Research Infrastructure Form
Select Institution Name:
1) Project Information
Name of Project: Investigation of Bubble Topology in Tubes with Constant
Bend Radii in a Microgravity Environment
Principal Investigator: John Bennewitz
Address: 638 Benedum Hall
3700 O'hara Street
City: Pittsburgh
State: PA Zip Code: 15261 (Format #########)
Contact Phone: 6109051230
List of sponsor(s) of project if other than affiliate:
University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering
(limited to 1,900 characters - approximately 30 lines)
Location of Project Activities:
NASA Center(s)
University Campus(es)
Elementary/Middle/High School
Community Facilities
Museum/Planetarium(s)
Industry or Private sector Facilities
Other
Project Status:
NOTE: ENDING STATUS MEANS PROJECT WILL NOT APPEAR IN NEXT YEARS LIST OF PROJECTS!
End date of Project: 28-AUG-08 (Format:DD-MMM-YY Example: 24-SEP-00)
2) Descriptive Information
Please provide a brief description of the project:
In order to maintain their orbits, many long-duration satellites incorporate helium-pumped hydrazine arc-jet thrusters for their reaction control systems. This use of pressurized helium to control propellant flow causes helium bubbles to follow the propellant into tubing that precedes the main thrust chamber. Depending on the volume of the helium and contact angle formed by the two-phase system, the bubbles can equilibrate (statically) into one of three different topologies: a wall-bound bubble, annular bubble, or a fully occluding plug. Current industry-leading satellite designs employ either long straight tubes or sharply bent tubes, but current numerical research shows that with increasing bend radii in the fuel piping, incidence of bubble plug formation is reduced. Therefore, introducing constant bend radii tubing as replacements for typical zero-gravity piping is a logical next step. The intent of this project is to contribute experimental data about constant bend radii tubing used in fuel piping. To achieve this goal, tubes with different bend radii will be tested to observe the topology of bubbles created at specified contact angles and volumes. These results will then be compared to our numerical analysis performed using Surface Evolver, a liquid-surface modeling program created by Susquehanna University’s Dr. K.A. Brakke. The results of a successful experiment will suggest whether implementing constant bend radii in fuel piping is a viable solution to prevent bubble formation from critically hindering fluid flow.
(Limited to 1,900 Characters – approximately 30 lines)
Continuation of Project Description:
The nature of the program which the above project was created for consisted of proposing, designing, and constructing and experiment that, if selected, would be chosen to fly aboard NASA's C-9 aircraft during microgravity simulation flights. The team wrote proposal and when selected, designed and built the test rig which was then shipped to Ellington Field. The team caught up with the experiment several days later and flew it aboard the C-9 gaining useful results and an amazing experience not only in microgravity, but also in proposal procedures, design, manufacture, and NASA standards.
(Limited to 1,900 Characters – approximately 30 lines)
Are Evaluation mechanisms in place?
Describe Evaluation Methodology:
The team members each received 3 credits, and a letter grade for their performance in perparing and participating in the program and were supervised by a faculty advisor.
(Limited to 1,900 Characters – approximately 30 lines)
Choose Most Related Discipline
(Choose only one from the dropdown boxes of the most closely related disciplines)
Primary Discipline:
If Other, enter name of Discipline:
If applicable, enter name of Secondary Discipline:
If Other, enter name of Discipline:
3) Fun ding and Collaboration Information
Actual Sources of Funding for this reporting period (include cash or noncash).
Please provide reason if no project costs and/or funding sources listed:
(Limited to 1,900 Ch aracters – approximately 30 lines)
Collaborative efforts (mark all that apply):
In Same Department
Other Department in Same Institution
Other Institution of Higher Education
Community College
K-12 Institution(s)
Education Resource Centers
Non-Profit Organizations
Underrepresented Organizations
Industry
Community Partnership
Give name of business and type of industry and describe collaboration:
(Limited to 1,900 Characters – approximately 30 lines)
NASA Installation(s) (mark all that apply):
Ames Research Center
Dryden Flight Research Center
Goddard Space Flight Center
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Johnson Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
Langley Research Center
Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field
Marshall Space Flight Center
Stennis Space Center
Wallops
NASA Headquarters
NASA Installation Collaboration. Please specify:
The culmination of the program (i.e. the flight aboard the C-9 with the proposed research) occurred at Ellington Field near Johnson Space Center and several tours were also provided by JSC. Also, JSC NASA and independent contractor engineers provided guidance, suggestions, and were members of the Test Readiness Review which ensured the experiment was safe to fly on the aircraft (structurally, fluid containment, etc.)
