NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Scientists and payload developers can get more information on International Space Station research facilities by contacting the ISS Payloads Office or at 281-244-6187.

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Facility/Payload Overview

Brief Facility Summary

The Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL) is used to conduct fluid physics research to study processes like convection and fluid motions in microgravity conditions. Knowledge is applied to development of new fluid systems for future spacecraft design and development of advanced devices.

Facility Manager(s)

Horst Mundorf, European Space Research and Technology Research Centre, Noordwijk, The Netherlands

Co-Facility Manager(s)

Information Pending

Facility Developer

Thales Alenia Space, Turin, Italy

Sponsoring Agency

European Space Agency (ESA)

Expeditions Assigned

|16|17|

Previous ISS Missions

Information Pending

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Facility/Payload Description

Facility Summary

• The FSL provides a central location to perform fluid physics experiments on board ISS. These experiments will give insight into the physics of fluids in space, including aqueous foams, emulsions, convection, and fluid motions.



• The FSL will provide almost all the equipment the investigator requires for their research, minimizing cost and payload weight. This system can be operated remotely, so minimal crew time is required.



• Understanding how fluids behave in microgravity will lead to the development of new fluid delivery systems in future spacecraft design and development.

Description

The major objective of performing fluid science experiments on ISS using the FSL is to study dynamic phenomena in the absence of gravitational forces. Under microgravity, such forces are almost entirely eliminated thereby significantly reducing gravity-driven convection, sedimentation and stratification and fluid static pressure, allowing the study of fluid dynamic effects normally masked by gravity. These effects include diffusion-controlled heat and mass transfer. The absence of gravity-driven convection eliminates the negative effects of density gradients (inhomogeneous mass distribution) that arise in processes involving heat treatment, phase transitions, diffusive transport or chemical reaction. Convection in terrestrial processes is a strong perturbing factor, the effects of which are seldom predictable with great accuracy and which dominate heat and mass transfer in fluids.

The ability to accurately control such processes remains limited on Earth, and their full understanding requires further fundamental research by conducting well-defined model experiments for developing and testing related theories under microgravity. This should facilitate the optimization of manufacturing processes on Earth.

Experiments must be integrated into an FSL Experiment Container (EC). With a typical mass of 30-35 kg, and standard dimensions of 400x270x280 mm³, the EC provides ample space to accommodate the fluid cell assembly, including any necessary process stimuli and dedicated electronics.

The FSL is comprised of the following four major components:

• The Facility Core Element: contains the optical equipment (cameras, interferometers and illumination sources) used for observations of the experiments and two Central Experiment Modules that will house the Experiment Containers.


• Scientific Instrumentation: includes digital cameras, infrared cameras, and the equipment to make particle observations.


• Video Management Unit: processes, distributes and records all the images produced by the FSL.


• Control and Support Equipment: provide the power and control the environment systems for the FSL. This module also provides storage and the workbench for this facility.

The modular design of the FSL is based on a drawer system which will allow for different configurations to accommodate a variety of experiments and easy access for upgrades and repair of the equipment.

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Operations

Facility Operations

The FSL has different operational modes depending on the type of experiment. For the fluid motion in spherical gaps, the facility will require a large amount of electricity to provide a simulated geocentric force. Some experiments will require extreme heat or cold, and the FSL can accommodate them as well. There will also be the necessary avionics, and a fire suppression system within FSL.

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Results/More Information

Information Pending

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Availability

Operated on ISS

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Related Web Sites

This information provided from the Spaceflight at ESA website

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Publications

Results Publications

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Related Publications

• Dewandre T, Mundorf H, Tacconi M, Allegra A, Pensavalle E, Winter J. The Fluid Science Laboratory and Its Expereiment Container Program on Columbus. 54th Interantional Astronautical Congress. Bremen, Germany, September - October. . 2003
• Dewandre T, Dubois F, Callens N, Dupont O, Bascou E. Digital Holographic Microscopy fr Emulsions on the Fluid Science Laboratory. International Conference on Space Optics. Toulouse, France. March - April, . 2004
• Dewandre TM, Winter JL. Experiment Containers for ESA's Fluid Science Laboratory. ISPS and Spacebound 2003, Toronto, Canada . 2003

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Images

The Experiment Container (EC) that will hold the experiment will be inserted into the FSL for execution of the science protocol.
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An artist?s representation of the FSL as it will appear in ESA?s Columbus Orbiting Facility on station.
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FSL facility, image courtesy of ESA.
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NASA Image: ISS016E031567 - FSL installed in the Columbus laboratory. Image taken during Expedition 16.
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Information Provided and Updated by the ISS Program Scientist's Office