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Microgravity:A Tool for
Industrial Research
Applied Research on the
International Space Station
>
The cylindrical drop
capsule of the ZARM
droptower in Bremen.
The cutaway picture
shows an experimental
setup to observe
combustion processes
performed effectively during short
microgravity periods, like those provided
in drop towers. However, mapping of the
parameter space requires long-duration
microgravity experiments, and several
experiment modules are presently available
for use in precursor sounding rocket
experiments. These activities are expected
to expand with the advent of the ISS.
Droplets are fuel-saturatedporous ceramic spheresDiameter: 5 mmPorosity: >80%
OH around an n-heptane flame in1g after subtraction of the non-resonance image
The detailed understanding of
underlying phenomena will be
essential in the advancement of design
codes for industrial combustion
processes.
OH-LIPF images of 1g and g
droplet flames
http://br136-1.pdf/http://br136-1.pdf/8/7/2019 The International Space Station Micro Gravity a Tool for Industrial Research
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X-ray investigation of
teeth using greatly
reduced radiation dose
Materials for electronics such as CdTe andrelated compounds are used in highlysensitive detectors and photorefractivedevices. To date, these applications arelimited and expensive because of thedifficulties in routinely growing crystals ofsufficient quality.
CdTe-based X-ray and gamma-raydetectors have high potential in real timedental imaging or mammography,including 3-D tomography. This promises
faster and more reliable medicaldiagnosis, while exposing the patient tolower radiation doses. CdTe infrareddetectors enable high-resolution thermalimaging and high data rate opticaltelecommunication. In addition, thephotorefractive properties can beexploited for high-performance devices inoptical ultrasonic non-destructive testing.Today, the commercialisation of suchadvanced detection systems is impededby the difficulty in growing large CdTe
single crystals with the required quality.The melt growth method usuallyemployed for the production of CdTecrystals is the vertical Bridgmantechnique. Crucible contact contributes toincreasing the impurity content andgenerates extensive twinning. In addition,the stress induced by the crucible in amaterial with poor mechanical propertiesresults in very high dislocation densities sothat, eventually, the yield in terms of the
usable fraction of the crystal does notexceed 5%.
12
Crystal Growth of Cadmium
Telluride (CdTe)
The application potential of CdTe has not been exploited
because of the difficulty in growing sufficiently large crystals
with the required quality.
Recent results of microgravity experiments have demonstrated
that new techniques can be employed to grow good quality
crystals
Growth of Cadmium
Telluride by the Markov
method
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Recent results of microgravity experimentshave demonstrated that new techniqueswith substantially improved yield can beenvisaged.
One microgravity technique is theprogressive detachment of the meltfrom the crucible during directionalsolidification. When the material solidifiesfrom a detached melt, its impurity contentis lower and no mechanical stress isinduced by the differential contraction ofthe crucible and the crystal duringcooling. As a result, the density of twins
and dislocations in the crystal is decreasedby several orders of magnitude. Laminarconvective flows can be imposed in themelt by applying a rotating magnetic fieldso as to minimise fluctuations at the solid-liquid interface and, thereby, enhance thehomogeneity of the crystal.
Another technique is growth from vapour.It takes place at significantly lowertemperatures and, in the case of semi-closed configurations, without touching
the walls of the growth ampoule.Nevertheless, there is compellingevidence that gravity-driven convectiveflow in the vapour phase has salienteffects on the compositional homogeneityof the crystals, particularly those withlarge dimensions. A thoroughunderstanding of the convective flow andof its coupling with the growth processwill permit major advances in optimisingCdTe crystal production.
Microgravity will help to validate and optimise the detached
growth process. To that end, experiments are already in
preparation.
Space experiments will be instrumental in validating models and
demonstrating the full potential of the vapour growth
technique for detector materials.
Cd (Te, Ga) crystal grown from vapour without wall
contact (5 cm diameter)
Three typical
ampoules shown
before integration into
the Automatic Mirror
Furnace (AMF) flown
during the long-
duration EURECA
mission.
Left: flight ampoule for
the growth of AgGaS2
using the TravellingHeater Method (THM)
Centre: flight ampoule
for the growth of InP
using THM. The three
parts of the sample
between the two
graphite plugs (dark)
can be seen. From top
to bottom; the source
material, the solvent
zone and the seed.
