K-State engineers sending experiment to International Space Station for condensation study
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024
K-State engineers have received funding from the National Science Foundation to send an experiment to the International Space Station to study condensation and freezing behavior. Pictured above, from left: Hande McGinty, assistant professor of computer science; Amy Betz, assistant dean and associate professor of mechanical engineering; and Melanie Derby, Dr. Charles E. Wilson chair in engineering and professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering. | Download this photo.
MANHATTAN — A team of K-State engineers hopes to predict condensation and freezing behavior using data obtained from experiments completed on the International Space Station.
Amy Betz, assistant dean for retention, diversity and inclusion and associate professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering in the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering, received a nearly $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation in collaboration with the ISS National Laboratory to develop new models for predicting ice and frost formation.
The conditions on the International Space Station will slow the growth of ice crystals, which will enable the visualization and study of frost and ice formation mechanisms. Videos of the surfaces will be analyzed using machine learning to automatically track and quantify condensation and frost characteristics.
"With this grant, K-State will be able to conduct new research using data collected from the International Space Station on ice and frost formation," said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran. "The research being done at K-State is attracting national support and attention, and I look forward to continuing to support their success and the great work being done at our universities through my role as a lead appropriator for the National Science Foundation."
Betz will lead the four-year project "ISS: Predicting condensation and freezing behavior via a machine learning model" alongside co-principal investigators Melanie Derby, Dr. Charles E. Wilson chair in engineering and professor in the Alan Levin Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, and Hande McGinty, assistant professor of computer science.
"Frost and ice formation negatively impact many industries, including aviation, refrigeration and air-conditioning systems, consumer devices, clean water and agriculture," Betz said. "The microgravity environment on the International Space Station allows for unique experiments that will help us better understand ice and frost formation on Earth. We will also use machine learning to analyze data from the ISS and from Earth to develop models for predicting condensation and freezing behavior."
The project aims to use the data from the new model to engineer surfaces and processes to prevent the negative effects of frost formation in a variety of applications.
"The global de-icing market for commercial aircraft reached $1 billion in 2019, and condensate freezing on external heat exchangers in air-source heat pumps can reduce performance by up to 60%," Betz said. "The more we can learn about ice and frost formation in the microgravity conditions on the International Space Station, the better equipped we will be to reduce or eliminate it here on Earth."
