Hydrothermal instability of thermocapillary convection in large-Prandtl-number liquid bridges under microgravity

Linear stability analysis was performed to study the mechanism of transition of thermocapillary convection in liquid bridges with liquid volume ratios ranging from 0.4 to 1.2, aspect ratio of 0.75 and Prandtl number of 100. 2-D governing equations were solved to obtain the steady axi-symmetric basic flow and temperature distributions. 3-D perturbation equations were discretized at the collocation grid points using the Chebyshev-collocation method. Eigenvalues and eigenfunctions were obtained by using the Q–R method.The predicted critical Marangoni numbers and critical frequencies were compared with data from space experiments. The disturbance of the temperature distribution on the free surface causes the onset of oscillatory convection. It is shown that the origin of instability is related to the hydrothermal origin for convections in large-Prandtl-number liquid bridges.     

Marangoni and buoyant convection in an open cavity under reduced and under normal gravity

We give the first full analysis of the microgravity experiment MKB ( arangoni onvektion im offenen oot) conducted on board of the space shuttle during the D1-mission in 1985, together with that of some ground based experiments on thermocapillary flow in a rectangular liquid volume with free upper surface. Streamlines and velocity profiles under μ-g and l-g are presented and discussed. Strong thermocapillary flow was observed under μ-g after the rupture of a dirt-film suppressing surface tension forces. The Nusselt-number under microgravity due to thermocapillary flow for Ma = 4.6 · 10⁵ is at least Nu = 6 ± 1. Under l-g a separation of the surface tension driven convection roll of hot fluid circulating on top of colder fluid was found for large Ma. The coupling and decoupling of buoyant and thermocapillary forces has been further studied in an experiment varying the temperature gradient along the free surface independently from that in the bulk fluid.     

微重力环境下蒸发液层热毛细对流的数值模拟

提出了一种新模型来研究由单一物质构成的液层在其纯蒸气中的蒸发.液层置于微重力环境中并且受到水平方向温度梯度的作用,液层的热毛细对流和蒸发耦合在一起,使得气液界面的传热传质规律更加复杂.用理论分析的方法求解了不考虑热毛细效应的纯蒸发模型,得出温度场分布和界面质量流量的解析表达式.对于热毛细对流和蒸发耦合情况,采用有限差分的投影算法同时求解Navier-Stokes方程和能量方程,得到了不同蒸发Biot数和Marangoni数下流场和温度场的稳态数值解.论述了蒸发Biot数和Marangoni数对界面传热传质的影响,提出并解释了蒸发和热毛细对流耦合的三种模式.      

A linear stability analysis of large-Prandtl-number thermocapillary liquid bridges

A linear stability analysis is applied to determine the onset of oscillatory thermocapillary convection in cylindrical liquid bridges of large Prandtl numbers (4  Pr  50). We focus on the relationships between the critical Reynolds number Re_c, the azimuthal wave number m, the aspect ratio Γ and the Prandtl number Pr. A detailed Re_c–Pr stability diagram is given for liquid bridges with various Γ. In the region of Pr > 1, which has been less studied previously and where Re_c has been usually believed to decrease with the increase of Pr, we found Re_c exhibits an early increase for liquid bridges with Γ around one. From the computed surface temperature gradient, it is concluded that the boundary layers developed at both solid ends of liquid bridges strengthen the stability of basic axisymmetric thermocapillary convection at large Prandtl number, and that the stability property of the basic flow is determined by the “effective” part of liquid bridge.     

中国微重力科学研究回顾与展望

微重力科学主要研究微重力环境中物质运动的规律,以及不同重力环境中重力对物质运动的影响.中国微重力科学研究起步于20世纪60年代,兴起于80年代中后期,经过多年发展,目前已初具规模,在一些重要方向具有明显特色和一定优势.本文回顾了中国微重力科学研究的早期历程,评述了近年来中国微重力科学研究进展,特别是利用实践十号科学实验...     

热毛细对流模式转换及温度振荡特征

研究了矩形液池中由于两端温差引起的热毛细对流的温度振荡临界条件.在实验室中,设计了一个高分辨率的温度测量系统,用于实时观测并记录流体的温度.该系统主要由热电偶温度传感器、纳伏表和数据采集电脑3部分组成.得到了各种实验条件下温度振荡的临界条件,并且讨论了它与Prandtl数和Bond数之间的关系.利用flow3d软件数值模拟了微重力条件下的热毛细对流,发现了一种由于自由面变形和液层流场相互作用导致的晃荡的现象.     