Right: the gold-plated
flight ampoule
provided the thermal
gradient suitable forcrystal growth in the
Bridgman
configuration
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Oil is one of the Earths greatest resources.Oil companies are working continuously toenhance oil recovery methods and todiscover new reservoirs. Moderngeophysical and geological explorationmethods allow detection of hydrocarbonreservoirs at depths of up to 7000 m.
Understanding fluid physics in crude oilreservoirs is a major challenge foroptimising exploitation. Present modellingmethods are based on pressure-temperatureequilibrium diagrams and on gravitydifferentiation. However, rising exploitationcosts are forcing oil companies to develop
improved models that more accuratelypredict reservoir production capabilities.Advanced models account for constituentconcentrations, and thus allow thedetermination, from the chemical analysis ofa probe taken from a reservoir, thereservoirs volume, its vertical extension andthe quality of its oil. However, thedevelopment of such models requiresprecise diffusion coefficients, which so farare not available because convective
motions and buoyancy affect theirmeasurement on Earth. This results ininaccurate forecasts.
The availability of accurate diffusioncoefficients allows the reliable prediction ofoil prospect specifications by numericalcodes. Such codes simulate laws that
describe the kinetics of pressure andtemperature-dependent physicochemicalprocesses that generate hydrocarbonmixtures from organic matter. Theconcentration distribution of constituents inthese hydrocarbon mixtures is driven mainlyby phase separation and diffusion causedby concentration differences andtemperature gradients.
The role of thermodiffusion (the Soret effect)
in petroleum reservoirs is not yet fullyunderstood. Numerical modellingneglecting thermodiffusion results in thepredicted vertical extension of a reservoir
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Enhancement of Oil Recovery
The reliable prediction of oil reservoir capacity and oil
composition enables oil companies to economically optimise
their exploitation techniques.
Two projects have been initiated dealing with the precisedetermination of mass transport in hydrocarbon mixtures:
Diffusion Coefficient for Crude Oil and Soret Coefficient for
Crude Oil.
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Getaway Special (GAS)
carrying the
experiments
being inaccurate to an order of 100 m,indicating the need to account forthermodiffusion.
As buoyancy and convection affect thedistribution of constituents in fluids undernormal gravity conditions, accuratecoefficients of pure diffusion can bemeasured only in microgravity. Several daysor even weeks are required for suchmeasurements. Consequently, ESA issponsoring two projects on the precisemeasurement of diffusion coefficients incrude oil mixtures. The relevance of the
projects is underlined by the activeparticipation of the European petroleumindustry.
In the first project an experiment aboard theUS Space Shuttle flew during June 1998(STS-91), during which among others the diffusion coefficients of various crude oiland hydrocarbon mixtures were measuredaccurately with a specific experimentalsetup. This experiment was housed in aGetaway Special canister, a low-cost
standardised payload container.
The second project aims to measureprecisely Soret diffusion coefficients of crudeoil mixtures, and considers temperaturegradients and pressure conditions as foundin oil reservoirs. Again a Getaway Specialcanister will be used, scheduled to fly inspring 2000.
Diffusion coefficients, measured
precisely in microgravity, will be used
in numerical codes to predict oil
reservoir capacities reliably.
Experimental arrangement of DCCO
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Biological macromolecules such asproteins, enzymes and viruses play a keyrole in the complex machinery of life.They possess active sites which makethem bind or interact with othermolecules in a very specific manner thatdetermines their biological function. Theyintervene in the regulation, reproductionand maintenance mechanisms of livingorganisms, and they can be the cause ofdiseases and disorders. Pharmaceuticaldrugs are molecules that inhibit the activesites of macromolecules and, in principle,are intended to affect only the targeted
macromolecule.
The vast majority of current drugs are theresult of systematic testing, first atmolecular level, then at a clinical level.This extensive process significantlyincreases the cost of the product.
With a detailed knowledge of the 3-Dstructure of a macromolecule, biochemistscan restrict the range of drugs to betested. Furthermore, with a rational drugdesign approach, one may attempt tosynthesise a drug targeted exclusively ona specific macromolecule. That means adrug will perfectly bind to themacromolecule and inhibit its biologicalfunction while remaining inert vis-a-visother macromolecules.
