Work

Corner angle effects on capillary rise along curved interior corners

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Liquid management is becoming increasingly essential as spacecraft carry more liquid, which includes liquid propellants. Interior corners are commonly used as components in spacecraft liquid management systems to passively position or maintain liquid. Under microgravity, the capillary flow along the curved interior corner plays a significant role in the behavior of liquids in spacecraft. To manage and transport liquids in space efficiently, it requires a full understanding of capillary flows in interior corners. In this work, the influence of corner angle on capillary flows in curved interior corners is studied experimentally. A series of drop tower experiments to simulate the microgravity environment are conducted to discuss the movement of liquid in the interior corner. Experimental results show that the liquid moves faster as the corner angle decreases. This feature can be utilized to design the liquid transport devices and provide valuable advices for liquid management in space.

Source: npj Microgravity

DOI: 10.1038/s41526-025-00519-3