Combustion Science Possibilities
on GSC Space Facilities
Combustion (burning) has been a subject of vigorous scientific research for over a century. By conducting research on GSC Space Facilities, scientists can study subtle aspects of combustion normally masked by fluid flows caused by Earth's gravity.
Combustion accounts for approximately 85 percent of the world's energy production - as well as a significant fraction of the world's atmospheric pollution. Breakthroughs in combustion science will have far-reaching effects for the economy and the environment. For example, a 2-percent increase in burner efficiency may save the United States $8 billion per year.
Low-gravity research may also producce breakthroughs in "combustion synthesis," the process by which valuable materials are created as the products of fire. Examples include carbon fibers for high-strength, lightweight composite materials and fullernes, a novel form of carbon.
Highlights of Recent Research
At the recent 25th International Symposium on Combustion, the most
important meeting of combustion scientists in the world, nearly 10 percent of
the papers presented involved low-gravity combustion research.
Government investigators have used orbital research to obtain and analyze the first data on Burke-Schumann gas jet diffusion flames (a classical flame configuration treated in virtually all combustion textbooks). These data represent the first true verification of this theory available since its original development in 1928.
Copyright © 1998 by General Space Corporation. All Rights reserved.