Combustion of Solids in Microgravity: Results from the BASS-II ExperimentThe Burning and Suppression of Solids-II (BASS-II) experiment was performed on the International Space Station. Microgravity combustion tests burned thin and thick flat samples, acrylic slabs, spheres, and cylinders. The samples were mounted inside a small wind tunnel which could impose air flow speeds up to 53 cms. The wind tunnel was installed in the Microgravity Science Glovebox which supplied power, imaging, and a level of containment. The effects of air flow speed, fuel thickness, fuel preheating, and oxygen concentration on flame appearance, growth, spread rate, and extinction were examined in both the opposed and concurrent flow configuration. The flames are quite sensitive to air flow speed in the range 0 to 5 cms. They can be sustained at very low flow speeds of less than 1 cms, when they become dim blue and stable. In this state they are not particularly dangerous from a fire safety perspective, but they can flare up quickly with a sudden increase in air flow speed. Including earlier BASS-I results, well over one hundred tests have been conducted of the various samples in the different geometries, flow speeds, and oxygen concentrations. There are several important implications related to fundamental combustion research as well as spacecraft fire safety. This work was supported by the NASA Space Life and Physical Sciences Research and Applications Division (SLPSRA).
Document ID
20160000593
Acquisition Source
Glenn Research Center
Document Type
Presentation
Authors
Ferkul, Paul V. (National Center for Space Exploration Research on Fluids and Combustion Cleveland, OH, United States)
Bhattacharjee, Subrata (San Diego State Univ. San Diego, CA, United States)
Fernandez-Pello, Carlos (California Univ. Berkeley, CA, United States)
Miller, Fletcher (San Diego State Univ. San Diego, CA, United States)
Olson, Sandra L. (NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Takahashi, Fumiaki (National Center for Space Exploration Research on Fluids and Combustion Cleveland, OH, United States)
T’ien, James S. (Case Western Reserve Univ. Cleveland, OH, United States)
Date Acquired
January 11, 2016
Publication Date
October 23, 2014
Subject Category
Fluid Mechanics And ThermodynamicsPropellants And Fuels
Report/Patent Number
GRC-E-DAA-TN18274
Meeting Information
Meeting: American Society for Gravitational and Space Research Conference
Location: Pasadena, CA
Country: United States
Start Date: October 23, 2014
End Date: October 26, 2014
Sponsors: American Society for Gravitational and Space Research