Abstract
A fluidized bed reactor for use under microgravity and partial gravity conditions has been designed and tested at NASA Glenn's 2.2 Second Drop Tower. Injection of a swirling flow is utilized to stabilize the bed. Under microgravity conditions, the fluidized bed is formed under a balance of radial drag and centrifugal forces acting on the bed particles. In laboratory tests, gravitational effects, primarily related to settling effects of the particles under normal gravity conditions, are clearly observed and impact the fluidized bed formation. In microgravity, there is a lack of gravitational settling of the particles. Analysis of the particle distribution is carried out by imaging with orthogonal cameras.
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