Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-2008

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Aerospace Engineering

Major Professor

Basil N. Antar

Committee Members

Alfonso Pujol Jr., Uwe Peter Solies

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to validate a method of determining viscosity of highly viscous liquids with known surface tension in which is not confined by solid wall.

The major part of the work involves comparing and analyzing the data from the Fluid Merging Viscosity Measurement experiments (FMVM), conducted onboard the ISS, with results from numerical analysis codes. In these experiments, two different size or equal size droplets are deployed and allowed to merge under the action of the known surface tension without any external forcing. The drop merging process is performed in the zero gravity environment of space on board the ISS. Simultaneously, computer codes are used to determine the viscosity by producing the matching curves of the experimentally measured contact radius speed with theoretical calculation for the model experimental data.

Using this technique, the value of viscosity was determined with reasonable accuracy for several liquids tested.

Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Included in

Engineering Commons

Share

COinS