Development of a Rotary Separator Accumulator for Use on the International Space Station

Samplatsky, Darren; Dean, W. Clark

doi:10.4271/2002-01-2360

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…The drops are recorded with three Photron MC-2 Fastcam highspeed cameras mounted in front of each container. The cameras are operated at 500 fps with a resolution of 512 × 512 px 2 . This high frame rate requires strong illumination, which is made possible by LED strips that diffusely and homogeneously illuminate the liquid container.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…"Introduction", electrolyzers stand out as some of the most interesting applications. Electrolyzers are utilized for oxygen production in the Oxygen Generation Assembly on the International Space Station and suffer from the absence of buoyancy as gas bubble removal from the electrode surface is hindered 1,2,7,8 . The first studies of this phenomenon were carried out in the 1960s within the frame of developing a reliable spacecraft environmental control system for oxygen production 83 .…”

Section: Bubble-bubble Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Numerous phase separation methods have been developed for microgravity conditions. Centrifuges 1,2 , forced vortical flows 3,4 , rocket firing 5,6 , membranes 7,8 , and surface-tensionbased technologies 9,10 , which include wedge geometries [11][12][13][14] , springs 15 , eccentric annuli 16 , microfluidic channels 17 , or porous substrates 18,19 , among others, are the most traditional solutions. As an alternative, the use of electrohydrodynamic forces has been studied since the early 1960s 20 and successfully tested for boiling [21][22][23] , two-phase flow management 24,25 , and conduction pumping 26 applications.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Magnetic phase separation in microgravity

et al. 2022

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The absence of strong buoyancy forces severely complicates the management of multiphase flows in microgravity. Different types of space systems, ranging from in-space propulsion to life support, are negatively impacted by this effect. Multiple approaches have been developed to achieve phase separation in microgravity, whereas they usually lack the robustness, efficiency, or stability that is desirable in most applications. Complementary to existing methods, the use of magnetic polarization has been recently proposed to passively induce phase separation in electrolytic cells and other two-phase flow devices. This article illustrates the dia- and paramagnetic phase separation mechanism on MilliQ water, an aqueous MnSO4 solution, lysogeny broth, and olive oil using air bubbles in a series of drop tower experiments. Expressions for the magnetic terminal bubble velocity are derived and validated and several wall–bubble and multi-bubble magnetic interactions are reported. Ultimately, the analysis demonstrates the feasibility of the dia- and paramagnetic phase separation approach, providing a key advancement for the development of future space systems.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Bubble-bubble Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Magnetic phase separation in microgravity

et al. 2022

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“…The first investigations of water electrolyzers for space applications date back to the 1960s 1,2 , when the main obstacles with developing the technology for space applications were identified: on Earth, the gravitational acceleration gives rise to buoyancy which leads to the detachment of gas bubbles from the electrode surface and a separation of oxygen and hydrogen gas bubbles from the liquid electrolyte. Given the near-absence of buoyant forces in reduced gravitational environments, alternative strategies (e.g., rotating water electrolyzers) have been investigated to artificially introduce gravitation and phase-separation 3,4 , although this is associated with an additional energy cost. Water electrolysis has been investigated intensively in microgravity environments (10 −2 g-10 −6 g) over the past three decades in order to increase the efficiency of devices utilized on spacecrafts and on the International Space Station (ISS) and to understand the governing interfacial processes at the electrode-electrolyte interface [5][6][7][8] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrolysis in reduced gravitational environments: current research perspectives and future applications

et al. 2022

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Electrochemical energy conversion technologies play a crucial role in space missions, for example, in the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) on the International Space Station (ISS). They are also vitally important for future long-term space travel for oxygen, fuel and chemical production, where a re-supply of resources from Earth is not possible. Here, we provide an overview of currently existing electrolytic energy conversion technologies for space applications such as proton exchange membrane (PEM) and alkaline electrolyzer systems. We discuss the governing interfacial processes in these devices influenced by reduced gravitation and provide an outlook on future applications of electrolysis systems in, e.g., in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technologies. A perspective of computational modelling to predict the impact of the reduced gravitational environment on governing electrochemical processes is also discussed and experimental suggestions to better understand efficiency-impacting processes such as gas bubble formation and detachment in reduced gravitational environments are outlined.

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Spacecraft Thermal Management

Hurlbert

2010

Encyclopedia of Aerospace Engineering

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All spacecraft must include a thermal control system (TCS) to maintain equipment and/or crew within tolerable temperature limits during the mission. This chapter provides an overview of spacecraft thermal control systems design and development, with descriptions of the passive and active subsystems and associated components. The necessary steps in the design process are also provided, including establishing mission and system requirements, characterizing the mission environments, developing the design concept and models, and planning a test program to ensure the system functions as expected.

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Development of a Rotary Separator Accumulator for Use on the International Space Station

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

Magnetic phase separation in microgravity

Magnetic phase separation in microgravity

Electrolysis in reduced gravitational environments: current research perspectives and future applications

Spacecraft Thermal Management

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