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Fluid Physics Experiment Facility (FPEF)
02.27.09
Scientists and payload developers can get more information on International Space Station research facilities by contacting the ISS Payloads Office or at 281-244-6187.

Overview | Description | Applications | Operations | Results | Publications | Images

Facility/Payload Overview

Brief Facility Summary

Fluid Physics Experiment Facility (FPEF) is a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) subrack facility which will investigate fluid physics phenomena in microgravity. FPEF is housed in the Ryutai (fluid) Experiment Rack, along with the Solution Crystallization Observation Facility (SCOF), Protein Crystallization Research Facility (PCRF) and the Image Processing Unit (IPU).

Facility Manager(s)

  • Nakamura Tai, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tsukuba-shi, Japan

    • Co-Facility Manager(s)

    Information Pending

    Facility Developer

    Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tsukuba-shi, Japan

    Sponsoring Agency

    Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

    Expeditions Assigned

    |17|18|19|20|21|22|

    Previous ISS Missions

    Information Pending

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    Facility/Payload Description

    Facility Summary

    • Fluid Physics Experiment Facility (FPEF) is a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) subrack facility which will investigate fluid physics phenomena in microgravity in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM), Kibo, on board the International Space Station (ISS).


    • FPEF is located within the Ryutai (fluid) Experiment Rack with the Solution Crystallization Observation Facility (SCOF), Protein Crystallization Research Facility (PCRF) and the Image Processing Unit (IPU) subrack facilities.

    Description

    Fluid Physics Experiment Facility (FPEF) is a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) subrack facility, located in the Ryutai (fluid) Rack, which will investigate fluid physics phenomena in microgravity. The FPEF consists of the core section and the mission section. The core section contains observing equipment, control equipment, and miscellaneous experiment support systems. The mission section, referred to as the experiment cell, is exchangeable according to the purpose of the experiment.

    The FPEF's observation capabilities include liquid bridge overview observation, three-dimensional flow field observations, ultrasonic velocity profile measurement, and surface-flow rate observation to observe the flow pattern of the Marangoni Convection (liquid is put in motion as if stirred by an invisible spoon) in the sample inside the experiment cell.

    FPEF is housed in Ryutai, a JAXA multipurpose payload rack system that transports, stores and supports experiments and subrack facilities aboard the International Space Station (ISS) along with the following JAXA subrack facilities:

    • Solution Crystallization Observation Facility (SCOF) is equipped with several microscopes to simultaneously measure changes in morphology and growth conditions (temperature and concentration) of crystals.

    • Protein Crystallization Research Facility (PCRF) controls peltier elements (acts as a heat pump) which provide temperature profiles suitable for target proteins.

    • Image Processing Unit (IPU) receives image data from various subrack facilities and encodes the data, then transfers the encoded data to system lines.
    FPEF is scheduled for launch inside the Ryutai to the ISS on STS-123/1J/A. FPEF facilities may be controlled by the ISS crew or remotely by the Ryutai Rack Operator on-duty at the User Operations Area in the Space Station Integration and Promotion Center. Linked by computer to the payload aboard ISS, the Rack Operator routinely checks payload integrity, temperature control and the proper working conditions of ISS research payloads.

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    Operations

    Facility Operations

    Ryutai, containing the FPEF and other subrack facilities will be transported to the ISS in the Kibo aboard STS-123/1J/A. Once the Kibo is attached to the ISS, Ryutai will be transferred by the crew to a rack location inside the Kibo. Once the rack is installed and checked out, the rack will be ready for subrack facility operations and will be operated as the science is scheduled.

    The FPEF provides experiment cells with electrical resources (power, signal, video) through electrical connectors and fluid resources (argon, water) through Quick Disconnect (QD)s. The experiment cell is exchangeable according to the experiment purpose. The experiment cell consists of liquid bridge formation equipment, heating disk, cooling disk, sample cassette, surface-flow velocity measurement assembly, and structure subsystem. It is also permitted to users to design and fabricate their own mission section determined by themselves, providing that it satisfies the core/mission section interface.

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    Results/More Information

    Information Pending

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    Availability

  • On-Board ISS

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    Related Web Sites
  • Fluid Physics Experiment Facility

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    Publications

    Results Publications

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      Related Publications

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        Images

        imageFluid Physics Experiment Facility (FPEF), image courtesy of JAXA.
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        imageNASA Image: ISS018E005708 - View of the Fluid Physics Experiment Facility (FPEF) in the Japanese Experiment Module, Kibo.
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        Information Provided and Updated by the ISS Program Scientist's Office
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