(Limited to 1,900 Characters – approximately 30 lines)
NASA Directorates (mark all that apply):
Science Mission Directorate
Exploration Systems Mission Directorate
Space Operations Mission Directorate
Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate
List type of Collaboration
(L imited to 1,900 Characters – approximately 30 lines)
Other Space Grant Programs.
Please specify. (List Consortium and name of program):
(Limited to 1,900 Characters – approximately 30 lines)
Othe r Federal Government.
Please specify. (List Agency name):
(Limited to 1,900 Characters – approximately 30 lines)
Other State Agencies.
Please specify:
(Limited to 1,900 Characters – approximate ly 30 lines)
Other Collaboration(s).
Please specify:
(Limited to 1,900 Characters – approximately 30 lines)
Additional Collaboration Information.
Please specify.
(Limited to 1,900 Characters – approximately 30 lines)
4) Activity and Participant Information
Total dollars dispersed to undergraduate students
Enter number only: 9,565
Total dollars dispersed to graduate students
Enter number only: 435
Number of Indirect Participants: 0
Participants (Provide numbers):
Male not Male Female not Female Unknown
underrepresented underrepresented underrepresented underrepresented Race/Gender
or disabled include disabled* or disabled include disabled*
Faculty: 1
Post Doc:
Graduate Student: 1
Undergrad Student: 3 1
Administrator:
Research Assist/
Teach:
Other:
* Please indicate the number of disabled participants included in the indicated fields above.
Male 0 Female 0
Please provide information on each student (follow the given example)
Name Email Graduation Date Current Status
(Limited to 1,000 Characters)
Example: Jane Student 12/2005 grad student at Institution; employed with company name, location
1. Jose Bernardo 04/2008 Grad student at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
2. John Bennewitz jbennewitz6@mail,gatech.e 04/2008 Grad student at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
3. Adam Wick 04/2008 Graduate Student at UCLA, Los Angeles
4. Michael Chrin 04/2008 Employed with ConverTeam, Pittsburgh
5. Jonathan Braun M.S. 04/2008 Employed with Lockheed Martin, Houston
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Please check here and compile in a separate document if you have more than 12 students and email it to .
Are any kind of recruitment and/or retention strategies for members of underrepresented groups in place? If so, please describe:
The team provided various outreach events, two of which were for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). These presentations created interest among a group of students who will attempt to propose an experiment the following year. The main goal of our outreach events at the university was to promote participation in the program adding to our school's reputation with the RGSFOP. By using the experience that we have gained and the immense bank of knowledge we know possess on the program, designs methodologies, etc. we plan to advise teams in the recent future and increase involvement in the program. By having more students interested, we hope to create a 'snowball effect' that will entice more students/faculty/department chairs/deans perhaps leading to large-scale participation supported by the Swanson School of Engineering. The team also conducted an outreach event during the admitted minority students weekend last March 2008. The team was the main attraction, not only discussing the program, engineering, and college life in general, but also providing several hands on activities that promote engineering.
(Limited to 1,900 Characters – approximately 30 lines)
Activities (mark all that apply):
Seed money for research
Travel to present paper
Travel to attend conference/workshop
Establish research collaboration
Visiting Scholar
Hold conference or Workshop
Proposal Preparation
Technical writing services
Student Assistant
Computer Services
Develop information resources for research opportunities
Other
5) Other Comments or Questions
Travel to NASA center to perform experiment in microgravity
(Limited to 1,900 Characters – approximately 30 lines)