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Determination of the Influence
of Capillary Effects on Two-Phase Flow in Microgravity in Non-Circular
Conduits
For fluid systems in which power
comes at a premium, spontaneous phase separations facilitated by capillary
effects provides an efficient and effective solution to spontaneous phase
separation. This becomes particularly relevant in microgravity situations
such as exist on spacecraft and the ISS. Heretofore, capillary solutions
have been established for fluid systems with well-known and favorable wetting
angles, but have yet to be utilized for less favorable conditions. This project explores the
possibility of implementing such capillary solutions in aqueous systems, such
as life support, in which wetting angles can vary widely. The method of approach will be to
study the effectiveness of various full-scale conduit cross-section
geometries that employ a guiding interior corner when compared to various
two-phase flow rate ratios. The apparatus will be designed and
fabricated to allow for the observation of the flow behavior in the conduit,
operated both in a 1-g environment and aboard NASA’s low-g aircraft. The data
will be collected via digital camera, followed by analysis of the flow
characteristics of each trial. The 1-g experiments will serve as a baseline
for comparison of the low-g trials. The results of this project should
allow for a better understanding of capillary flow and enable design of
passive fluid flow systems for unfavorable wetting conditions in
microgravity. |
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