Fundamentals Of Low Gravity Fluid Dynamics And Heat Transfer

This book presents the fundamentals of low gravity fluid dynamics and heat transfer. It investigates fluid behavior in low gravity environments such as those found in earth orbiting and space vehicles. The two major fluid phenomena affected by gravity (buoyancy and surface tension) are treated thoroughly from both the theoretical and applications points of view, and limitations of fluid and thermal responses to gravitational fields in space-based settings are clearly delineated. Summaries of all data available from low gravity flight and terrestrial experiments performed to date are also presented.

Contents: Saturn V low-gravity fluid mechanics problems and their investigation by full-scale orbital experiment; An experimental investigation of the dynamic behavior of the liquid-vapor interface under adverse low- gravitational conditions; Inviscid fluid flow in an accelerating axisymmetric container; Some thermal aspects of a contained fluid in a reduced-gravity environment; Distribution of noncondensable gases in liquids under low-g conditions; The fluid mechanics of condensing mercury in a low-gravity environment; Dynamic response of liquids in partially-filled containers suddenly experiencing weightlessness; Low-gravity liquid reorientation; Interfacial stability of liquid layers on elastic surfaces; Sloshing of a liquid in a draining or filling tank under variable-g conditions; The effect of wall elasticity and surface tension on the forced oscillations of a liquid in a cylindrical container; Shape and stability of the liquid-gas interface in a rotating cylindrical tank at low g; Meniscus shape under reduced-gravity conditions; Liquid settling in large tanks; The Martin Company's low-g experimental facility; The application of hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces for phase separation in a low-g environment.

Heat transfer is the area of engineering science which describes the energy transport between material bodies due to a difference in temperature. The three different modes of heat transport are conduction, convection and radiation. In most problems, these three modes exist simultaneously. However, the significance of these modes depends on the problems studied and often, insignificant modes are neglected. Very often books published on Computational Fluid Dynamics using the Finite Element Method give very little or no significance to thermal or heat transfer problems. From the research point of view, it is important to explain the handling of various types of heat transfer problems with different types of complex boundary conditions. Problems with slow fluid motion and heat transfer can be difficult problems to handle. Therefore, the complexity of combined fluid flow and heat transfer problems should not be underestimated and should be dealt with carefully. This book: Is ideal for teaching senior undergraduates the fundamentals of how to use the Finite Element Method to solve heat transfer and fluid dynamics problems Explains how to solve various heat transfer problems with different types of boundary conditions Uses recent computational methods and codes to handle complex fluid motion and heat transfer problems Includes a large number of examples and exercises on heat transfer problems In an era of parallel computing, computational efficiency and easy to handle codes play a major part. Bearing all these points in mind, the topics covered on combined flow and heat transfer in this book will be an asset for practising engineers and postgraduate students. Other topics of interest for the heat transfer community, such as heat exchangers and radiation heat transfer, are also included.

Multiphase thermal systems have numerous applications in aerospace, heat-exchange, transport of contaminants in environmental systems, and energy transport and conversion systems. A reduced - or microgravity - environment provides an excellent tool for accurate study of the flow without the masking effects of gravity. This book presents for the first time a comprehensive coverage of all aspects of two-phase flow behaviour in the virtual absence of gravity.

This 2001 book provides a thorough review of the motion of bubbles and drops in reduced gravity.

The frontier represented by the near solar system confronts humanity with intriguing challenges and opportunities. With the inception of the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) enterprise in 1995, NASA has acknowledged the opportunities and has accepted the very significant challenges. Microgravity Research in Support of Technologies for the Human Exploration and Development of Space and Planetary Bodies was commissioned by NASA to assist it in coordinating the scientific information relevant to anticipating, identifying, and solving the technical problems that must be addressed throughout the HEDS program over the coming decades. This report assesses scientific and related technological issues facing NASA's Human Exploration and Development of Space endeavor, looking specifically at mission enabling and enhancing technologies which, for development, require an improved understanding of fluid and material behavior in a reduced gravity environment.