Title

Miscible fluids in microgravity (MFMG): A zero-upmass experiment on the international space station

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

12-1-2005

Abstract

Four runs of the zero-upmass investigation, Miscible Fluids in Microgravity (MFMG), were performed on the ISS. The goal of MFMG is to determine if interfacial phenomena seen with immiscible fluids could be seen with miscible fluids. The experiments had to be performed with existing materials on the ISS. Honey and water were chosen as the fluids, and urine collection syringes were used as the vessels in which the experiments were performed. In March (Increment 8) Dr. Michael Foale performed four experiments under isothermal conditions to determine: If a stream of honey injected into water would exhibit the Rayleigh-Tomotika instability and break into small drops. If an aspherical drop of water in honey would spontaneously assume a spherical shape. The experiments were performed successfully. No behavior beyond simple diffusion was observed, which is allowing us to estimate the maximum possible value of the square gradient parameter in our model with the Navier-Stokes equations plus a Korteweg stress term. During Increment 9, Mike Fiske performed two runs in which a stream of honey was injected into water while the syringe was attached to the surface of the Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA) at approximately 31°C. Preliminary analysis indicates that some fluid motion occurred. It is possible that the apparent migration of the stream was not caused by residual buoyancy-induced convection and therefore may be an indication that Korteweg stresses can be important in miscible fluids.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

43rd AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit - Meeting Papers

First Page

8213

Last Page

8223

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