Preliminary Numerical Studies for the Improvement of the Ventilation System of the Crew Quarters on Board of the International Space Station

摘要

The current concept of Crew Quarters (CQ) aboard the ISS has several issues as recorded by NASA and ESA, the most important ones pertaining to the noise levels and the accumulation of CO2. Currently, 13% and 6%, respectively, of the total mass and volume of a CQ are allocated to acoustic reductions. Interplanetary missions, unlike the low orbit ISS, would likely not allow this level of mass and volume penalty. This paper presents numerical models of the airflow inside the enclosure which were developed as a preliminary approach of our team to aid in the proposal of two different air distribution strategies for the CQ existing on the ISS. The CFD models feature a simplified and detailed version of al thermal manikin which simulates the posture of the human body during sleep and recreational activities. These preliminary simulations were run for a zero-gravity scenario and are concerned mainly with the airflow parameters and temperature buildup inside the CQ.