Table Of ContentMaterials Sciences
in Space
A Contribution
to the Scientific Basis of Space Processing
Edited by
B. Feuerbacher, H. Hamacher
and R. 1. Naumann
With 199 Figures
Springer-Verlag
Berlin Heidelberg NewY ork Tokyo
Prof. Berndt Feuerbacher
Dr.-Ing. Hans Hamacher
DFVLRe.V.
Institute for Space Simulation
Linder Hohe
5000 KOln 90, FRG
Dr. Robert 1. Naumann
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Space Science Laboratory
Alabama 35812, USA
ISBN-13:978-3-642-82763-1 e-ISBN-13:978-3-642-82761-7
DOl: 10.1007/978-3-642-82761-7
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Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1986
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Preface
t~icrogravity research, a new field originating from the accessibility of
space, has reached the age of adolescence. An impressive set of results
has emerged from the fi rst Space 1 ab fl i ght, whi ch by now has been fully
evaluated. In view of this and the wealth of information available from
other space experiments, ground based research, and short-term microgra
vity experiments in ai rp 1 anes, rockets or fall towers, it was felt that
the time was ripe for a comprehensive review of the field.
The initiative of the US to build a permanent station in space, which
was soon followed by a European decision to join this venture, further
focussed attention onto microgravity materials sciences. This originates
from the interesting prospects of a commercial space uti 1 ization, which
would heavily rely on the results of scientific or technical experiments
in space. From this point of view it also seemed timely and essential to
provi de prospective commerci a 1 users with the necessary i nformat i on on
previous experience, and more importantly, with a sound scientific basis
for space processing.
The aim of the present volume consequently is twofold, namely
- to stimulate new scientific experiments in space in order to expand
our knowledge gained from microgravity research, and
to provide industry with the information obtained from space experi
ments sofar and to contribute to the scientific background for commer
cial space utilization.
By its very nature, the field of microgravity research is multidiscipli-
VI
nary. Therefore, a number of experts in vari ous sci ent i fi c di sci p 1 i nes
was selected to give authoritative views in the various chapters of this
volume. The book is written for a broad readership, including graduate
level students, research scientists, up to senior scientists in the
industrial management. Therefore , and in view of the multidisciplinary
aspect, th~ various contributions are not written for the specialist in
the field, but rather for the educated scientist or engineer working on
a different subject area.
The book is divided into four parts. The first three chapters serve as a
general introduction, including the particular aspects of gravity reduc
tion. The second part focuses on the physical phenomena underlying
various space investigations. Here the fundamental background is summari
zed, with special emphasis on those features that include an influence
of gravity. Reference to actual space experiments is made herE: only in
exeptional cases.
Speci fi c poi nts concerni ng hardware for space experiments are di scussed
in Part III. This is followed by a description of case studies and
results in the last part of the book. Here results of experiments
already flown in space are compiled in the various relevant fields,
emphasizing the typical approaches and problems in microgravity experimen
tation. An attempt is made to be exhaustive in available results up to
Space 1a b 1, with a selection of important or characteri st i c future
experiments.
The editors express their thanks to all contributors to this volume,
and to the numerous people involved in the compilation of this text.
They are indebted to NASA, ESA, and the German Aerospace Research
Establishment (DFVLR) for invaluable support. Our special thanks go to
~·1rs. Dagmar Horwath for her indispensable help in the production of
this volume.
Berndt Feuerbacher
Hans Hamacher
Robert J. Naumann
Koln and Huntsville, September 1985
Contributors
Beysens, Daniel
Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique,
F-91191 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
Brown, Robert A.
Massachussetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
MASS 01239, USA
Doreaus, Robert H.
Rensselear Polytechnic Institute, Materials Engineering Department,
Troy, NY 12181, USA
Elleaan, Daniel P.
NASA-Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena,
CA 91109, USA
Favier, Jean-Jacques
Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique, Centre d'Etudes Nucleaires,
F-38041 Grenoble, France
Feuerbacher, Berndt'
Oeutsche Forschungs- und Versuchsanstalt fur Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
Institute for Space Simulation, 0-5000 Koln 90, Fed. Rep. of Germany
Frohberq, Gunter
Technische Universitat Berlin, Joachimstaler Str. 31/32
0-1000 Berlin 15, Fed. Rep. of Germany
Gonfalone, Alain
European Space Agency, NL-2200 AG Noordwijk,
The Netherlands
Haaacher, Hans
Deutsche Forschungs- und Versuchsanstalt fur Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.,
Institute for Space Simulation, 0-5000 Koln 90, Fed. Rep. of Germany
VIII
Haynes, J. Michael
University of Bristol, School of Chemistry, Cantock's Close,
Bristol, England BS8 1TS
Herlach, Dieter M.
Deutsche Forschungs- und Versuchsanstalt flir Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.,
Institute for Space Simulation, 0-5000 Koln 90, Fed. Rep. of Germany
Hurle, Donald T.J.