The 3-D structure of the macromoleculecan be discovered through the analysis of
crystals by X-ray diffraction: the diffractionpattern maps the structure of themolecules in the crystal. The better thequality of the crystal, the faster and themore accurate the determination of thestructure and the faster the identificationof a drug.
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Crystal Growth of Biological
Macromolecules
Crystals of a biological macromolecule enable researchers to
determine the structure of the macromolecule itself andunderstand its function.
Knowing the structure of a macromolecule permits a faster
selection of the appropriate drug, or the design of a new drug.
The lack of good quality crystals precludes the precise
determination of molecular structures with adequate precision.
This crystal of the membrane protein complex Photosystem I was grown in space
in ESAs Advanced Protein Crystallisation Facility (APCF). 4 mm in length, 1.5 mm in
diameter, it yielded the best data set ever obtained
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ACES is a programme to test theperformance of a new type of atomicclock that exploits and depends uponmicrogravity conditions. The project hasbeen approved to fly on the InternationalSpace Station as an external payload,starting in 2002 for a period of one and ahalf years.
In its European baseline configuration,ACES consists of the following keyelements:
- A laser-cooled atomic clock PHARAO
contributed by France,- A Hydrogen Maser contributed bySwitzerland,
- A laser link for optical transfer of timeand frequency contributed by France
- A microwave link for transfer of timeand frequency contributed by ESA
The caesium atom clock PHARAO useslaser cooling to reduce the velocity ofatoms to a few centimetres per second,which corresponds to a temperature ofabout 1 K. Under microgravity conditionsthe atoms remain at these low velocities,while on Earth they would increase theirspeed rapidly due to gravitationalacceleration when the lasers wereswitched off for signal interrogation.
The principle of the atomicclock
The principle of an atomic clock is to lockan oscillator to the atomic resonancefrequency0. Heisenbergs uncertaintyprinciple shows that the greater theinteraction time of the atoms with theradiation emitted by the oscillator, thenarrower the resonance.
Two key points determine the ultimateperformance of an atomic clock: a narrowresonance and a high signal-to-noise ratio.
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Atomic Clock Ensemble in
Space (ACES)
Fundamental Physics Experiments with ACES
New experiments testing General Relativity within the solar system.
Measure the Shapiro effect (the retardation of photons, in
the Suns gravitational field).
Measure the Einstein redshift to an accuracy of 10-6 i.e., an
improvement by a factor of 100 compared to existing
measurements.
Check the stability of some of the fundamental constants of
physics: assessing possible time-dependent drifts and/or
spatial effect.
Radio astronomy Improving the angular resolution when observing
remote stellar objects by Very Long Base Interferometry(VLBI).
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This atomic fountain
clock has been in
operation at the
Observatoire de Paris
since 1995, and has a
relative stability of
1.3x10-13 -1/2 (where
is the measurement
time in seconds). With
an accuracy of 2x10-15,
this is currently theworlds most accurate
clock.
ACES
An exemplary model of the synergy between Science and
Technology
A tool for improving knowledge of the interplay between
radiation and matter.
A tool for high-performance synchronisation of ground-
based clocks.
A testbed for a new generation of spaceborne atomic clocks.
A scientific cooperation project involving European and
international laboratories.
A project demonstrating the value of the International
Space Station as a testbed for advanced Research and
Technology
Navigation and positioning
New concepts for higher performance GPS systems.
Geodesy with millimetric precision.
Precise tracking of remote space probes.
Time and frequency metrology
Comparing and synchronising clocks over intercontinental
distances to an accuracy of 10-16.
Distributing the International Atomic Time with an accuracyof the order of 30 picoseconds, i.e. an improvement by a
factor of 100 compared to current GPS and GLONASS systems.
Laser cooling allows an interaction time100 to 1000 times greater than for aconventional aesium clock.
It is expected that the new atomic clockwill reach a frequency stability between10-16 to 10-17 per day with an accuracy of10-16. This is one to two orders ofmagnitude better than can be achievedwith the most advanced clocks on theground.
The Hydrogen Maser will serve as areference clock to verify the performance
of the atomic clock. The microwave andthe optical links will allow laboratories onthe ground to receive the data and tointeract with the space-based systems.
