INFERNITYFLAME IN FREEFALL

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Attribute
Hardware groupSPICE duct group
Pillars
PreventionSuppression
Fuel phaseSolid
MaterialAcrylic films and sheets, black and clear acrylic rods, SIBAL cotton-fiberglass fabric, and a large acrylic spherical section
ShapeThin flats, rods, and a section of a large solid sphere
SizeThin flats 100 x 10-20 mm; rods and sphere section in acrylic; 100 fuel samples total
O2 concentrationVaried / not specified
Pressure14.7 psi
AirflowVaried / not specified
FacilityMicrogravity Science Glovebox (MSG) with the SPICE flow duct
Module / vehicleInternational Space Station
Sensors
  • Video and still cameras
  • Radiometer for flame output
  • Anemometer for duct airflow
  • Nitrogen vitiation flow controller
Variables tested
  • Ambient oxygen concentration
  • Ventilation flow velocity from 5 to 50 cm/s
  • Fuel type, thickness and geometry
  • Opposed versus concurrent flame spread
  • Nitrogen vitiation of the working volume
ObjectivesIdentify the worst-case material flammability geometry for spacecraft, compare it with the terrestrial upward-burning screening test, and map minimum oxygen and flow conditions for sustained burning.
Key findings
  • Produced spread-rate data for thin and thick fuels and a formula for the transition between them.
  • Existing models predicted higher spread rates than observed, pointing to needed model improvements.
  • Enabled calculation of combustion completeness, heat release rates and fuel-to-oxygen global equivalence ratios.
  • Supported theoretical models for quenching boundaries, guiding material selection and firefighting methods for future missions.
Relevant environments
Spacecraft cabinSpace stationLunar baseMars basePressurized rover
SourceNASA PSI