Glenn Research Center- Intravenous Fluid Generation Mini (IVGenMini) Research Project Support
May 30, 2022- August 19, 2022
Final goals of your project/s:
The Summer 2022 internship session is a continuation of the Spring 2022 session. During the spring, research, literature reviews, and surveys were conducted to support IVGEN MINI project scientists in fluid mixing techniques and studying past efforts of IV fluid usage in extreme environments, and a research paper detailing those findings was written. The goal for the summer is to convert the paper into a Technical Memorandum (TM) and upload it to a NASA research database.
The second objective of the Summer 2022 session is to help with the student drop tower and CELERE experiments. My job is to prepare and assemble student devices into the testing rig for 2.2 second drop tower experiments. For CELERE, I will be helping students manufacture their devices using the laser cutter in the I-Lab.
Finally, the third objective of the summer 2022 internship is to empirically measure the surface energy of a hydrophobic material using the Zisman method and the Owens, Wendt, Rabel and Kaelble (OWRK) model. As an intern, I will develop laboratory procedures and collect and analyze data to find the surface energy.
Describe what you did during the internship:
During the Spring, I wrote a paper detailing the microgravity science glovebox experiment IVGEN Mini. The paper included microgravity fluid mixing techniques and studying past efforts of IV fluid usage in extreme environments to aid IVGEN project scientists in developing the device. The IVGEN Mini paper was completed at the beginning of the summer session, and I worked with my mentor and other NASA civil servants to convert the paper to a NASA Technical Memorandum to be uploaded to the NTRS website.
The second project I worked on was the 2021 Drop Tower Challenge: Droplet Ejection. Four teams of grade 9-12 students were challenged to design and build simple devices using capillary flow (only) to eject water droplets as far as possible while the devices fall down NASA’s 2.2 Second Drop Tower Facility. I assisted with the drop tower experiments by assembling the structure which holds the student devices, setting up the devices inside the drop tower rig, and assisting with the drops.
The most time-consuming and main project I worked on over the summer was finding the surface energy of a Femtosecond Laser Processed silver material to improve the performance of nuclear reactors, especially boiling water reactors. Surface energy is a parameter to describe a material’s wettability. Wettability describes the preference, or the balance of surface and interfacial forces, of a solid to be in contact with one fluid rather than another. The ability to control a surface’s wettability properties can have many promising applications. In the context of two-phase heat transfer, specifically pool boiling, FSLP has shown enhancement in heat transfer performance for several metals operating in the nucleate boiling regime. Quantifying an FSLP material will allow for better control over its material properties and enhance the ability to predict a manufacturing outcome. I found the surface energy of the FSLP silver material sample using the Zisman Plot method and the OWRK model. I wrote a paper on the research findings and presented the research to my branch.
Did you achieve your goals? What were the results?:
The IVGEN Mini paper was completed, but it is still in the review process of being uploaded as a Technical Memorandum. I’ll be keeping in touch with my mentor throughout the process, but it should be fully uploaded by November.
The test for the 2021 Drop Tower Challenge: Droplet Ejection were successful. The test rig worked as intended the rig held and protected the student devices which made repeatable tests in the 2.2-second drop tower possible.
Lastly, the surface energy of the FSLP silver was found from the OWRK model. A value of 42.5 mN/m was obtained for surface energy. This value for surface energy is comparatively low compared to other solid surfaces. A low surface energy value indicates that the material is more hydrophobic (water repelling) than hydrophilic (easily wets). The contact angle of the distilled water droplet on an FLSP silver surface is 147.5 degrees, indicating that the FSLP silver has a hydrophobic surface. For hydrophobic materials, the contact angle is always greater than 90 degrees, and it can be as high as 150 degrees.
Describe positive lessons learned:
I learned how to:
– plan and conduct a laboratory experiment from start to finish
– analyze and interpret scientific data
– collect and organize information about a subject into a technical memorandum
Describe negative lessons learned:
Towards the end of the internship, time management became challenging. If I could re-do the summer, I would begin by making a timeline to plan out the summer.