Physics Commons^™

Development Of Optimal Bubble-Seeding Microheaters To Study Nucleate Boiling Heat Transfer In Microgravity, Ryan Martineau, Iggy Matheson, Landon Hillyard

Posters

Heat management is a critical issue facing engineers of spaceflight systems. Nucleate boiling has high heat transfer rates, but further study is needed to apply this method effectively to a heat transfer system in a microgravity environment. The USU Get Away Special (GAS) team is conducting a series of experiments aboard NASA's "Weightless Wonder" aircraft to further understanding of nucleate boiling activity in microgravity. Two specific focuses of the current experiment are determining optimal surface geometries of microheater arrays designed to induce nucleate boiling and constructing a lighting and video system to spatially and temporally resolve the anticipated jets of …

Boil, Boil, Toil, And Trouble - Connecting With The Community Through Microgravity Boiling Experiments, Troy Munro, Andrew Fassmann, Heng Ban, John R. Dennison

All Physics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Design And Construction Of A Microgravity Boiling Experiment, Troy Munro

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Improved Methods For Teaching Science, Stephanie Peterson, Sara Scott

Browse All Undergraduate research

Utah State University’s Get Away Special (GAS) team will conduct research aboard NASA's microgravity research aircraft, the “vomit comet,” through the Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities program. Team members come from mechanical and aerospace engineering, computer science, physics, science education, and business backgrounds. The team will spend ten days this summer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and perform experiments on the aircraft to better understand nucleate boiling, a potential method of efficient heat transfer in space.

Photoelectric Charging By Ultraviolet Light Of A Lunar Dust Simulant In A Microgravity Environment, Troy Munro, Andrew Fassmann

Posters

A microgravity experiment to test the electrostatic behavior of a lunar dust simulant being charged through the photoelectric effect will expand understanding of the charging characteristics of dust particles and may lead to a possible mitigation solution. With a design based upon Robert Millikan’s oil-drop experiment, this experiment is designed to observe the interactions of a lunar dust simulant without the conflicting effect of a dominant gravitational force. The dust particles will be charged by means of a lamp capable of photon energies necessary to emit electrons by the photoelectric effect. In the presence of an axial electric field, the …

Microgravity Experiments For The Iss, Justin Koeln, Jan Sojka

Posters

The Get Away Special (GAS) team is a microgravity research team known for leading Utah State University to the impressive distinction of flying more experiments in space than any other university in the world. The following experiments were designed by the GAS team after receiving the opportunity to develop and experiment to be performed by a Space Flight Participant aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Space Research Projects For The International Space Station, Kyle Hodgson

Posters

Space Italian Dressing Experimental Setup (SIDES) examines the dynamics of fluid segregation between fluids of differing densities. While in space the fluids will not undergo buoyant or convective forces, thus isolating the affects of separation due to density and molecular forces. The experiment will serve as an outreach experiment in addition to gleaning scientific data; mixtures are a topic of study in the 5th grade curriculum.

The objective of International Paper Airplanes in Space (IPAS) is to excite children about space research by giving them a chance to take part in it. IPAS includes collecting paper airplanes made by elementary-school …

Thin Wire Nucleate Boiling Of Water In Sustained Microgravity, Justin P. Koeln, Heng Ban, John R. Dennison

All Physics Faculty Publications

The advancement of small satellite technology relies on the development of effective thermal management systems that can be made smaller, safer, and more robust. This paper presents the results and analysis of a nucleate boiling experiment in sustained microgravity aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor (STS-108). Bubble growth and departure were observed from a single and a braid of three 0.16 mm diameter and 80 mm long nickel-chromium resistive wires. Analysis showed that the braided wire provides a unique surface configuration to enhance the onset of boiling. The braid of wires was also observed to produce several bubble explosions; this is …

Microgravity Experiments For The Iss, Justin Koeln, Jan Sojka

Posters

The Get Away Special (GAS) team is a microgravity research team know for leading Utah State University to impressive distinction of flying more experiments in space than any other university in the world. The following experiments were designed by the GAS team after receiving the opportunity to develop and experiment to be performed by a Space Flight Participant aboard the International Space Station (ISS).