Hardware: Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) · Program: International Space Station (ISS) · Fuel phase: Gas · DOI 10.60555/9kbh-e962
Objective
The objective of SPICE is to better understand the complex process of combustion by observing flames in a microgravity environment aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and analogous ground experiments. Specific objectives were: (1) Identify the laminar smoke-point properties of non-buoyant jet diffusion flames under various co-flow conditions in microgravity. (2) Determine the effects of burner diameter and co-flow velocity on the luminous flame lengths and smoke points. (3) Quantify the sooting propensity of different fuels, such as ethylene, propane, and propylene mixtures. (4) Validate the correlation between luminous flame shape and residence time under microgravity conditions. (5) Investigate the impact of air and fuel flow rate variations on smoke point phenomena in space.
SPICE (PSI-107, Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG), International Space Station (ISS)). 435 test runs from NASA PSI (DOI 10.60555/9kbh-e962).
Metadata Completeness
33%
Share of key conditions (oxygen, pressure, airflow) reported in the source tables.
Representative Conditions
Median of the values reported across this investigation's test runs.
- Fuel / Material
- Ethylene, Propane, 75% Propylene, 50% Propylene, Propylene, Ethane
- Gravity
- 0 g (microgravity, ISS / Cygnus flight)
- Airflow-Equivalent Gravity
- 415 of 435 runs, ~1 g (204), ~between g (66), ~0.16 g (77), ~0.38 g (54), ~zero g (14)
- Oxygen Concentration
- Not reported
- Ambient Pressure
- Not reported
- Airflow Velocity
- 0.2793 m/s
The PSI record mentions both flight and ground work; 0 g reflects its ISS / Cygnus flight metadata.
Findings summary
435 test runs recorded; 0.3–85.3 cm/s (n=415); microgravity (0 g, ISS / Cygnus flight); 415 runs have airflow comparable to partial-gravity buoyancy.
Source: NASA PSI PSI-107: PSI-107_Experimental table_Spice.csv (psi.nasa.gov). File, sheet and row are listed per test run below.
Experiment Design: Held Constant vs Varied
What stayed fixed across test runs, what was changed, and what was measured, from the NASA test tables.
Experimental table Spice · 469 runs · 0 held constant · 6 varied · 0 measured
Loading variables…
Instrument and imaging settings (3)
- GMT date
- GMT Flame Off
- GMT ignition
Test Runs (435)
Conditions and measurements for each run. Open a run to see every value and its source row.
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