Flammability at Reduced Gravity (FLARE-G)

abstract

FLARE-G is the German part, which is funded by DLR, of the international project cooperation FLARE which is coordinated by the Japanese JAXA.

In the drop tower apparatus, the burnup of plastic films is investigated in changing atmospheric compositions and at pressures between 0 and 1 bar. Flame propagation and temperature evolution in the preheating zone are observed optically in the visible and IR range and soot production, CO2, O2 and moisture are analyzed in the flue gas.

The samples can be ignited in a wind tunnel in both concurrent and opposed flow. The flow velocity is controlled by mass flow controllers.

The background is an effort to understand solid fuel combustion and flame propagation behavior under reduced gravity and atmospheres and flow velocities typical for human spaceflight. The results will be used to improve fire safety for future exploration missions as well.

The apparatus will be used by German and Japanese scientists on the basis of a cooperation agreement.

experiment year: 2020
number of catapult launches: 29