The NASA Glenn Research Center Two-Phase Flow Facility (TΦFFy) project is conducting a robust technology program to develop enabling products for advanced life support and power conversion systems. Future system safety and reliability will be enhanced by addressing focused microgravity fluid physics issues associated with flow boiling and multi-phase system stability. The project includes both normal gravity testing and reduced gravity aircraft flight campaigns. The development of novel compact heat exchanger designs for use in reduced gravity operations requires advanced quantitative planar velocimetry diagnostics in order to verify system performance. The development of a comprehensive package of non-intrusive and non-invasive optical diagnostics to provide phasic velocity information throughout the range of flow boiling regimes in both gravity and microgravity-based test rigs is discussed. The application of both point-based probe techniques and planar-based imaging techniques to obtain phasic velocity information is analyzed. The application of planar and stereo imaging techniques to multiple flow regimes is presented. Extensions of liquid film thickness and local void fraction measurement techniques are examined to evaluate their potential to provide velocity information for interfacial waves and global void interface tracking. The extension of development efforts applied to ground-based test rigs into aircraft-based microgravity rigs is also presented.

Volume Subject Area:
Fluids Engineering
Keywords:
Multiphase Flow, Two Phase Flow, Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry, Film Thickness, Interfacial Wave Velocity, Void Fraction, Shadowography
Topics:
Multiphase flow, Porosity, Two-phase flow, Velocity measurement, Waves, Gravity (Force), Flow (Dynamics), Aircraft, Boiling, Imaging, Film thickness, Flight, Fluids, Heat exchangers, Liquid films, NASA, Particulate matter, Physics, Power conversion systems, Probes, Reliability, Safety, Stability, Testing
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