Payload Description:

The main components of the G-093 experiment are a fluid test cell system, a laser-based illumination system, a charge coupled device (CCD) digital imaging system, and a computer-based data acquisition and control system. For each experiment the fluid test cell is partially filled with silicone oil to establish the liquid/gas interface. The pressure in the test cell will remain at the pressure of the canister. The vortex ring generator is located at the bottom of the test cell. It consists of a piston moving inside a cylindrical cavity. For each test the piston is initially at the lower position in the cylinder. The cylinder is filled with silicone oil seeded with silver coated hollow glass microspheres (14 micrometer nominal diameter, see MSDS for other properties and safety precautions). The rapid upward motion of the piston generates the vortex ring that propagates to the liquid/nitrogen-gas interface. The laser system is used to illuminate a cross section of the fluid test cell. The CCD camera captures digital images of the fluid motion and the drop formation process that are stored in the computer. A data acquisition system simultaneously records the liquid temperature and the acceleration in the fluid test cell. All the data is stored on hard disk for analysis after the canister is returned to earth.

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