Microgravity Combustion Payload Accommodations in the International Space Station Fluids and Combustion Facility

摘要

The Fluids and Combustion Facility (FCF) will support sustained, systematic microgravity combustion science and fluid physics research aboard the International Space Station (ISS). It will consist of three on-orbit racks in the ISS United States Laboratory Module. The combustion integrated rack (CIR) will be uniquely configured to support microgravity combustion research. Combustion experiment equipment will be installed on-orbit to customize the CIR for many different experiments during the ten or more years it will operate aboard the ISS. Studies are planned of laminar flames, reaction kinetics, droplet and spray combustion, flame spread, fire and fire suppressants, condensed-phase organic fuel combustion, turbulent combustion, soot and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and flame-synthesized materials. The CIR will be used for international and commercial investigations, as well as for research sponsored by NASA and the United States government. This paper overviews payload accommodations, science diagnostics, and capabilities to assist researchers in formulating experiments and in defining hardware concepts for microgravity combustion experiments in the FCF aboard the ISS.