of density gradients
Density Gradient
Density gradient is a spatial variation in density over an area. The term is used in the natural sciences to describe varying density of matter, but can apply to any quantity whose density can be measured...
(inhomogeneous mass distribution) that arise in processes involving heat treatment, phase transitions, diffusive transport or chemical reaction. Convection in terrestrial processes is a strong perturbing factor, the effects of which are seldom predictable with great accuracy and which dominate heat and mass transfer in fluids.
The ability to accurately control such processes remains limited, and their full understanding requires further fundamental research by conducting well-defined model experiments for developing and testing related theories under microgravity. This should facilitate the optimisation of manufacturing processes here on Earth and improve the quality of high value products, such as semiconductor
Semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity due to electron flow intermediate in magnitude between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means a conductivity roughly in the range of 103 to 10−8 siemens per centimeter...
s.
The Fluid Science Laboratory fully occupies one International Standard Payload Rack. The Facility Core Element consists of the Optical Diagnostics Module and Central Experiment Module into which the experiment containers are sequentially inserted and operated.
The Optical Diagnostics Module houses the equipment for visual and interferometric observation, their related control electronics and the attachment points and interfaces for Front Mounted Cameras. The Central Experiment Module is divided into two parts:
- The first part contains the suspension structure for the Experiment Containers, including all the functional interfaces and optical equipment, and is designed to be pulled out from the rack to allow insertion and removal of the Experiment Container.
- The second part contains all the diagnostic and illumination equipment and its control electronics to command and monitor the electromechanical and opto-mechanical components. The Facility Core Element is complemented by the functional sub-systems for power distribution, environmental conditioning and data processing and management.
Experiments must be integrated in an FSL Experiment Container (FSL EC). With a typical mass of 25–30 kg (55.1–66.1 ), a maximum mass of 40 kilograms (88 lb), and standard dimensions of 400x270x280 mm (15.7x10.6x11.0 in), the EC provides ample space to accommodate the fluid cell assembly, including any necessary process stimuli and dedicated electronics.
For observation of experiments the Fluid Science Laboratory includes:
- Two-axis visual observation with electronic imaging and photographic back-up via Front Mounted Cameras which provide high speed imaging together with high resolution and colour recording;
- Background, sheet and volume illumination with white light and monochromatic (laser) light sources;
- Particle image velocimetryVelocimetryVelocimetry is the measurement of the velocity of fluids, as often used to solve fluid dynamics problems, or to study fluid networks, as well as in industrial and process control applications, or in the creation of new kinds of fluid flow sensors...
, including liquid crystal tracers for simultaneous velocimetry and thermometry; - Thermographic (infrared) mapping of free liquid surfaces;
- Interferometric observation in two axes by convertible interferometers with active alignment:
- Holographic interferometerHolographic interferometryHolographic interferometry is a technique which enables static and dynamic displacements of objects with optically rough surfaces to be measured to optical interferometric precision . These measurements can be applied to stress, strain and vibration analysis, as well as to non-destructive testing...
; - Wollaston - shearing interferometer;
- Schlieren modeSchlieren photographySchlieren photography is a visual process that is used to photograph the flow of fluids of varying density. Invented by the German physicist August Toepler in 1864 to study supersonic motion, it is widely used in aeronautical engineering to photograph the flow of air around objects...
combined with shearing mode; - Electronic Speckle Pattern InterferometerElectronic speckle pattern interferometryElectronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry , also known as TV Holography, is a technique which uses laser light, together with video detection, recording and processing to visualise static and dynamic displacements of components with optically rough surfaces...
.
- Holographic interferometer
Flight Support Equipment such as spare parts, special tools and consumables (e.g. cleaning agents), Front Mounted Cameras and Optical Reference Targets for experiment and diagnostic calibration will also be available on-board to support customer experiments.
A number of upgrades, partly resulting from new technological developments, are presently under investigation. A decision for their implementation will be taken in the near future. Most notable among these is the Microgravity Vibration Isolation Subsystem (MVIS) developed by the Canadian Space Agency. Scientists may choose to activate MVIS to isolate (via magnetic levitation
Magnetic levitation
Magnetic levitation, maglev, or magnetic suspension is a method by which an object is suspended with no support other than magnetic fields...
) the experiment and optical diagnostics from space station g-jitter perturbations.
FSL is operated according to ESA's decentralised payload operation concept. The Facility Responsible Centre (FRC) for FSL is MARS, located in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Related publications
- Dewandre T, Mundorf H, Tacconi M, Allegra A, Pensavalle E, Winter J. The Fluid Science Laboratory and Its Expereiment Container Program on Columbus. 54th Interantional Astronautical Congress. Bremen, Germany, September - October. . 2003
- Dewandre T, Dubois F, Callens N, Dupont O, Bascou E. Digital Holographic Microscopy fr Emulsions on the Fluid Science Laboratory. International Conference on Space Optics. Toulouse, France. March - April, . 2004
- Dewandre TM, Winter JL. Experiment Containers for ESA's Fluid Science Laboratory. ISPS and Spacebound 2003, Toronto, Canada . 2003
Gallery
File:233881main_FSL4.jpg| NASA Image: ISS016E031567 - The Fluid Science Laboratory installed in the Columbus laboratory. Image taken during Expedition 16.
File:183431main_FSL1.jpg|The experiment container that will hold the experiment is inserted into the Fluid Science Laboratory for execution of the science protocol.