Copper Heaters Improve Fuel Tank Safety on NASA's Return to Flight Mission.NEW YORK New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of -- Copper's superior heat-transfer properties are essential to new heating systems that replaced foam insulation in key areas on the Space Shuttle space shuttle, reusable U.S. space vehicle. Developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), it consists of a winged orbiter, two solid-rocket boosters, and an external tank. Discovery, which successfully launched into orbit on Tuesday, July 26. "NASA's use of copper for Discovery's thermal protection system is a weighty accomplishment for the 10,000-year-old metal," says Ken Geremia, Communications Manager for the Copper Development Association (CDA (1) (Compact Disc Audio) The compact disc file extension that is seen on the computer in Explorer or some other file manager. CDA files are actually pointers to the locations of the individual tracks on the CD medium. See CD-DA. ). "Copper is essential to so many industries including plumbing, communications and energy, but high-profile applications like this are certainly very exciting." The redesigned external fuel tank, or ET, now uses four small heaters to protect a critical section where a suitcase-size chunk of foam fell during the Space Shuttle Columbia launch in 2003, leading to the disaster that killed all seven crewmembers. Foam also broke off from this area, known as the bipod bi·pod n. A stand having two legs, as for the support of an instrument or a weapon. fittings, during an earlier shuttle mission but did not have serious consequences. It is routine procedure for NASA NASA: see National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA in full National Aeronautics and Space Administration Independent U.S. to spray the entire ET with insulating foam prior to a shuttle launch. This is done to keep the tank's super-cold cargo -- 526,126 gallons of liquid propellant Any liquid combustible fed to the combustion chamber of a rocket engine. used to fire the shuttle's three main engines -- in a liquid state and to prevent icing. Frozen condensation on the external fuel tank is a risk because it, like the insulation, could break away during lift-off and damage the shuttle's heat-deflecting ceramic tile exterior. For its "Return to Flight" mission, the first space shuttle voyage since the Columbia tragedy, NASA engineers replaced foam on the bipod fittings with four 300-watt cartridge (1) See phono cartridge. (2) A removable storage module that contains magnetic disks, optical discs, magnetic tape or memory chips. Cartridges are inserted into slots in the drive, printer or computer. heaters (including two back-up heaters). These heaters are situated on top of copper plates and are installed under the bipod fittings, eliminating the need for foam insulation. After extensive testing in wind, vibration, structural, and thermal trials, the bipod heaters are being retrofitted to shuttle fuel tanks for all future space missions. NASA will continue to spray foam on non-critical areas of the fuel tank for future shuttle launches. Copper Heating Belts Copper is also being used for a belt-like heater for the uppermost bellows bellows, expansible, gas-tight chamber used to pump or store a gas. One of the simplest and most familiar types of bellows is the manual one used for providing a forced draft to a fire. The expansible chamber consists of a leather bag with pleated sides. (a flexible joint) of the Liquid Oxygen Feedline, located on the exterior fuel tank. This section needs extra protection because it is positioned above the shuttle, and frozen debris falling from it would likely strike the ship. The bellows heater consists of two copper-nickel metal strips about 53 inches long and one-half inch wide. The external fuel tank is the largest piece of equipment on the shuttle, standing 15 stories high and weighing over 1.5 million pounds when filled. When the shuttle reaches its optimal velocity, the ET (like the two rocket boosters that fire the ship into orbit) is jettisoned and falls back to earth. Editor's Note Editor's Note (foaled in 1993 in Kentucky) is an American thoroughbred Stallion racehorse. He was sired by 1992 U.S. Champion 2 YO Colt Forty Niner, who in turn was a son of Champion sire Mr. Prospector and out of the mare, Beware Of The Cat. Trained by D. : To download high-resolution images and an electronic file of this story, please use the following link: http://www.kellenpr.com/clientnews/discoverCopper/edition_5.html. The Copper Development Association is the information, education, market and technical development arm of the copper, brass and bronze industries in the USA. |
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