Dynamics of liquid-filled spacecraft

A method is presented for simulating coupled liquid-solid dynamics. An important example of a coupled liquid-solid system is a satellite carrying fuel. The dynamics of the satellite and the onboard fuel influence each other, which may lead to satellite motion that is uncontrollable. For better understanding of the complex dynamics of coupled systems, a numerical model is developed. The model consists of two parts. The first part that solves the liquid motion is only briefly discussed here. The focus in this paper is on the way in which the dynamics of the liquid and the solid body are coupled. For this, the governing equations are presented in which terms appear that represent the force and torque on the solid body due to the sloshing liquid. The governing equations are rewritten such that the discrete approximation of these equations can be integrated in a stable manner for arbitrary liquid/solid mass ratios. Results are presented demonstrating the stability of the present model. A grid-refinement study and a time-step analysis are performed. Finally, the flat-spin motion of a satellite, partially filled with liquid, that flew in 1992 as part of the Wet Satellite Model experiment is studied. Results from the simulation are compared with the actual flight data.     

微重力落塔电磁悬吊、释放技术研究

论述了微重力落塔电磁悬吊、释放、提升机构的关键技术,电磁释放过程的特性分析以及微重力落塔实际试验的情况。分析说明:悬吊、释放性能的好坏决定了试验落舱的微重力水平,也是微重力落塔试验能否成功的关键技术。     

Computations of Explosive Boiling in Microgravity

Dynamics of the explosive growth of a vapor bubble in microgravity is investigated by direct numerical simulation. A front tracking/finite difference technique is used to solve for the velocity and the temperature field in both phases and to account for inertia, viscosity, and surface deformation. The method is validated by comparison of the numerical results with the available analytical formulations such as the evaporation of a one-dimensional liquid/vapor interface, frequency of oscillations of capillary waves, and other numerical results. Evolution of a three-dimensional vapor nucleus during explosive boiling is followed and a fine scale structure similar to experimental results is observed. Two-dimensional simulations yield a similar qualitative instability growth.     

Isochoric specific heat of sulfur hexafluoride at the critical point: Laboratory results and outline of a spacelab experiment for the d1-mission in 1985

The specific heat at constant volume c_v shows a weak singularity at the critical point. Renormalization group techniques have been applied, predicting a universal critical behavior which has to be experimentally confirmed for different systems. In this paper an experiment is presented to measure the specific heat of SF₆ along the critical isochore (_c=0.737 g·cm^–3), applying a continuous heating method. The results cover a temperature span of –1.5×10^–2< <1.70×10^–2 [=(T–T _c)/T _c] and were strongly affected by gravity effects that emerge in the sample of 1-mm hydrostatic height near the critical point. Using regression analysis, data were fitted with functions of the form c _v/R=A × ¦¦^– + B for the one-phase state and c _v/R=A × ¦¦^– + B for the twophase state. Within their error bounds the critical values (==0.098, A/A=1.83) represent the measurements for the temperature span 3.5×10^{–5< ¦¦<2.0×10 –3}, in good agreement with theoretical predictions. In order to exclude density profiles in the specimen, which are unavoidable in terrestrial experiments due to the high compressibility of fluids at the critical point and the gravity force, a space-qualified scanning ratio calorimeter has been constructed, which will permit long-term c_v measurements under microgravity (-g) conditions. The experiment will be part of the German Spacelab mission in October 1985. The significant features of the apparatus are briefly sketched.Paper presented at the Ninth Symposium on Thermophysical Properties, June 24–27, 1985, Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A.     

Simulated Microgravity Inhibits the Proliferation of Chang Liver Cells by Attenuation of the Major Cell Cycle Regulators and Cytoskeletal Proteins

Simulated microgravity (SMG) induced the changes in cell proliferation and cytoskeleton organization, which plays an important factor in various cellular processes. The inhibition in cell cycle progression has been considered to be one of the main causes of proliferation inhibition in cells under SMG, but their mechanisms are still not fully understood. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of SMG on the proliferative ability and cytoskeleton changes of Chang Liver Cells (CCL-13). CCL-13 cells were induced SMG by 3D clinostat for 72 h, while the control group were treated in normal gravity at the same time. The results showed that SMG reduced CCL-13 cell proliferation by an increase in the number of CCL-13 cells in G0/G1 phase. This cell cycle phase arrest of CCL-13 cells was due to a downregulation of cell cycle-related proteins, such as cyclin A1 and A2, cyclin D1, and cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (Cdk6). SMG-exposed CCL-13 cells also exhibited a downregulation of α-tubulin 3 and β-actin which induced the cytoskeleton reorganization. These results suggested that the inhibited proliferation of SMG-exposed CCL-13 cells could be associate with the attenuation of major cell cycle regulators and main cytoskeletal proteins.     