环形浅液池内低Prandtl数流体超临界热毛细对流演化

为研究低Prandtl数（Pr）流体热毛细对流演化过程，对环形浅液池内Pr=0.011的流体热毛细对流进行三维数值模拟.研究发现:当Marangoni数较小时，流动为轴对称稳态流动；当Marangoni数超过某一临界值后，流动失稳并转变为热流体波，其波数随Marangoni数增加而减小，而波动主频增大；随着Marangoni数增加，流动加强，沿周向运动的热流体波演变为沿径向运动的径向波，其波数大大减小；当Marangoni数继续增加时，波动频谱曲线噪声增加，呈广谱特性.因此，在计算范围内热毛细对流的演化过程为:轴对称稳态流动-热流体波-单周期径向波-多周期三维振荡流动.      

Advances of Microgravity Sciences

Advances of microgravity sciences in China are introduced. The research works include ground-based study and space experiments. In the recent years, the main means still are theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, ground-based experiment, and short-time microgravity experiments of drop tower. Besides, many space experiment projects are arranged. SJ-10 recoverable satellite will carry out 19 scientific experiment projects. Nine of them are for microgravity Sciences. The other ways for space microgravity experiment are with the help of Chinese Shenzhou spacecraft, Chinese Tiangong space laboratory, and Chinese space station in the near future. The Chinese space station will become main platform of Chinese microgravity sciences experiment in space.      

Microgravity experiments on the transition from laminar to oscillatory thermocapillary convection in floating zones

The onset of oscillatory thermocapillary convection in floating zones has been measured under microgravity in two sounding rocket experiments TEXUS and on board of the satellite SPAS-01. We report on the critical Marangoni numbers measured under μ-g and in the 1-g reference experiments     

池沸腾现象中热毛细对流的成因

针对微重力条件下单组份液体池沸腾现象,探讨了有关热毛细效应作用及其成因的不同观点,指出正确描述气液相变界面两侧的温度关系是解决争议的关键.详细评述了现有的气液相变界面温度模型,发现气液相变的非平衡特征会导致气液界面上产生温度梯度,引起表面张力的显著差异,从而驱动热毛细对流的形成.但现有气液相变界面温度模型机理差异迥然,预测结果也差别很大,因此,需要更深入研究.      

Space Materials Science in China: I. Experiment Studies under Microgravity

The virtual absence of gravity-dependent phenomena in microgravity allows an in-depth understanding of fundamental events that are normally obscured and therefore are difficult to study quantitatively on Earth. Of particular interest is that the low-gravity environment aboard space provides a unique platform to synthesize alloys of semiconductors with homogeneous composition distributions, on both the macroscopic and microscopic scales, due to the much reduced buoyancy-driven convection. On the other hand, the easy realization of detached solidification in microgravity suppresses the formation of defects such as dislocations and twins, and thereby the crystallographic perfection is greatly increased. Moreover, the microgravity condition offers the possibilities to elucidate the liquid/solid interfacial structures, as well as clarify the microstructure evolution path of the metal alloys (or composites) during the solidification process. Motivated by these facts, growths of compound semiconductors and metal alloys were carried out under microgravity by using the drop tube, or on the scientific platforms of Tiangong-2 and SJ-10. The following illustrates the main results.      

三相线钉扎的大液滴蒸发实验

利用实践十号返回式科学实验卫星蒸发对流箱,开展了三相线处于钉扎状态且接触半径大于毛细长度的无水乙醇大滴在加热PTFE表面蒸发的地基科学实验.实验发现,液滴体积随时间线性递减,但钉扎大液滴蒸发过程中没有出现恒定接触角(CCA)阶段.与小液滴蒸发的恒定接触半径(CCR)阶段相同,大液滴的平均蒸发速率也与初始体积无关,表明受...     

SJ-10 Recoverable Satellite for Space Microgravity Experiments

SJ-10 is a recoverable scientific experiment satellite specially for the space experiments of microgravity physics science and space life science. This mission was officially started on 31 December 2012, and the satellite was launched on 6 April 2016. This paper introduces briefly the SJ-10 mission, the progress of SJ-10 engineering and the project constitution of sciences experiments onboard SJ-10. The purpose of this mission is to discover the law of matter movement and the rule of life activity that cannot be discovered on the ground due to the existence of gravity, and to know the acting mechanism on organisms by the complex radiation of space that cannot be simulated on the ground.      

EFFECTS OF CONVECTIVE FLUID MOTION UPON OXIDE CRYSTAL GROWTH IN HIGH TEMPERATURE SOLUTION

For understanding of the influence of convective flow on crystal growth, space high temperature in situ observation instrument (SHITISOI) is dedicated to visualize and record the whole growth process of oxide crystals in high temperature up to 1000°C. Model experiments using transparent liquids such as KNbO3 and a mix ture of Li2B4O7+KNbO3 were chosen to investigate effects on ground and in space.On the earth, an investigation of growth kinetics of KNbO3 crystal related to two different states of convection: diffusive-advective flow and diffusive-convective flow,has been performed. The per unit length of a step e is calculated from the exper imental data for two different states of convection. Analyses of these data show the effect of buoyancy convection is to enhance the sharpness of the interface. The growth of KNbO3 crystals from solution of KNbO3+Li2B4O7 was investigated in space. The streamlines of the steady thermocapillary convection in Li2B4O7 solvent was observed. Due to thermocapillary convection, KNbO3 crystal grains grew and filled the whole solution homogeneously. Earth-based quenching experiments are de signed in order to study polyhedral instability of KNbO3 crystal, which is controlled by diffusion mechanism limitation. In all cases, when the crystal was nucleated near air/solution surface, it lost its polyhedral stability and varied from polyhedrons to dedrites. The thickness of diffusion mechanism limitation layer is about 60μm.     