The aims of ACES
- Validate in space the performance ofthis new generation of clocks.
- Provide an ultra-high performanceglobal time-scale.
- Perform fundamental physics tests.
The ultra-precise measurement offrequency and time will enable advancedinvestigations in fundamental physics andwill also have practical applications. It willallow experimental investigation of theproperties of space and time, which arefundamental in all modern, classical,quantum and gravitational physics. Fortime and frequency metrology, the
accuracy and stability of PHARAO,together with high-performancetechniques for comparing Earth-basedand orbiting clocks, will improve the
accuracy of International Atomic Timeand allow new navigation andpositioning applications.
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Influence of gravity onliving organisms
Gravity is a fundamental force that has amarked influence on all life on Earth. Lifescientists and biomedical researchersexploit the space environment and inparticular the near-weightlessness in orderto answer fundamental questions in basicbiology relating to humans, plants and
animals. Various investigations on theresponse of microgravity on lungs, brain,nervous system, bones and muscles havealready been performed. This research isnot only of interest for the health andsurvival of astronauts but is also relevantin the understanding of balancedisorders, osteoporosis, andcardiovascular disease.
This research is only at the very beginningof clarifying the role of gravity at themolecular level. Present basic studiesaddress the reaction-diffusion feedback
pattern-forming processes that occur inself-organising systems.
For cell-cell relations or for the respectivecell functions within a differentiatingtissue, the origin of a change is likely toinvolve subtle modifications of theirmechanical and biochemical micro-environment. Experimental investigationof such minute changes and theireventual application would benefit fromthe increased stability of fluid systems in
microgravity and from reducedmechanical loads.
Fluid dynamic models describingmacroscopic systems are not valid in thesub-micron range. Experiments inmicrogravity are needed to observe andto determine the influence of gravity onthe processing and amplification ofsignals involved in the gravity sensingand response of cells, cell aggregates and
tissue or whole organisms. Any advancein the understanding of thesefundamental aspects is important for thefuture of medical science.
20
Life Sciences andBiotechnology
Microgravity is a new non-invasive tool to investigate cellular
functions. It will provide new insight into how cells perceive
signals and react to them. This is essential for the better
understanding of biological and physiological processes with
potential applications in molecular medicine, such as wound
and tissue repair.
Regulation of Cell Growth and Differentiation - Cascade of early cellular
responses to growth factor binding to a membrane receptor; a process that may
amplify microgravity sensitivity
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ESAs Space Bioreactor for Suspension Culture of Sensitive Cell and Multicellular
Systems
Biotechnology - tissueengineering
Millions of people suffer organ or tissueloss from diseases and accidents everyyear. Yet transplantation of tissues andorgans is severely limited by theavailability of donors. Growing tissuesamples outside the body is one of themajor goals of current medical research,and the microgravity environment hasgreat potential for advancing thisresearch.
Experiments in bioreactors are performedto study how cells multiply and interactto form skin, bone and organs, and thesecell and tissue culturing techniques alsoaid the study of cancer cells and tumourformation.
Knowledge gained in microgravity on theregulation of cell growth anddifferentiation will also help improve thecultivation of sensitive and highlydifferentiated cell strains like those
needed to obtain artificial organs. Studiesof cells ability to migrate in reducedgravity may produce new insights intothe factors that allow cancer to spread.When combined with biomedicalresearch on Earth, these investigationscould contribute to the development ofnew ways to prevent and treat relateddiseases.
Experimental data obtained in microgravity and hypergravity
studies indicate a change in cell functions related to the
gravity level. The underlying fundamental mechanisms
responsible for the sensitivity of living systems to gravity
remain, however, to be fully understood.
The benefits of low gravity for growing cell cultures derive
from the absence of convection and sedimentation, which
for 3-D cell aggregates favour the creation of tissue-likeenvironment.
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Osteoporosis is often called a womensdisease, although 15 % of theosteoporotic-related problems reportedconcern men.
In Europe, osteoporotic-related fracturestotal more than one million a year. Thefrequency of osteoporotic fractures isexpected to increase dramatically, partlydue to the increasing percentage ofelderly in the population.
With related health care expenses inEurope amounting to 25 million ECUdaily, osteoporosis attracts considerableattention from the biomedical industry.Microgravity is particularly relevant sincestudies performed on astronauts and onanimals showed an accelerated bone lossand a bone structure impairment
especially in the weight-bearing bones.
