Space & Cosmos

Transport phenomena and basic physics explored in the microgravity environment of the ISS

By Patrick O’Neill, International Space Station National Laboratory

Photo of the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

A paper published in Gravitational and Space Research reveals insights gained from research sponsored by the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory on fundamental physical processes, including transport phenomena, momentum, energy, and mass transfer. I am.

Transport phenomena describe how heat and matter move around the environment, for example, how heat radiates from a stove or how scent fills a room. Exploring these dynamics outside of Earth’s gravity could lead to revolutionary advances in pharmaceuticals and other commercial applications.

The ISS National Laboratory gives researchers access to the space station’s permanent microgravity setting to study transport phenomena in ways not possible in ground-based laboratories. Since 2016, the ISS National Laboratory and the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry, Biological Engineering, Environment, and Transport Systems (CBET) have partnered on 43 projects across a variety of scientific disciplines (37 at the time of publication). ) has been supported. heat transfer, combustion, fluid mechanics, etc.

These projects have resulted in valuable scientific discoveries and demonstrate the power of partnerships between ISS national laboratories and government agencies to advance important basic science.

“This latest publication highlights how researchers can use microgravity to isolate and study fundamental physical phenomena that are typically obscured by the forces caused by gravity.” , said Philip Irace, lead author and Scientific Program Director for Research and Innovation at the ISS National Laboratory.

“Our collaboration with NSF will improve access to space and enable groundbreaking basic science research on the ISS in ways that cannot be accomplished on Earth,” he said. “For example, the absence of sedimentation in microgravity environments allows us to study how small particles move under the influence of temperature and surface tension gradients. These discoveries have implications for drug delivery, biosensing, It has the potential to advance applications such as thermal management technology.”

This publication details several important experiments, including a study of spherical cooling diffusion flames and a project investigating fluid dynamics in the absence of buoyancy. “This research paves the way for potential advances in internal combustion engine efficiency, energy production, and materials manufacturing,” said Sean Stevens, senior payload operations project manager at the ISS National Laboratory and co-author of the paper. explains.

“Our research on the ISS allows us to push the boundaries of science,” he said. “Completing these studies has resulted in advances that have the potential to significantly enhance a variety of industries and improve life on Earth.”

More information: Phillip H. Irace et al., ISS National Laboratory Research of Transport Phenomena in Microgravity to Benefit Life on Earth, Gravity and Space Research (2024). DOI: 10.2478/gsr-2024-0010

International Space Station Provided by U.S. National Laboratory

Citation: Transport phenomena and fundamental physics investigated in the microgravity environment of the ISS (November 26, 2024), November 27, 2024 https://phys.org/news/2024-11-phenomena-fundamental- Retrieved from physics-microgravity-iss.html

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