Measurement of critical contact angle in a microgravity space experiment

Journal Article · Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1999 · Experiments in Fluids

OSTI ID:771703

Concus, P; Finn, R; Weislogel, M

Mathematical theory predicts that small changes in container shape or in contact angle can give rise to large shifts of liquid in a microgravity environment. This phenomenon was investigated in the Interface Configuration Experiment on board the NASA USML-2 Space Shuttle flight. The experiment's double proboscis containers were designed to strike a balance between conflicting requirements of sizable volume of liquid shift (for ease of observation) and abruptness of the shift (for accurate determination of critical contact angle). The experimental results support the classical concept of macroscopic contact angle and demonstrate the role of hysteresis in impeding orientation toward equilibrium.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Director, Office of Science. Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 771703
• Report Number(s): LBNL-43930; EXFLDU; R&D Project: 619701; TRN: AH200104%%9
• Journal Information: Experiments in Fluids, Vol. 28, Issue 3; Other Information: PBD: 1 Jun 1999; ISSN 0723-4864
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
CONFIGURATION
CONTAINERS
HYSTERESIS
ORIENTATION
SHAPE
SPACE SHUTTLES
LIQUIDS
INCIDENCE ANGLE
FLUID FLOW