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Italian Combustion Experiment for Green Air (ICE-GA)
04.26.13

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Overview | Description | Applications | Operations | Results | Publications | Imagery

Experiment Overview

This content was provided by Patrizio Massoli, Dr, and is maintained in a database by the ISS Program Science Office.

Brief Summary

Study of the evaporation and combustion regimes of renewable liquid fuels. Single droplet imaging is used to perform the study. The experiments are carried out on two selected fuels by varying the pressure (0.1 MPa, 0.3 MPa, 0.6 MPa) and the oxygen content (21%, 10%, 0 -pure pyrolysis). The fuels are second/third generation biofuels or fundamental biofuel surrogates.

Principal Investigator(s)

  • Patrizio Massoli, Dr, Istituto Motori, National Council of Research, Naples, Italy

    • Co-Investigator(s)/Collaborator(s)

  • Raffaela Calabria, Dr, Istituto Motori, Naples, Italy

    • Developer(s)

    Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
    Istituto Motori, National Council of Research, Naples, , Italy

    Sponsoring Space Agency

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

    Sponsoring Organization

    Italian Space Agency (ASI)

    Research Benefits

    Information Pending

    ISS Expedition Duration:

    March 2013 - March 2014

    Expeditions Assigned

    35/36,37/38

    Previous ISS Missions

    Information Pending

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    Experiment Description

    Research Overview

    • Currently there is a strong effort in the study of renewable fuels, but it is not still clear what will be the fuel of the future. The generation of a database relative to the evaporation and combustion of selected fuels permits the development or the tuning of complex thermo-chemical models. Microgravity reduces the phenomenology to one-dimension, thus allowing the careful observation and determination of the fundamental combustion data. These data represent the base for the utilization and verification of complex models that can help in the decision for the selection of next generation fuels.


    • The creation of fundamental combustion database of selected renewable fuels. These data are used to develop combustion models.


    • The generation of fundamental combustion data for the development of models able to describe the behavior of new fuels is key to the decision of which class of fuels may be adopted in the future. This will result in gaining time and reducing costs for industrial companies, and also benefits the general public by accelerating the adoption of renewable fuels that are environmentally friendly.

    Description

    The ICE-GA uses the Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) and the associated Multi-user Droplet Combustion Apparatus (MDCA) that is currently in-orbit aboard the ISS. Fuels provided by ASI to NASA will be flown to ISS in MDCA fuel reservoirs. Two reservoirs are anticipated to be required to fulfill the ASI ICE-GA science matrix. An additional diluent gas bottle will be flown to supply sufficient gas pressure and volume within the MDCA chamber. A fiber arm assembly will be flown that can hold a fuel droplet in place such that it does not float out of the field of view. A matched pair of fuel deployment needles may also be required to ensure that the current needles do not contaminate the ASI bio-fuels with previously run fuels.

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    Applications

    Space Applications

    Information Pending

    Earth Applications

    Information Pending

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    Operations

    Operational Requirements

    After initial experiment set-up by the crew, operations are conducted from the ground. Two powered operational configurations are planned, test point acquisitions and data downlink operation. These are expected to occur on separate powered operational days. Typical test point operation will require 1000 watts of power and a video downlink channel for observation of test phenomenon. Digital video data is captured and stored on CIR provided equipment for downlink on separate days. Data downlink days require the ISS HRDL interface with desired allocation of 20 Mbps.

    Operational Protocols

    Information Pending

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    Results/More Information

    Information Pending

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    Results Publications

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    Ground Based Results Publications

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    ISS Patents

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    Related Publications

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    Related Websites

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    Imagery

    Information provided by the investigation team to the ISS Program Scientist's Office.
    If updates are needed to the summary please contact JSC-ISS-Program-Science-Group. For other general questions regarding space station research and technology, please feel free to call our help line at 281-244-6187 or e-mail at JSC-ISS-Research-Helpline.
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