Analytical and experimental studies of leak location and environment characterization for the international space station

Woronowicz, Michael S.; Abel, Joshua C.; Autrey, David; Blackmon, Rebecca; Bond, Tim; Brown, Martin J.; Buffington, Jesse; Cheng, E. S.; DeLatte, Danielle; Garcia, Kelvin Nascimento; Glenn, Jodie; Hawk, Doug; Ma, Jun; Mohammed, Jelila S.; Garcia, Kristina Montt de; Perry, Radford L.; Rossetti, Dino; Tull, Kimathi; Warren, Eric

doi:10.1063/1.4902641

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Aboard spacecraft, within spacesuits, and even in confined habitats, such as those planned for future Mars or Earth Moon Missions, 1-3 the monitoring of gasses hazardous to humans, experiments, and equipment is paramount for ensuring safe operations. 1,4,5 Detection of toxic gases is necessary in every part of the mission from prelaunch fueling, where volatile fuels such as toxic hydrazine may partially decompose exothermically at room temperature in the presence of exposed catalytically active metallic surfaces, 6 to routine inspection and status monitoring. Even chemically inert gases such as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), at concentrations below asphyxiating limits, can pose an indirect risk to humans by reducing cognitive performance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hazardous Gas Detection Sensor Using Broadband Light-Emitting Diode-Based Absorption Spectroscopy for Space Applications

et al. 2018

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As space travel matures and extended duration voyages become increasingly common, it will be necessary to include arrays of early fire detection systems aboard spacefaring vessels, space habitats, and in spacesuits. As gasses that are relevant to combustion and pyrolysis have absorption features in the midinfrared range, it is possible to utilize absorption spectroscopy as a means of detecting and quantifying the concentration of these hazardous compounds. Within this work, a sensor for detecting carbon dioxide has been designed and tested autonomously on a high-altitude balloon flight. The sensor utilizes a 4.2-mm lightemitting diode source, amplitude modulation to characterize species concentrations, and frequency modulation to characterize ambient temperature. Future work will include expanding the sensor design to detect other gases, and demonstrating suborbital flight capability.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hazardous Gas Detection Sensor Using Broadband Light-Emitting Diode-Based Absorption Spectroscopy for Space Applications

et al. 2018

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“…2 RELL testing and assembly was completed at GSFC, including leak detection tests in a thermal vacuum chamber. 4 Pressure data collected by the RGA was compared with analytical models for a vent/round jet in a rarefied environment. The mass spectrometer was mounted on a translation/rotation stage and moved relative to fixed leak sources near the chamber wall.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Natural and induced environment around the International Space Station (ISS) as observed during on-orbit operations of the Robotic External Leak Locator (RELL)

Fox

Deal

Huang

et al. 2018

Systems Contamination: Prediction, Control, and Performance 2018

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The Robotic External Leak Locator (RELL) was deployed to the International Space Station (ISS) with the goal of detecting and locating on-orbit leaks around the ISS. Three activities to investigate and corroborate the background natural and induced environment of ISS were performed with RELL as part of the on-orbit validation and demonstration conducted in November -December 2016. The first demonstration activity pointed RELL directly in the ram and wake directions for one orbit each. The ram facing measurements showed high partial pressure for mass-to-charge ratio 16, corresponding to atomic oxygen (AO), as well as the presence of mass-to-charge ratio 17. RELL's view in the wake-facing direction included more ISS structure and several Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) on-orbit vents were detected, including the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA), Russian segment ECLSS, and Sabatier vents. The second demonstration activity pointed RELL at three faces of the P1 Truss segment. Effluents from ECLSS and European Space Agency (ESA) Columbus module on-orbit vents were detected by RELL. The partial pressures of mass-to-charge ratios 17 and 18 remained consistent with the first on-orbit activity of characterizing the natural environment. The third demonstration activity involved RELL scanning an Active Thermal Control System (ATCS) radiator. Three locations along the radiator were scanned and the angular position of RELL with respect to the radiator was varied. Mass-to-charge ratios 16 and 17 both had upward shifts in partial pressure when pointing toward the Radiator Beam Valve Modules (RBVMs), likely corresponding to a known, small ammonia leak.

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Design of ultrasonic leak location detector based on FPGA for spacecraft based on orbit

Sun

Pan²,

Hou³

et al. 2022

J. Phys.: Conf. Ser.

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The research on the ultrasonic leak location technology for the spacecraft on orbit environment is of great significance to ensure the long-term on orbit normal operation, eliminate the leakage in time, maintain the cabin environment and ensure the life safety of astronauts. Taking the leakage of the cabin wall structure and gas pipeline of the space station as the research object, the aerodynamic sound source characteristics of on orbit gas leakage are analyzed, and the acoustic characteristics are analyzed and extracted. Based on the theoretical basis, an ultrasonic on orbit leak detector is developed with non-contact ultrasonic sensor and camera as the probe and FPGA as the core processor. The tests are carried out to simulate the vacuum leakage of the sealed cabin structure and the positive pressure leakage of the sealed pipeline, and the leakage ultrasonic signals under different leakage holes are analyzed and processed. According to the magnitude of Eigen values, the leakage point position is determined by patrol inspection to form the detection process. The results show that the aerodynamic ultrasonic signal of gas leakage to vacuum is weak, and the amplitude of sound source signal increases with the increase of leakage hole. The signal characteristic of leakage ultrasound is that there will be an obvious main peak in the frequency band of 40KHz ± 3kHz. The leakage of more than 0.2mm can be effectively detected through patrol inspection, and the positioning accuracy is better than ± 20mm. The research results lay a foundation for on orbit leak detection and rapid positioning of the space station.

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Analytical and experimental studies of leak location and environment characterization for the international space station

Cited by 3 publications

References 4 publications

Hazardous Gas Detection Sensor Using Broadband Light-Emitting Diode-Based Absorption Spectroscopy for Space Applications

Hazardous Gas Detection Sensor Using Broadband Light-Emitting Diode-Based Absorption Spectroscopy for Space Applications

Natural and induced environment around the International Space Station (ISS) as observed during on-orbit operations of the Robotic External Leak Locator (RELL)

Design of ultrasonic leak location detector based on FPGA for spacecraft based on orbit

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