Space shuttle based microgravity smoldering combustion experiments

Results from four microgravity smoldering combustion experiments conducted aboard the NASA Space Shuttle are presented in this work. The experiments are part of the NASA funded Microgravity Smoldering Combustion (MSC) research program, aimed to study the smolder characteristics of porous combustible materials in a microgravity environment. The objective of the study is to provide a better understanding of the controlling mechanisms of smolder for the purpose of control and prevention, both in normal- and microgravity. The microgravity smolder experiments reported here have been conducted to investigate the propagation of smolder through a polyurethane foam sample under both diffusion driven and opposed forced flow driven smoldering. The present experiments, although limited, are unique in that they provide the only available information about smolder combustion in microgravity in sample sizes large enough to allow the self-propagation of the smolder reaction throughout the sample length. Two quiescent tests at ambient oxygen concentrations of 35% and 40% and two opposed forced flow tests with air as oxidizer, were conducted aboard the NASA Space Shuttle (STS-69 and STS-77 missions). The MSC data are compared with normal-gravity data to determine the effect of gravity on smolder, and are used to verify present theoretical models of smolder combustion. It is found that for the present test conditions, the microgravity opposed flow smolder reaction temperatures, propagation velocities, toxic compound production and reaction extent lie between those of normal-gravity upward and downward tests. Thermogravimetric analysis shows little effect of gravity on the kinetics of the smolder process in these cases. Neither of the two quiescent, microgravity cases resulted in self-sustained smolder propagation, whereas the normal-gravity downward cases propagated vigorously. The difference in these results shows that gravity has a significant effect on smolder combustion, at least for the sample size tested. Correlation of the forced flow smolder velocity data with a heat transfer based model, indicates that simplified heat transfer models of smolder propagation can effectively describe vigorous smolder, away from limiting conditions such as extinction and flaming. (C) 1998 by The Combustion Institute.