Electrochemical growth of linear conducting crystals in microgravity

Much attention has been given to the synthesis of linear conducting materials. These inorganic, organic, and polymeric materials have some very interesting electrical and optical properties, including low temperature superconductivity. Because of the anisotropic nature of these compounds, impurities and defects strongly influences the unique physical properties of such crystals. Investigations have demonstrated that electrochemical growth has provided the most reproducible and purest crystals. Space, specifically microgravity, eliminates phenomena such as buoyancy driven convection, and could permit formation of crystals many times purer than the ones grown to date. Several different linear conductors were flown on Get Away Special G-007 on board the Space Shuttle Columbia, STS 61-C, the first of a series of Project Explorer payloads. These compounds were grown by electrochemical methods, and the growth was monitored by photographs taken throughout the mission. Due to some thermal problems, no crystals of appreciable size were grown. The experimental results will be incorporated into improvements for the next 2 missions of Project Explorer. The results and conclusions of the first mission are discussed

Safety drain system for fluid reservoir

A safety drain system includes a plurality of drain sections, each of which defines distinct fluid flow paths. At least a portion of the fluid flow paths commence at a side of the drain section that is in fluid communication with a reservoir's fluid. Each fluid flow path at the side communicating with the reservoir's fluid defines an opening having a smallest dimension not to exceed approximately one centimeter. The drain sections are distributed over at least one surface of the reservoir. A manifold is coupled to the drain sections

Airfoil-Shaped Fluid Flow Tool for Use in Making Differential Measurements

A fluid flow tool includes an airfoil structure and a support arm. The airfoil structure's high-pressure side and low-pressure side are positioned in a conduit by the support arm coupled to the conduit. The high-pressure and low-pressure sides substantially face opposing walls of the conduit. At least one measurement port is formed in the airfoil structure at each of its high-pressure side and low-pressure side. A first manifold, formed in the airfoil structure and in fluid communication with each measurement port so-formed at the high-pressure side, extends through the airfoil structure and support arm to terminate and be accessible at the exterior wall of the conduit. A second manifold, formed in the airfoil structure and in fluid communication with each measurement port so-formed at the low-pressure side, extends through the airfoil structure and support arm to terminate and be accessible at the exterior wall of the conduit

Self-Contained Compressed-Flow Generation Device for Use in Making Differential Measurements

A device used in making differential measurements of a flow includes a flow obstruction and a support arm. The flow obstruction's forward portion is a nose cone. The flow obstruction's aft portion is coupled to the nose cone. The support arm's first end is coupled to an exterior wall of a conduit, and its second end is coupled to the forward portion of the flow obstruction. The support arm positions the flow obstruction in the conduit such that a flow region is defined around its nose cone, and such that the support arm's first and second end are separated from one another with respect to a length dimension of the conduit. Measurement ports are provided in the support arm and flow obstruction. Manifolds extending through the flow obstruction and support arm couple the ports to points at the exterior wall of the conduit

Self-contained Tubular Compressed-flow Generation Device for Use in Making Differential Measurements

A device used in making differential measurements of a flow includes an open-ended tubular flow obstruction and a support arm. The flow obstruction has an outer annular wall and an inner annular wall. The support arm has a first end coupled to an exterior wall of a conduit and a second end coupled to the flow obstruction. The support arm positions the flow obstruction in the conduit such that a first flow region is defined around the flow obstruction's outer annular wall and a second flow region is defined by the flow obstruction's inner annular wall. The support arm's first end and second end are separated from one another with respect to a length dimension of the conduit. Measurement ports provided in the flow obstruction are coupled to points at the exterior wall of the conduit by manifolds extending through the flow obstruction and support arm

Paper Session III-A - Prototype Aerogel Insulation for Melamine-Foam Substitute: Critical Space Station Express Rack Technology

There is a current lack of environmentally acceptable foams to insulate Long-Duration Human Spaceflight Missions, including the experimental Express Rack for Space Station. A recent 60- day manned test in a sealed chamber at JSC was nearly aborted, because of persistently high formaldehyde concentrations in the chamber. Subsequent investigation showed that the source was melamine foam (used extensively for acoustic insulation). The thermal and acoustic potential for melamine-foam substitutes is evaluated for scale-up to a silica-based foam and aerogel, which is environmentally benign for long duration space flight. These features will be discussed in reference to an aerogel prototype to: 1) assemble material strength data for various formulated aerogels, both silica and organic carbon aerogels; 2) assemble the aerogel into panels of mylar/vacuum-encapsulated rigid boards which can be molded in various shapes and rigidities; and 3) describe a process for space applications for formaldehyde-free, long duration thermal and acoustic insulators

