- Author
- Kimzey, J. H. | Downs, W. R. | Eldred, C. H. | Norris, C. W.
- Title
- Flammability in Zero-Gravity Environment.
- Coporate
- Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, TX
- Sponsor
- National Aeronautics and Space Admin., Washington, DC
- Report
- NASA TR R-246, October 1966, 49 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
- weightlessness | flammability | oxygen atmosphere | paraffin | combustibles | combustion
- Identifiers
- zero gravity
- Abstract
- Paraffin and other combustibles were burned in a zero-gravity environment. Zero-gravity intervals of 12 seconds, maximum duration, were obtained in the cabin of an aircraft flying Keplerian parabolas. Test results indicate that ignition is essentially unchanged compared to a one-gravity environment but that combustion is suppressed, in some instances, to the extent that the fire appeared to be extinguished. In all cases, the flame was brightest during periods of acceleration, such as at impact of the test chamber with the aircraft and when returning to level flight. Flame conditons at zero gravity were typical of those expected of a pure diffusion flame in which steady-state conditons were not achieved.