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The saffire experiment: Large-scale combustion aboard spacecraft

Ferkul, P; Urban, DL; Olson, S; Ruff, GA; Easton, J; T'ien, JS; Liao, YTT; ... Jomaas, G; + view all (2017) The saffire experiment: Large-scale combustion aboard spacecraft. In: Proceedings of the 10th U.S. National Combustion Meeting. Combustion Institute Green open access

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Abstract

As part of the Saffire project, solid materials were burned aboard orbiting spacecraft in two sets of experiments. The materials, mounted within a large air flow duct, were substantially larger than fuel samples in all previous microgravity tests. Large-than-typical samples could be accommodated because the tests were remotely conducted in unmanned ISS supply vehicles just days before their controlled re-entry and burn-up in the atmosphere. In the first experiment, a large cotton-fiberglass fabric measuring 40.6 × 94 cm was burned in two separate tests (concurrent and opposed). In the second experiment, nine samples measuring 5 × 30 cm in area were burned in succession. Of these nine, two were sheets of cotton-fiberglass fabric, identical to the material burned in the first experiment, and were burned in the concurrent-flow configuration. Two digital video cameras were used to record flame behavior and spread rate. Other diagnostics included radiometers, thermocouples, oxygen, and carbon dioxide sensors. Results demonstrate the unique features of purely forced flow in microgravity on flame spread, the dependence of flame behavior on the scale of the experiment, and the importance of full-scale testing for spacecraft fire safety.

Type: Proceedings paper
Title: The saffire experiment: Large-scale combustion aboard spacecraft
Event: The 10th U.S. National Combustion Meeting, 23 - 26 April 2017, College Park, Maryland, USA
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Publisher version: https://www.combustioninstitute.org/resources/publ...
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Microgravity Combustion, Flammability
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Civil, Environ and Geomatic Eng
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10069823
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