Low Gravity Fluid Dynamics And Transport Phenomena

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.

We are extremely grateful to Springer-Verlag and to Prof. Dr. W. BeiglbOck for bring ing out the English edition of our book. We are also thankful to Dr. R. S. Wadhwa for a qualified translation. While preparing the manuscript for translation, we took the opportunity to go through the whole text, make necessary amendments, supplement the original material with new results, and considerably enlarge the lists of references. We hope that this book will serv~ to strengthen the bonds of international coopera tion in this field. July 1986 The authors Translator's Note The final form of the bibliography contains a (free) English translation of all the Russian books and papers published in the USSR. This has been done at the request of the authors and with the concurrence of Prof. BeiglMck. The titles are not always exact, and some of the works have already been translated into English or other European languages. Unfortunately, the authors were not in a position to provide detailed information on this subject. R.S. Wadhwa Preface to the Russian Edition What shall I do ... With their weightlessness In this ponderous world? M. Tsvetaeva, The Poet This book deals with the behavior of a liquid in zero-gravity or conditions close to it. The surge of interest in zero-gravity problems stems from the progress attained in the field of spaceflight, where such conditions can be attained for long periods of time.

In a microgravity experiment, the conditions prevalent in fluid phases can be substantially different from those on the ground and can be exploited to improve different processes. Fluid physics research in microgravity is important for the advancement of all microgravity scients: life, material, and engineering. Space flight provides a unique laboratory that allows scientists to improve their understanding of the behaviour of fluids in low gravity, allowing the investigation of phenomena and processes normally masked by the effects of gravity and thus difficult to study on Earth. Physics of Fluids in Microgravity provides a clear view of recent research and progress in the different fields of fluid research in space. The topics presented include bubles and drops dynamics, Maragoni flows, diffustion and thermodiffusion, solidfication,a nd crystal growth. The results obtained so far are, in some cases, to be confirmed by extensive research activities on the International Space station, where basic and applied microgravity experimentation will take place in the years to come.

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.

Fluid flows that transfer heat and mass often involve drops and bubbles, particularly if there are changes of phase in the fluid in the formation or condensation of steam, for example. Such flows pose problems for the chemical and mechanical engineer significantly different from those posed by single-phase flows. This book reviews the current state of the field and will serve as a reference for researchers, engineers, teachers, and students concerned with transport phenomena. It begins with a review of the basics of fluid flow and a discussion of the shapes and sizes of fluid particles and the factors that determine these. The discussion then turns to flows at low Reynolds numbers, including effects due to phase changes or to large radial inertia. Flows at intermediate and high Reynolds numbers are treated from a numerical perspective, with reference to experimental results. The next chapter considers the effects of solid walls on fluid particles, treating both the statics and dynamics of the particle-wall interaction and the effects of phase changes at a solid wall. This is followed by a discussion of the formation and breakup of drops and bubbles, both with and without phase changes. The last two chapters discuss compound drops and bubbles, primarily in three-phase systems, and special topics, such as transport in an electric field.

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.