Introduction of Research Projects on Solid Material Combustion Utilizing ISS/Kibo and Their Expected Outcome

Abstract

Two research projects relating to solid material combustion in microgravity are introduced with their scientific background and expected outcome. Both of them include space flight experiments in ISS/Kibo, which will provide key information of these projects, map of limiting condition for ignition and extinction. The first project called as “Solid Combustion” aims to clarify the differences of ignition limits of overloaded wire and extinction limit of spreading flame over solid material in normal and micro-gravity and to provide scientific understanding of the differences. The second project called as “FLARE (Flammability Limit at Reducing Gravity)” attempts to propose new fire safety standard for materials intended for use in habitable environment in spacecraft after the combination of the scientific understanding of the Solid Combustion project and extended data on practical materials and additional effective parameters to be taken in the second project. In the present article the overview of those projects and examples of tentative progress of the research are described and finally it is emphasized that the extension of fundamental knowledge on combustion is the crucial element to attain the goal of the projects.