Study of the combustion process on the ISS

Study of the combustion process on the ISS

If you want to reduce the amount of pollutants created by human activity, then where to experiment? See above! To be precise, go up 250 miles above the Earth to the ISS, where astronauts are conducting a series of studies to find out more details about the burning process.

Why burning? The fact is that approximately 85% of the energy we use comes from the process of burning some kind of fuel. Somewhere 70% of electricity is generated by power plants that use combustion. Also, fuel combustion is used in most vehicles. The more information we get about the process, the better we will understand how to replace it.

Now researchers are conducting three series of experiments examining the combustion process from different sides. The fire extinguishing experiment (FLEX) studied the burning of one drop of fuel under microgravity conditions. The last experiment was conducted in September 2017.

The ACME experience began in November 2017 and consists of 6 large experiments, each of which takes 5 months. They consider how different gases burn without gravity. Solid fuel experiments (SoFIE) investigate the burning characteristics of a solid.

Why consider incineration in microgravity? The fact is that there are conditions on the ISS that cannot be reproduced on Earth. For example, if you look at a burning candle, it is noticeable that its flame flickers. Why? Hot gases rise, and cool and denser air precipitates them. The flow occurs at high speeds, due to which turbulence and instability are formed. However, on the ISS, you will not notice flicker, which means we can understand how to burn fuel more efficiently.

Increased efficiency will save in the production of electricity. Such experiments play an especially important role in improving fire safety. A striking example is a new type of fire extinguisher.

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