Royal Signals and Radar Establishment, St. Andrews Road,
Great Malvern, Worc WR14 3PS,
United Kingdom
Langbein, Dieter
Battelle-Institute e.V., Am Romerhof 35,
0-6000 Frankfurt/Main, Fed. Rep. of Germany
Nauaann, Robert J.
NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center, Space Science Laboratory,
Alabama 35812, USA
Saba, Peter R.
Rheinisch-Westfalische Technische Hochschule Aachen,
Foundry-Institute, Intze-Str. 5,
D-5100 Aachen, Fed. Rep. of Germany
Snyder, Robert S.
NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center, Space Science Laboratory,
Alabama 35812, USA
Steinborn, Wolfgang
Deutsche Forschungs- und Versuchsanstalt flir Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.,
Space Oepartment, 0-5000 Koln 90, Fed. R~p. of Germany
Stur., Jorg C.
Rheinisch-Westfalische Technische Hochschule Aachen,
Foundry-Institute, Intze-Str. 5,
D-5100 Aachen, Fed. Rep. of Germany
Walter, Hans-Ulrich
European Space Agency, 8-10 Rue Mario-Nikis,
F-75738 Paris, France
Contents
Part I: Microgravity Materials Sciences
1.J~oductLon. By B. Feuerbacher ................................... 3
1.1 The Space Utilization........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 5
1 .2 The Scientific Basis..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.3 Present State and Future Developments ........................... 9
2.H~to~cal Development. By R.J. Naumann ............................ 11
2.1 Motivation for Microgravity Experiments ......................... 11
2.2 First Experiments........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 13
2.2.1 Drop Tower and Aircraft Experiments ..................... 13
2.2.2 Apollo Experiments.................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 13
2.3 Skylab and Apollo-Soyus Test Project Experiments ................ 16
2.3. 1 Crystal Growth Experiments............ . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. 21
2.3.2 Metallurgical Experiments ............................... 21
2.3.3 Electrophoresis Experiments ............................. 23
2.3.4 Skylab and Apollo-Soyus Experiments in Perspective ...... 24
2.4 SPAR Experiments.......................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . •. . .. 25
2.5 Creation of the Science Base .................................... 27
3.5~on ot W~e4~ne4~. By H. Hamacher ...................... 31
3.1 Free Fall: The Principle to Simulate Weightlessness ............. 31
3.2 Free Fall Trajectories........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 33
3.3 The Orbital Flight.............................................. 34
3.3.1 Atmospheric Drag..................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 36
3.3.2 Solar Radiation Pressure................................ 39
3.3.3 The Extended Spacecraft ................................. 40
3.3.4 G-jitter ................................................ 44
3.4 Other Free-Fall Methods ......................................... 47
3.4.1 Sounding Rockets ........................................ 47
3.4.2 Research Aircrafts ............. ~ ......................... 48
3.4.3 Drop Tubes and Drop Towers .............................. 49
XII
Part II: Physical Phenoaena 53
8ufk
4. Convection and T~an4po~, By R.A. Brown ...................... 55
4. 1 Bulk Fluid Flow................................................. 55
4.2 Scalings for Flow and Species Transport ......................... 59
4.3 Transport Phenomena in Directional Solidification ............... 70
4.4 Transport Phenomena in the Floating Zone ........................ 78
4.5 Drop Dynamics.................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 80
4.6 Summary and Perspective................................ . . . . . . . .. 84
5. D~ffu4~on and A~omLc T~an4po~, By G. Frohberg ..................... 93
5.1 Thermodynamics of Irreversible Processes ........................ 95
5. 1 . 1 Phenomenological Equations.............................. 95
5.1.2 Diffusion ............................................... 96
5.1.3 Transport Effects...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 97
5.1.4 Influence of Gravity on Transport ....................... 100
5.2 Diffusion and Transport in Simple Systems ....................... 101
5.2.1 Reference System ........................................ 101
5.2.2 Simple Solutions of the Continuity Equation ............. 104
5.2.3 The Boltzmann-Matano Method ............................. 106
5.2.4 Experimental Methods and Problems ....................... 107
5.3 Theories of Diffusion Processes in Liquids ...................... 116
5.3.1 Diffusion and Viscosity ................................. 116
5.3.2 Quasicrystalline Models ................................. 117
5.3.3 Model of Critical Volume ................................ 117
5.3.4 Fluctuation Theory ...................................... 117
5.3.5 New Concepts and the Dynamic Structure of Liquid ........ 118
5.3.6 Theories of Transport Processes in Liquids .............. 119
5.3.7 Isotope Effect in Diffusion and Transport ............... 120
5.4 Influence of Diffusion on Related Experiments ................... 121
5.4.1 Solidification and Eutectic Alloys ...................... 121
5.4.2 Ostwald-Ripening ........................................ 124
5.4.3 Separation of Immiscible Liq~ids ........................ 124
5.4.4 Crystallization ......................................... 125
5.5 Conclusions ....................................................... 125
