ZBOT-DP
Status
Pending Funding
Key Science Questions to be Investigated
- How is liquid atomization/disintegration different in microgravity?
- How is transport of droplet different in microgravity?
- What is the effect of droplet evaporation on tank pressure? Is it affected by non-condensable gas?
- How is droplet-wall and droplet-interface interaction modified in microgravity?
- What is the effect of flash vaporization on the walls?
- Is the Leidenfrost effect strong enough to propel droplets away from the wall in microgravity?
- How is this film formation and transport different in microgravity?
Implication of ZBOT-DP Findings for Propellant Tank Design
- Advantages of a change to Droplet Phase Change pressure control design from jet mixing:
- Depressurizes the tank using evaporation therefore not susceptible to non-condensable gas effects
- Will not lead to cavitation at the LAD screen as observed in first ZBOT investigation
- Pressure control is independent of ullage location that changes continuously in microgravity
- Disadvantages of Droplet Phase Change design:
- Is ZBO using Droplet Phase Change feasible in microgravity? – it has never been tested in microgravity
- More complicated than jet mixing
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What are the impacts of microgravity and NC gases on droplet phase change & transport in a sealed tank. | ||
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