不同重力环境的空间机械臂自抗扰轨迹跟踪控制

针对空间机械臂在地面装调与空间应用时,由于重力环境变化导致机械臂模型发生变化的问题,提出了一种自抗扰控制算法,用于完成空间机械臂轨迹跟踪控制的任务.该算法通过将系统模型及未知外扰作为系统的总和扰动,并利用扩张状态观测器对该扰动进行观测且给予补偿,从而提高了系统抗扰的性能.当机械臂模型随重力环境变化而发生变化时,使用同一个自抗扰控制器对其末端轨迹进行控制,均能取得较好的控制效果.通过对系统的稳定性进行分析,证明了所设计控制器的有效性.将仿真结果与PD控制及自适应鲁棒控制做比较,结果表明该控制算法不仅能适应机械臂模型的变化而且还能有效抵抗系统的扰动,从而使系统具有较强的鲁棒性.     

空间低温氧化物熔体晶体生长的数字模拟研究

地面上 ,由于受浮力对流、分层和沉淀等因素的影响 ,难以阐明晶体生产和凝固现象的本质 ,从而无法获得组份均匀、结构完整和性能优良的材料 ,因此自七十年代以来 ,已进行了大量的空间晶体生长实验 ,但由于对空间环境在晶体生长过程中的流体效应参数缺乏了解 ,实验结果往往与设想的不一致。数字模拟方法可以模拟实际晶体生产过程 ,了解晶体生长参数的变化对晶体生长的影响 ,本文利用数字模拟的方法 ,对本实验室建立的空间三维实时观察装置中 ,低温生产NaNO3熔体晶体中的流体效应及温场进行了数字模拟研究 ,结果表明 ,在地面生长 ,熔体内部存在复杂的双涡流动模式 ,重力对熔体中的温场和速度场的分布产生强烈的作用 ,而在空间 ,当微重力水平达到一定程度时 ,可以使熔体中的流动模式简单化 ,从而降低流动效应对传热、传质造成的不稳定性和不均匀性 ,有利于提高晶体生长的质量。同时通过对流场中的温度分布分析表明 ,降低重力可以明显改变晶体生长固液界面附近的温度梯度 ,并使温场 ,速度场分布朝着稳态生长的方向发展     

Protective effects of Dragon's Blood on blood coagulation and NO/iNOS level in myocardium and serum of rats in simulated microgravity

To investigate effects of Dragon''s Blood (DB), a traditional Chinese medicine, on blood coagulation and NO/iNOS level in myocardium and serum of rats in simulated microgravity for the first time, Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into six groups:(a) 5-day control group, (b) 5-day model group, (c) 5-day drug group, (d) 21-day control group, (e) 21-day model group, and (f) 21-day drug group. Blood coagulation and NO/iNOS level in myocardium and serum were examined after 5 and 21 days of simulated microgravity respectively. The results showed that blood of tail-suspended rats was in a hypercoagulable state that could not be converted with time extending. Conversely, DB changed these parameters towards normal level and the curative effects became better when tail-suspension lasted till the 21st day. NO concentration of both myocardium and serum for two periods all increased markedly and DB could effectively reduce these increases except that of 21-day myocardium NO. Activity of iNOS increased markedly as early as 5 days and became more serious on the 21st day, while DB showed preventive effect on the 21st day. Western Blot analysis illustrated that the expression of iNOS in the 5-day model group increased significantly over the 5-day control group and the expression in the 5-day drug group dramatically returned to the normal level. The similar trend was observed on the 21-day groups without notable variances. The findings of this study can serve for the further use of Dragon''s Blood in space diseases.     

微重力偏晶合金凝固特征SCIEI

对在微重力条件下获取的Al-In(95wt-%)偏晶合金的显微组织特征进行了分析,结果表明,在空间制取的试样的Al枝晶中,还存在着大量的In质点;并且这些质点的分布具有某种规律性,由此形成了与地基样品显微组织上的明显差异,反映出一种与重力效应相关的材料凝固特性。