INFERNITYFLAME IN FREEFALL
CATALOG
MDCA GROUP/LIQUID FUEL/FLEX

Flame Extinguishment Experiment (FLEX)

SuppressionPrevention
Spacecraft cabinSpace stationSpacesuit
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AI summary
AI-GENERATED

Generated from the curated record only. The model is instructed not to invent numbers; verify all values against the source before engineering use.

Experimental setup

FUEL

Phase
Liquid
Material
Methanol and heptane droplets
Shape
Single spherical droplet on a support fiber
Size
Initial droplet diameter 2 to 5 mm

CONDITIONS

O2 concentration
50%
Pressure
14.7 psi
Airflow
Varied / not specified

Single values are documented test conditions, not flammability limits. Ranges appear under variables tested.

OBJECTIVES

Quantify the suppressant effectiveness of inert gases in microgravity, find the most conservative limiting oxygen index for steady combustion, and validate droplet combustion and extinction models.

Sensors & measurements
  • High-speed cameras for droplet and flame imaging
  • Radiometers for flame radiation
  • Soot concentration and soot temperature diagnostics
  • Droplet deployment and ignition instrumentation
Variables tested
  • Oxygen mole fraction from 0.10 to 0.50
  • Suppressant type: carbon dioxide or helium
  • Diluent gas, primarily nitrogen with some helium tests
  • Pressure from 0.5 to 1.0 atm
  • Fuel type: methanol versus heptane
  • Initial droplet diameter from 2 to 5 mm
Key findings
  1. 01Mapped flammability boundaries for liquid fuel combustion across oxygen, pressure and suppressant conditions.
  2. 02Tested carbon dioxide and helium as suppressants from zero concentration up to the no-flame limit.
  3. 03Observed droplets either burning to completion or extinguishing at a finite droplet radius.
  4. 04Provided spatially and temporally resolved measurements of burning rate, extinction, radiation and soot for model validation.