ESA is sponsoring a project onosteoporosis. It aims at developing anaccelerated experimental model toevaluate trabecular bone architecture andbone quality evolution during space flightexposure. The activity includes bonesample and in vivo observations, as wellas in vitro samples (2-D and 3-Dbiomaterials). These will serve as standard
biosamples. They could also be used fordrug screening. The second majorelement of the Osteoporosis project is thedevelopment of a 3-D high resolution
analytical instrument for the quantitativecharacterisation of bone density andbone architecture.
This instrument will first be applicable forin vitro investigations, and ultimately forinvestigations on humans. The in vivoobservation of the microstructure ofbones is today clinically not feasible.This instrument will therefore be a major
contribution towards the betterunderstanding of bone evolution and fora more accurate prediction of risks. Sincethe risk of bone fracture seems to be
Biomedicine - Osteoporosis
Astronauts and other biological systems experience accelerated
bone loss. Microgravity therefore provides for an accelerated
testbed for osteoporosis studies.
Bone densitometer
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Normal trabecular bone (left)
and osteoporotic bone (right)
- to develop a bone microarchitectureanalyser for the quantitative, highresolution, rapid, non-invasivecharacterisation of the kinetic evolutionof the model. This will also be
applicable to humans in the longerterm. The analytical tool is a 3-DPeripheral Computer Tomograph withan in vivo target resolution of 20 m.
This project began in spring 1997 andinvolves academic and industry partners.
strongly related to bone microstructure, itcan be assessed quantitatively with thenew instrument.
On the basis of the data obtained withthis instrument an acceleratedphysiological model will be developedand validated. It can be employed for:- the testing of bone reconstruction
matrices, i.e. biomaterials,- the study of osteopenia prevention
based on exercise, mechanicalconstraints, and diet,
- the testing and screening of drugs.
The project has two major objectives:- to develop a 3-D bone artefact
supporting the co-culture of bone cellstogether with the experimental setupfor the simulation and control oforganotypical conditions.
In April 1997 ESA started to support
an application-oriented project with
the objective of exploiting theenhanced bone-loss phenomenon
observed in space.
3D-CT image of bone
samples exhibiting a
considerable bone strength
difference
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Unactivated platelets,
in a resting state, with
characteristic disc
shapes (~3m in
diameter) (left)
Two activated platelets
with characteristic
pseudopodia enabling
them to aggregate and
to adhere to vascular
surfaces. A red blood
cell is present behind
one platelet
(~7m in diameter)
(right)
Blood cell preservation
Simulating microgravity conditions onEarth could increase the preservation timeof blood cells both for therapeutic andresearch applications. To achieve this goalone must first understand how microgravityacts on the cell metabolism and then createthese conditions in blood banks.
The use of stored blood cells is of importancein the treatment of bleeding or thepathological deficiency of certain cell types.
Platelets and red blood cells must
be stored ready to use in bloodbanks. Improving the preservationconditions would preserve thefunctional state of the cells andtherefore guarantee the efficiencyof the treatment while at the sametime reducing the treatmentcosts.
Other topics of interest
Monitoring the health and body functionof astronauts and related investigationshave led to a variety of new insights intothe influence of space environment onhuman beings. Dedicated instrumentswere developed for medical diagnosticsand validated in space, and are now usedon Earth.
An example is the fluid shift in thehuman bodycaused by the absence ofhydrostatic pressure observed under
microgravity conditions. A dedicatedinstrument using ultrasound has beendeveloped to measure fluid accumulationin human tissues resulting from such fluidshift. Analogous forms of oedema occurpreferentially in the facial tissue for kidneydisease for example, whereas cardiacpatients show oedema in the lower part
24
Biomedicine
The preservation state of
platelets in microgravity
has been observed to be
significantly higher than
in ground-stored samples
due to reduced platelet
aggregation.
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25
of the body. In this way swellings in theforehead or the tibia can serve asdiagnostic or prognostic hints and becontrolled by the new ultrasoundinstrument.
