Page 107 - International Space Station Benefits for Humanity, 3rd edition.

inexpensive device. Kelso and his team were using
energy-consuming items such as batteries and motors
to operate the device; however, when his designs did ...the efficient exploitation of oil field
not work as expected in the lab, Kelso turned to resources remains a key element in
Weislogel. Kelso explained that he and his team
thought that gravity would pull fluids through the reducing costs and environmental
device, but Weislogel had the understanding that impacts in the industry.
capillary action would do this based on his previous
work in microgravity.
By relying on the principles of capillary flow, the device
uses much less energy and can provide medical
professionals with a valuable tool in areas with limited processes, ranging from convection in oceans to
resources. The device began field testing in 2015.
component segregation in solidifying volcanic lava,
Although a primary focus of the CFE research was fluid and it can seriously affect industrial processes such
management in space where gravity is nearly absent, as the manufacture of semiconductors and oil-in-
the basic principles of capillary flow can be used on water emulsions.
Earth as well. The most direct applications for CFE In the past 15 years, ESA has supported numerous
research are immediate design improvements for most thermodiffusion experiments that have yielded
life support equipment aboard spacecraft. In addition, significant amounts of data. This research included
Weislogel believes that terrestrial applications will be the joint Diffusion and Soret Coefficient (DSC)
commercially viable when applying the unique results Measurements and Diffusion Coefficients in Mixtures
of space station research.
(DCMIX-1) experiment, which took place on the ISS
Research in the microgravity environment of space at the end of 2011. The DSC/DCMIX-1 experiment
continues to impact our lives here on Earth. As with the accurately determined isothermal and thermal diffusion
medical device, this deeper understanding of capillary coefficients for different samples that contained
flow could change how fluid-handling systems are systems representing the three main families of
B4H 3rd Edition
designed and operated in any number of applications. crude oil. This has been followed up by subsequent
experiments. The basic principle of the experiments
is to expose representative liquid mixtures to a
Improved Oil Exploitation Strategies temperature gradient in weightlessness where gravity-
The world is steadily transitioning away from the use
of fossil fuels. However, with oil still an essential part
of global industrial output, the efficient exploitation of oil
field resources remains a key element in reducing costs
and environmental impacts in the industry. Improving Good Vibrations…and
the efficiency of oil recovery is currently a major
challenge. At about 4000 m (13,123 ft) below ground Their Effect on Liquid
level, hydrocarbon fluids are highly sensitive to applied The Selectable Optical
forces—not only gravity, but also temperature and Diagnostics Instrument-Influence
Scientific
pressure gradients. The prediction of hydrocarbon of VIbrations on DIffusion of Liquid (SODI-IVIDIL) Economic
composition is an important factor that contributes to experiment demonstrated the agreement Valuation
Valuation
the choice of reservoir exploitation strategies. Since the between experimental and predicted results
cost of extracting resources increases with depth, oil of the diffusion and thermodiffusion coefficients.
SCIENTIFIC
companies are interested in reliable thermodynamic These data shed light on the complex ECONOMIC
VALUATION
models that will allow the characterization of an entire mechanisms behind vibration-induced VALUATION
reservoir using a reduced number of exploratory wells. convection, and provided useful insight on how
One major area of research supported by ESA to control fluids in space—techniques that can
involves the observation of thermodiffusion in fluids support new oil exploitation strategies on Earth.
(also known as the Soret effect), and the determination
of thermodiffusion (Soret) coefficients. Thermodiffusion
plays a crucial role in many naturally occurring

93
Human Earth Observation Innovative Global Economic
Health and Disaster Technology Education Development
Response of Space