Multi-user Droplet Combustion Apparatus (MDCA)
The Multi-user Droplet Combustion Apparatus is a multi-user facility designed to accommodate different droplet combustion science experiments. The MDCA will conduct experiments using the Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) of the NASA Glenn Research Center’s Fluids and Combustion Facility (FCF). The payload is planned for the International Space Station. The MDCA, in conjunction with the CIR, will allow for cost effective extended access to the microgravity environment, not possible on previous space flights. It is currently in the Engineering Model build phase with a planned flight launch with CIR in 2008.
The Multi-user Droplet Combustion Apparatus (MDCA) is a multi-user facility designed to accommodate different droplet combustion science experiments. The MDCA will conduct experiments using the Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) of the NASA Glenn Research Center’s Fluids and Combustion Facility (FCF). The payload is planned for the International Space Station. The MDCA, in conjunction with the CIR, will allow for cost effective extended access to the microgravity environment, not possible on previous space flights. It is currently in the Engineering Model build phase with a planned flight launch with CIR in 2008.
The MDCA contains the hardware and software required to conduct unique droplet combustion experiments in space. It consists of a Chamber Insert Assembly (CIA), an Avionics Package, and a multiple array of diagnostics. Its modular approach permits on-orbit changes for accommodating different fuels, fuel flow rates, soot sampling mechanisms, and varying droplet support and translation mechanisms to accommodate multiple investigations. Unique diagnostic measurement capabilities for each investigation are also provided. Additional hardware provided by the CIR facility includes the structural support, a combustion chamber, utilities for the avionics and diagnostic packages, and the fuel mixing capability for PI specific combustion chamber environments. Common diagnostics provided by the CIR will also be utilized by the MDCA. Single combustible fuel droplets of varying sizes, freely deployed or supported by a tether are planned for study using the MDCA. Such research supports how liquid-fuel-droplets ignite, spread, and extinguish under quiescent microgravity conditions. This understanding will help us develop more efficient energy production and propulsion systems on Earth and in space, deal better with combustion generated pollution, and address fire hazards associated with using liquid combustibles on Earth and inspace.
As a result of the concurrent design process of MDCA and CIR, the MDCA team continues to work closely with the CIR team, developing Integration Agreements and an Interface Control Document during preliminary integration activities. Integrated testing of hardware and software systems will occur at the Engineering Model and Flight Model phases. Because the engineering model is a high fidelity unit, it will be upgraded to a flight equivalent Ground Integration Unit (GIU) when the engineering model phase is completed. The GIU will be available on the ground for troubleshooting of any on-orbit problems. Integrated verification testing will be conducted with the MDCA flight unit and the CIR flight unit. Upon successful testing, the MDCA will be shipped to the Kennedy Space Center for a post-shipment checkout and final turn-over to CIR for final processing and launch to the International Space Station.
Once on-orbit, the MDCA is managed from the GRC Telescience Support Center (TSC). The MDCA operations team resides at the TSC. Data is transmitted to the PI’s at their home sites by means of TREK workstations, allowing direct interaction between the PI and operations staff to maximum science. Upon completion of a PI’s experiment, the MDCA is reconfigured for the next of the three follow-on experiments or ultimately removed from the CIR, placed into stowage, and returned to Earth.
Currently updating… Currently updating… Project Manager: John M. Hickman, NASA GRC john.m.hickman@nasa.gov 216-977-7105 Project Scientist: Dr. Daniel Dietrich, NASA GRC daniel.l.dietrich@nasa.gov 216-433-8759 Principal Investigator Team: Prof. Forman Williams, UCSD (lead) faw@ames.ucsd.edu Prof. Frederick Dryer, Princeton fldryer@princeton.edu Prof. Mun Choi, Drexel University choi@drexel.edu Prof. Benjamin Shaw, UC-Davis bdshaw@ucdavis.edu
Integrated testing between the MDCA hardware and CIR carrier will be performed on the engineering units of both pieces of hardware. Both units are hi-fidelity, flight-like units. Testing, planned for December 2002 will include a full array of sub-package testing, leading to a full end-to-end functional test. Upon completion, the MDCA Engineering Model (EM) will undergo vibration & microgravity testing, EMI/EMC, and acoustical testing. In parallel with EM environmental testing, the MDCA flight hardware will be procured and assembled. Testing will be conducted on the flight unit in early summer 2005 in preparation for a turn-over of the hardware to CIR for flight integrated testing in August 2005.