For the measurement of inner eyepressure in space a device, which theuser can operate without help, has beendeveloped that determines the increasedue to microgravity. This self-tonometercan also be used to control the increaseof the intra-ocular pressure on Earth. Theinstrument registers the pressure by total
reflection of an infrared beam and is nowon the market for regular self-control anddiagnostic of patients with risk ofglaucoma, one of the most frequentreasons for early blindness.
The development of a non-invasivedetection instrument to observe eyemovements in all three dimensions byvideo-oculographyis another example.The reaction of the eye to lightstimulation can be registered continuously
and has been used to investigate thecoordination of information onorientation obtained by the eye and bythe gravity-sensing organ in the inner ear.This method has been successfully testedon Mir and Shuttle missions, and can beused in the detection of disturbances inthe vestibular, neurological or oculomotordomains. This diagnostic instrument isnow commercially available for terrestrialuse.
Monitoring the health of astronauts has led to additional
knowledge of the influence of space flight on human beings.
Dedicated instruments were developed, validated in space and
are now used for medical diagnostics on Earth.
Formation of blood
clots of fibrin networks
and blood platelets
(thrombocytes)
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Drop Shaft, Hokkaido
(Japan)
NASA began a programme in 1985 topromote the involvement of industry inspace-related activities through theformation of Centers for SpaceCommercialization (CSC). The objective isto motivate industry to invest in space-based R&D. The following centres arejointly supported by industry and NASA:
University of Alabama-Birmingham:macromolecular crystallography, growthof structurally improved protein crystalsunder microgravity.
Auburn University: solidification design
by measurement of critical thermophysicalproperty data of molten alloys for improvedalloy and process development on Earth.
Colorado School of Mines: commercialapplications of combustion in space:combustors (power plants, aircraftengines), fire safety, ceramic powders,combustion synthesis.
BioServe Space Technologies:bioprocessing/bioproduct development,using space as a laboratory to addressterrestrial health concerns, biocybernetic
materials. University of Alabama in Huntsville:
Consortium for Materials Developmentin Space: liquid metal sintering, vapourgrown single crystals, electrodepositionof hydroxyapatite.
University of Houston, Texas: SpaceVacuum Epitaxy Center: use of theultra- vacuum of space for processingultra- pure, thin-film materials by epitaxy.
University of Wisconsin-Madison:
Center for Space Automation andRobotics, use of microgravity to enhanceproduction of plant materials forpharmaceutical and agricultural purposes.
Northeastern University Boston, MA,industrial research on zeolite crystalgrowth.
In Japan, microgravity applications arepromoted by the Japan Space UtilisationPromotion Office, with participation fromNASDA and MITI. The activities are
concentrating on the utilisation of a750 m drop shaft - JAMIC. By providingan inexpensive and easily accessedmicrogravity environment for experimentdurations of up to about 10 seconds, theinterest of industry in later using theSpace Station is being developed. A high-priority project is focusing on thedetermination of thermophysicalproperties of molten semiconductors withthe goal of developing high-quality siliconsingle crystals for the next generation of
miniaturised electronic devices. This willbe achieved through numericallycontrolled processing using material data(thermal conductivity, diffusivity, etc.) ofhigh precision, measured without thedisturbing influence of convection. Othertopics are the investigation of technicalcombustion processes for which thebetter understanding of basicphenomena, such as droplet evaporationand ignition, is expected to result in the
reduction of fuel consumption andexhaust emissions, thus leading toimproved process efficiency of gasturbines, burners and diesel engines.
Activities in the US and Japan
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Combustion research
experiments can easily
be carried out at the
Drop Tower in Bremen
(Germany)
processes, as well as for the control offluids in fuel cells in space. CNES is alsoinvolved in the development of a newatomic clock, relying on the quiescentstate of ultra-cold atoms that can be
achieved in a microgravity environment.This will eventually lead to at least oneorder of magnitude improvement offrequency stability of space-based clocks.
One of the Japanese projects oncombustion is being carried out incooperation with Germany, using the110 m drop tower of ZARM Bremen. TheGerman Aerospace Research Centre (DLR)has strongly supported applicationoriented and applied research in the past.A typical example is the research anddevelopment of monotectic alloys, whichresulted in a patented casting process forthe production of self-lubricating bearingmaterials. This process uses the knowledgegained through microgravity experimentson interface tension-driven convection to
compensate for separation by sedimentationon the ground. A specific programme forthe promotion of applied research hasbeen initiated, and the programme ofResearch under Space Conditionsemphasises industrial applications. Spaceindustry is starting its own promotionalactivities by contributing to existingresearch networks and by stimulatingnew applied research fields, includingapplications in space. Examples arematerials for sensors and detectors
operating in harsh environments.