Microbial Diffraction Gratings as Optical Detectors for Heavy Metal Pollutants

As a significant industrial pollutant, cadmium is implicated as the cause of itai-itai disease. For biological detection of cadmium toxicity, an assay device has been developed using the motile response of the protozoa species, Tetrahymena pyriformis. This mobile protozoa measures 50 microns in diameter, swims at 10 body lengths per second, and aggregates into macroscopically visible patterns at high organism concentrations. The assay demonstrates a Cd(+2) sensitivity better than 1 micro-M and a toxicity threshold to 5 micro-M, thus encouraging the study of these microbial cultures as viable pollution detectors. Using two-dimensional diffraction patterns within a Tetrahymena culture, the scattered light intensity varies with different organism densities (population counts). The resulting density profile correlates strongly with the toxic effects at very low dosages for cadmium (less than 5 ppm) and then for poison protection directly (with nickel and copper antagonists competing with cadmium absorption). In particular, copper dosages as low as 0.1-0.5 mM Cu have shown protective antagonism against cadmium, have enhanced density variability for cultures containing 1 mM Cd(+2) and therefore have demonstrated the sensitivity of the optical detection system. In this way, such microbial diffraction patterns give a responsive optical measure of biological culture changes and toxicity determination in aqueous samples of heavy metals and industrial pollutants

Effects of Microgravity on the Formation of Aerogels

This paper describes research to investigate fundamental aspects of the effects of microgravity on the formation of the microstructure of metal oxide alcogels and aerogels. We are studying the role of gravity on pore structure and gel uniformity in collaboration with Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) on gelling systems under microgravity conditions. While this project was just initiated in May 1998, related research performed earlier is described along with the plans and rationale for the current microgravity investigation to provide background and describe newly developing techniques that should be useful for the current gellation studies. The role of gravity in materials processing must be investigated through the study of well-mastered systems. Sol-gel processed materials are near-perfect candidates to determine the effect of gravity on the formation and growth of random clusters from hierarchies of aggregated units. The processes of hydrolysis, condensation, aggregation and gellation in the formation of alcogels are affected by gravity and therefore provide a rich system to study under microgravity conditions. Supercritical drying of the otherwise unstable wet alcogel preserves the alcogel structure produced during sol-gel processing as aerogel. Supercritically dried aerogel provides for the study of material microstructures without interference from the effects of surface tension, evaporation, and solvent flow. Aerogels are microstructured, low density open-pore solids. They have many unusual properties including: transparency, excellent thermal resistance, high surface area, very low refractive index, a dielectric constant approaching that of air, and extremely low sound velocity. Aerogels are synthesized using sol-gel processing followed by supercritical solvent extraction that leaves the original gel structure virtually intact. These studies will elucidate the effects of microgravity on the homogeneity of the microstructure and porosity of aerogel. The presence of poorly controlled microporosity in aerogel leads to material non-uniformity that gives rise to increased light scattering. Investigation of the effect of gravity driven solute flows within microclusters and their effect on condensation and agglomeration reactions will enable us to improve the preparation and properties of aerogel. Increased clarity of images viewed through aerogel and decreased scattering from the pores of aerogel will significantly improve the prospects for large-scale adoption of aerogel in such applications as transparent insulating windows, high performance thermal insulation, and Cherenkov detectors

Gravitational Effects on Closed-Cellular-Foam Microstructure

Polyurethane foam has been produced in low gravity for the first time. The cause and distribution of different void or pore sizes are elucidated from direct comparison of unit-gravity and low-gravity samples. Low gravity is found to increase the pore roundness by 17% and reduce the void size by 50%. The standard deviation for pores becomes narrower (a more homogeneous foam is produced) in low gravity. Both a Gaussian and a Weibull model fail to describe the statistical distribution of void areas, and hence the governing dynamics do not combine small voids in either a uniform or a dependent fashion to make larger voids. Instead, the void areas follow an exponential law, which effectively randomizes the production of void sizes in a nondependent fashion consistent more with single nucleation than with multiple or combining events