The MDCA hardware launched as stowed hardware on the same incremental flight launch as the CIR. This hardware included the MDCA common hardware and experiment unique hardware for the first droplet investigation, Flame Extinguishment Experiment (FLEX). The Chamber Insert Assembly, MDCA Avionics Package, and experiment unique hardware were separate stowed items. Once on-orbit, the CIA and Avionics Package was removed from stowage. The avionics package was installed on the CIR rack and the CIA was inserted into the CIR combustion chamber. Experiment unique diagnostics for the first experiment were installed on the CIR optics bench.
MDCA/FLEX Overview Chart
FLEX-2 Overview Chart
MDCA-FLEX Short Overview Presentation
FLEX SRD (EIRD)
MDCA/FLEX Publications & Presentations
December 2014 – Over 900 unique FLEX test points have been completed, total, including those of FLEX, FLEX-ICE-GA, and FLEX-2. Over 240 of those tests were from the FLEX-2 test series, which will complete in the fall of 2015.
May 2014 – MDCA has been operating for 5 years now. In that time, the FLEX experiment has completed 414 unique (non-repetitive) test points. The FLEX-2 experiment is current installed in the MDCA and has completed 180 unique tests and has approximately 220 more tests to accomplish. The FLEX-ICE-GA (Italian Combustion Experiment for Green Air) has also started and finished operations and has accomplished 92 unique tests. MDCA is scheduled to continue operating FLEX-2 through June 2015, and will then be reconfigured to operate FLEX-2J (a JAXA experiment) through December 2015.
A new experiment that has been approved to operate in the CIR is the Cool Flames Investigation (CFI) (CFI’s website). This experiment is a response and focused investigation of a phenomenon discovered while running the FLEX experiments and seen during FLEX-2 and FLEX-ICE-GA tests. CFI will be launched in February of 2016 and will run for up to 6 months, after which the CIR will be reconfigured again with a new gaseous combustion insert and suite of experiments, called Advanced Combustion via Microgravity Experiments (ACME). A future insert that will study solid combustion, the Solid Ignition and Extinction Experiment (SoFIE), is being planned to follow ACME in the CIR. Both the ACME and SoFIE inserts use the design heritage of the MDCA to interface with the CIR.
The modular design of the MDCA has allowed for multiple orbital replacement units (ORUs) to be installed when the initial hardware has either failed, operated ineffectively, been consumed, or has been replaced as part of regular maintenance. To date, crew has replaced the following items:
CIR Manifold Bottle (54 replacements)
CIR Adsorber Cartridge (5)
MDCA Fuel Reservoir (29)
MDCA Igniter Tip (18)
MDCA Needle (10)
MDCA Fiber Arm (7)
FOMA Cal Unit (calibration expired) (3)
CIR Chamber Window (dirty window) (1)
CIR Chamber Seals (limited life item expiration)(1)
Add CIR HiBMS Imaging Package and reconfigure existing CIR HiBMS Imaging Package (FLEX-2 configuration) (1)
FCF DCM (failed unit) (2)
CIR IAM Fiber Optic Cable (damaged cable) (1)
CIR IOP Hard Drive (failed hard drive) (1)
Filter Module in CIR LLL-UV Imaging Package (science request) (1)
Filter Module in CIR HiBMS Imaging Package (science request) (2)
MDCA Supply Hose (leaky Quick Disconnect on hose) (1)
MDCA Radiometer (new design) (1)
Restore MDCA boot parameters and install MDCA boot loader (1)
The CIR color camera has been replaced. The problem with pixelation due to radiation effects on the camera’s CCD chip has largely been resolved.
Contacts at NASA Glenn Research Center
Project Manager: John M. Hickman, NASA GRC
john.m.hickman@nasa.gov
216-977-7105
Project Scientist: Dr. Michael Hicks, NASA GRC
Michael.C.Hicks@nasa.gov
216-433-6576
Principal Investigator Team: Prof. Forman Williams, UCSD (lead)
faw@ames.ucsd.edu
Prof. Frederick Dryer, Princeton
fldryer@princeton.edu
Prof. Mun Choi, Drexel University
choi@drexel.edu
Prof. Benjamin Shaw, UC-Davis
bdshaw@ucdavis.edu
