Read it here!

The study led by C. Peromingo, P. Salgado Sánchez, D. Gligor, A. Bello, and J. Rodríguez, published in Physics of Fluids (2023), addresses innovative methods to reduce sloshing in microgravity environments. Simulations were conducted to identify the optimal shape, number, and arrangement of baffles in a rectangular tank. Additionally, temperature modulation was introduced to counteract the original sloshing motion.

Findings: The findings demonstrated that the ideal combination of baffles and temperature modulation reduced sloshing decay time by over 80%. This strategy showed significant potential to enhance liquid stability in microgravity environments.

Applications and Significance: The developed methods have potential applications across various domains, from propulsion systems and water storage in space missions to terrestrial uses, including liquid transport in trucks, manned and unmanned aerial vehicles, and offshore oil extraction plants.

Conclusions: The study highlights the importance of innovative techniques in controlling sloshing in microgravity, underscoring their relevance not only in space missions but also in numerous terrestrial systems.

Cross-shaped baffles

You can also read here the AIP article.

La entrada Slowing sloshing in space: Exploring innovative techniques aparece primero en E-USOC.

In her own words “[…] I think it´s really incredible science so I’m looking forward to DCMIX team […] thank you guys I hope you get some cool results. […]“

Wilco! Thanks to you Kate, you are indeed our rock star!

Source: NASA

– [Kate Rubins] Copy Houston…And Hunstville Station on Space to Ground 2 for SODI.

– [Paycom] With you on 2, Kate.

– [Kate Rubins] I just wanted to let you know the photos are available for downlink on SSC20 and Andria, you are an absolute rock star! Thank you for being a fantastic PAYCOM, and getting us through a complex and very cool set up today and I just want to take a moment to say thank you to the all of the folks at Hunstville that are doing operations, the SODI team, the MSG team. You guys are really impressive with what you’re able to do with these procedures. It’s really smooth getting the stuff in, even when we hit a little snag we figure it out quickly, and I think it´s really incredible science so I’m looking forward to the DCMIX team. I’m not exactly an expert on tripartite hydrocarbon mixtures but, it’s very cool. I’ve actually been reading up on it because it’s so interesting. I didn’t know a lot about thermodiffusion, on how microgravity affects thermodynamic modelling, but it´s really a fascinating example of the kind of variety of science we have up here so thank you guys, I hope you get some cool results. And also to Munich, to Uwe. Thank you very much for the training at EAC. I still remember that class and that helped me out a lot with the big picture today. So I appreciate it, to all those folks.

– [Paycom] Thanks Kate, Hunstville copies all and will pass on all those good words, and considering we started the activity with a couple of screws loose, I think we did pretty well.

– [Kate Rubins] I was saying the same thing, so thank you so much again!

La entrada SODI-DCMIX: happy to see you again! aparece primero en E-USOC.

After 13 months of continuous operations and more than 260 GB of science data generated, science campaign for GeoFlow-2 can be considered a huge success, overpassing all expectative and giving more results than initially expected. GeoFlow-2 objective was to generate further results to check and improve numeric models of the Earth mantle. That information complements the results obtained by geological phenomena numeric simulators, confirming or ameliorating their conclusions.

The experiment has investigated the flow of an incompressible viscous fluid (alkanol 1-Nonanol) held between two concentric spheres. A central force field was introduced by applying a high voltage difference between the two spheres. Maintaining the inner sphere at a higher temperature to the outer sphere also created a temperature gradient from inside to outside. Finally both spheres rotated at up to 2Hz. This geometrical configuration can be seen as a representation of the Earth, where the role of gravity is played by the central electric field; nevertheless the unidirectional term due to real gravity had to be eliminated, being that the main reason why microgravity was fundamental for this experiment.

Understanding and controlling fluid flow in a spherical geometry under the influence of rotation will also be useful in a variety of engineering applications, such as improving spherical gyroscopes and bearings, and centrifugal pumps. Furthermore, study of effects, which serve to simulate the central gravity field, will find applications in areas such as high-performance heat exchangers and in the study of electroviscous phenomena. It will also help to understand the motion of liquids in several ground-based industrial applications where injected ions are a source of charge, e.g. in electrostatic precipitators and ion-drag pumps.