实践十号卫星有效载荷胶体材料箱地基实验

胶体材料箱是装载于实践十号上的重要载荷,用于空间胶体自组装的实验研究.地基实验阐明了常重力下的蒸发驱动胶体自组装机制.围绕胶体材料箱开展地基实验研究,制备了一种亲/疏水限位基片,分析了蒸发过程中受限液滴接触角的变化规律.通过同步显微观察法研究受限胶体液滴内部粒子的沉积行为,发现粒子沉积图案的形成过程由三种动力学行为控制.另外,通过落塔装置模拟短时微重力环境,分析重力瞬变引起限位基片上液滴的振荡过程,揭示了振荡过程中两个不同阶段的振荡特性.地基实验结果为在轨实验工况确定以及空间与地面实验对比提供了数据支撑,这对箱体工程参数设定以及空间实验条件匹配等具有重要意义.      

Progress Update in Space Cell Mechano-biological Coupling

Recent progresses in 2018-2019 from space experiments onboard SJ-10 recoverable satellite and on parabolic flight were summarized, mainly focusing on cell mechano-biological coupling under microgravity. In the meantime, technical pre-research and experimental system design for the biomechanics research platform on China Space Station was carried out and updated.      

Materials Experiment on Tiangong-2 Space Laboratory

During the China's Tiangong-2 (TG-2) flight mission, the experiments of 18 kinds of material samples were conducted in space by using a Multiple Materials Processing Furnace (MMPF) mounted in the orbital module of the TG-2 space laboratory. After the experiments of 12 kinds of samples of the first and second batches were completed successfully, astronauts packed and brought them back to the ground by ShenzhouⅡ spacecraft. By studying processing and formation on semiconductor and optoelectronics materials, metal alloys and metastable materials, functional single-crystal, micro-and nano-composite materials encapsulated in sample ampoules both in space and on Earth, we expect to explore some physical and chemical processes and mechanism of the materials formation that are normally obscured and therefore are difficult to study quantitatively on the ground due to the gravity-induced convection, to obtain the processing and synthesis technology for preparing high quality materials, and lead to the improvement and development of materials processing techniques on Earth, and also develop the experiment device and comprehensive ability for materials experiment in microgravity environment. This report briefly introduces the main points of each research work and preliminary comparative analysis results of 12 samples carried out by scientists undertaking research task.      

微重力流体科学空间实验的分析和设想

本文通过回顾国外微重力空间实验的发展,着重分析研究发展趋向及微重力流体科学在空间材料科学中的地位。基于我们理论和地面实验工作基础,提出对微重力流体科学空间实验的一些设想。最后,我们着重说明为什么把Marangoni对流和液体桥的稳定作为近期重点跟踪课题。     

Achievements of Space Scientific Experiments Aboard SJ-8 Satellite

As scientific experiment payloads, microgravity experiments of fluid physics, life science,combustion science, physics and accelerator measurement were conducted on board the Chinese recoverable satellite SJ-8 during 18-day orbital flight. The experimental payloads and an experiment support system constituted the microgravity experiment system of the flight mission. This article has presented the briefs of the scientific achievements of these space experiments, the composition and performance of the Microgravity Experimental System (MES) and the general picture of the overall flight mission, respectively.      

Microgravity particle research on the space station: the Gas-Grain Simulation Facility.

In the gravitational field on Earth, the large settling rate of micron-sized particles and the effects of gravity-induced convection prohibit many interesting studies of phenomena such as coagulation, collisions, and mutual interactions of droplets, dust grains and other particles. Examples of exobiology experiments involving these phenomena are the simulation of organic aerosol formation in Titan's atmosphere, studies of the role of comets in prebiotic chemical evolution, and simulations of carbon grain interactions in various astrophysical environments. The Gas-Grain Simulation Facility (GGSF) is a proposed Earth-orbital laboratory that will allow present ground-based experimental programs which study processes involving small particles and weak interactions to be extended to a new domain. Physics issues that scientists wishing to propose GGSF experiments must consider are reviewed in this paper. Specifically, coagulation, motion in gases and vacua, and wall deposition of particles in a microgravity environment are discussed.