Development of drop tower enabled module to study the effect of microgravity on the metal foaming behaviour

Abstract

This paper presents a novel drop tower-enabled module developed to study metal foam expansion during the short microgravity period of the drop test. Drop towers are the most accessible microgravity platform but have their challenges. The primary design challenge is building a foaming module that can be housed inside the drop capsule, coupled with a camera to monitor the foam expansion and standardize the critical parameters such as data acquisition, temperature monitoring, heat transfer control, pressure control, heating rate, and power supply. The design iterations were carried out to promote the actual expansion of metal foam and minimize the scattering of results. The developed module successfully underwent drop testing and demonstrated resilience against high g-forces. This module will expand the potential for conducting more metal foaming experiments in microgravity by utilizing readily accessible platforms like drop towers. It will capitalize on the advantages offered by the microgravity environment, such as the diminished drainage effect.