Other national agencies are now shiftingtheir microgravity programme prioritiesfrom fundamental to applied research. Anexample is the French space agencyCNES, which has been supporting theinvestigation of phenomena near thecritical point. Experimental results showedthe existence of a new, so far unknown,mechanism of heat transport, the so-
called piston effect. Efforts are nowunder way to use this effect in industrialapplications, e.g. in supercritical fluids,chemical and nuclear decontamination
27
National Initiatives in Europe
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Towards commercialutilisation ...
This brochure has presented someexamples on how microgravity as aresearch tool increases the understandingof gravity-related phenomena in processesand products of industrial significance.Microgravity can also help to obtain moreaccurate data needed for theimprovement of certain ground-basedprocesses and products. An importanttask is to include microgravity as a tool inindustrial research and to use the results
for increasing the reliability of numericalsimulation and modelling. Recentworkshops have helped to identify topicsof interest to industry and of a highmicrogravity relevance. Another importantaspect is the development of instrumentsfor experimentation in space that are alsoof interest for new commercial terrestrialapplications. This is particularly true in themedical field.
The era of the International Space Station
will open new opportunities for application-oriented research. The unique feature ofthe ISS is the availability of microgravityfor long periods and the presence ofastronauts for experimentation. This large-scale research facility will allow flexibleaccess for the accommodation ofsophisticated instruments.
The possibilities range from basic toapplied research to the utilisation of theISS as a platform for industrial R&D by theprivate sector on a commercial basis. For
such customers, adequate guarantees ofconfidentiality, including intellectualproperty rights, will be secured.
For the early utilisation phase of the ISS,a call for proposals was issued in 1998.New projects will be selected andapproved early in 1999.
28
Outlook
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This brochure was prepared by:
Dr. R. Binot, ESADr. E. Kufner, ESA
Dr. O. Minster, ESA
Dr. D. Routier, Matra Marconi Space,
formerly Novespace, under ESA contract
Dr. H. J. Sprenger, Intospace,
under ESA contract
Dr. H. U. Walter, ESA
Published by:
ESA Publications Division
Editor: Andrew WilsonDesign: Carel Haakman
ISBN: 92-9092-605-8
European Space Agency 1998
Images courtesy of:
Cover ESA
Page 1 ESA/D. Ducros
Page 2, 3, 5 ESA
Page 6 Audi AG and CEN Grenoble
Page 7 Airbus Industrie and Centro Ricerche Fiat
Page 8, 9 Deutsches Zentrum fr Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)Page 10, 11 ZARM, Bremen
Page 11 ESA
Page 12 University of Freiburg
Page 13 DASA and University of Freiburg
Page 14, 15 C-Core, Memorial University of Newfoundland
and MRC, Universit Libre Bruxelles
Page 16,17 W. Saenger, P. Fromme, Univ. Berlin and R. Gieg,
IBMC Strasbourg
Page 19 CNES
Page 20 University of Utrecht
Page 21 Mechanex B.V.
Page 22 Matra Marconi SpacePage 23 National Osteoporosis Foundation and
Professor Dr. P. Ruegsegger, IBT-ETH Zurich
Page 24 D. Schmitt, Etablissement de Transfusion Sanguine de
Strasbourg
Page 25 DLR
Page 26 NASA and Japan Space Utilization Promotion Center
Page 27 ZARM
Page 28 ESA
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Contact Addresses
European Space AgencyDirectorate of Manned Spaceflight and MicrogravityPhysical Sciences Co-ordination and Microgravity Applications Promotion OfficeESTECPostbus 2992200 AG NoordwijkThe Netherlands
Programmatic Aspects: Dr. H. U. Walter
Materials Science: Dr. O. Minster
Fluid Science/ Combustion: Dr. E. Kufner
Biotechnology: Dr. ir. R. Binot
Tel: + 31 71 565-3262 (Secretary)Fax: + 31 71 565-3661
e-mail: [email protected]