GeoFlow-2, as its predecessor, works inside the Fluid Science Laboratory onboard Columbus. GeoFlow-2 operations, performed by the E-USOC in collaboration with MARS (Microgravity Advanced Research and Support Centre), ended in May 2012, and are expected to be resumed under the name of GeoFlow-2B before 2013.

More information:

La entrada Discover GeoFlow-2: an Earth model inside the ISS aparece primero en E-USOC.

Source: E-USOC

This second attempt was requested by scientists to clarify the following scientific aspects detected after the thorough experiment analysis from the COLLOID data obtained last year:

After three weeks of operations inside the MSG rack, COLLOID-2 objectives were fulfilled, generating around 93 GB of scientific data. This successful science achievement came together with the completion of 10.000 hours of MSG work on board the ISS.

COLLOID container was removed from MSG rack on 4th October 2011 and stored temporarily in the ISS for its further disposal. The Flash disk containing all the scientific data will be downloaded next spring within the new SpaceX-1 spacecraft, providing the scientists with a good set of valuable data for their research.

Related links:

La entrada COLLOID-2: diving into colloidal structures aparece primero en E-USOC.

Fuente: E-USOC

ESA has invited schoolchildren aged between 12 -14 years to join the Greenhouse in Space project. This experiment, carried out by the Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli, consists of growing flowering plants inside two separate small greenshouses set up in the Columbus laboratory and follows their germination over a two-month period. Students on the ground will make the observations of the plants in their own mini greenhouse and compare the results with Paolo’s space experiment, by means of both recorded and live-link activity for educational events.

The 5th year students from CEIP Luis Buñuel, a bilingual school located in the town of Alcobendas, have joined to conduct this experiment and have yet requested their mini greenhouse kit. On the 17th of February they came to our premises to follow a live event with real time video from the International Space Station, in which the astronaut watered the seeds of the space greenhouse for the first time.

The event was also followed by many students taking part in this exciting educational initiative from different schools all over Europe. They asked interesting questions to the astronaut like ‘how oxygen is generated on the ISS’ or ‘how many times do they have day and night at the ISS’ amongst others. The most stunning moment for our young science enthusiast visitors was Paolo’s demonstration about microgravity, when he made a big water drop to float in front of the camera before ending up in his mouth.

Click on this link to watch the streaming video for this activity.

Growing plants in space will be crucial for the astronauts of the future. When flying to Mars or even further, it will be necessary to produce fresh food onboard and become partially self-sufficient. Setting up greenhouses on the Moon, Mars or other planetary bodies will also be an important part of future exploration missions.

Greenhouses also provide oxygen and bring some life to the bleakness of space. Caring for plants is a good way to maintain memories of Earth and an enjoyable way to pass time during the long and possibly boring interplanetary cruise.

Ext. Source: ESA news – A greenhouse in space

MagISStra is the third six-month stay by a European astronaut on the Station, a fascinating mission pursuing the ISS triple goal: bringing the benefits of space science, technology and education from space back to Earth.

Nespoli will contribute to the scientific exploitation of Europe’s Columbus laboratory by carrying out an intensive programme of experiments, ranging from radiation monitoring to visual perception studies, which it is worth mentioning ESA’s novel 3D camera that will show unprecedented images of the ISS.

Ext. Source: ESA MagISStra Press Kit (pdf 5.95 MB)

La entrada Students from the school Luis Buñuel visit E-USOC to follow a live event: ‘Greenhouse in Space’ aparece primero en E-USOC.

Source: ESA

Last January 28th, IVIDIL was finally deinstalled, and officially successfully finished. A space experiment, from the operative point of view, is always a great challenge, since so many people from so many different working fields and specialties are involved. The intervention and commitment of quite a big number of actors from the American, Canadian and European space agencies and teams have made possible quick and effective solutions to all issues found during the preparation and execution of this experiment.

E-USOC has lead the task to coordinate scientific team needs and top industry developers knowledge and experience, also has been in charge of the planning and execution of the experiment onboard the Columbus module, and of the implementation of all necessary changes to get the best results with the limited available time and resources derived from working in such a special environment as the ISS.

A great effort, rewarded by outstanding results has been made from all sides in the demanding field of space operations

More information:

La entrada SODI IVIDIL Operations finished aparece primero en E-USOC.