Year
2018
N/A
Project Type
Speculative Design
Organisation
Royal College of Art | Imperial College London
Zero-G Glass
This project started with the question of developing a ‘glass’ that could only be used in zero-g environments. The concepts that I have come across for drinking in space have been very interesting but many are simply modified versions of Earth glassware.
I wanted to re-imagine drinking for someone who had grown up in the ‘direction-less’ nature of zero-g. Why would you need a top and a bottom if nothing else in your life had one? My Zero-G glass is the first container that would allow you to drink from any direction. Mirroring the omni-directionality of zero-g environments.
Objectives + Challenges
Problem Statement
Design a drinking solution for Zero-G environments, and only for Zero-G environments
Target Audience
Astronauts and Space tourists | Student & Teaching group
Goals | Constraints |
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Process + Approach
Methodology
This project was approached with a creative exploration methodology. I knew I wanted to do a space based project. Something that was designed with those constraints and setting in mind.
I did a review of the prior art in the field, and looked at the basic physics before I began sketching.
Once a design was decided on, a basic CFD simulation was conducted to provide some initial evidence of feasibility before fabrication.
Key Activities
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Tools & Technologies | Materials | ||
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Solutions, Deliverables + Outcomes
Final Output
The Zero-G Glass concept that I developed is a very much unproven concept. That said, it should help spark the imagination of what we may be able to do and experience in Zero-G environments.
If actually feasible, the glass would give you the ability to drink from any side or direction of the container, giving you a unique experience.
The actual outputs were a set of very basic 2D fluid simulations to attempt to model the physical feasibility of the concept, and several physical artefacts.
When gravity is no longer present, the strongest ‘force’ in regard to liquids is surface tension and adhesive forces between the liquid and the container. Therefore, it should be possible to create a drinking vessel that takes advantage of this situation to, allowing the liquid to bridge the gaps in a static situation until a sufficiently high pressure differential is applied (for example when drinking from it).
Key Features
Omni-directional open glassware for space
Outcomes + Comments
Lessons Learned
This project was a great experience to begin to understand computational physics simulations. Ansys Fluent is not the ideal solution for zero-g fluid dynamics, as I learnt, but it was the tool I had.
It was also a good learning experience for trying to understand an environment totally outside my experiences and design for it.
Personal Commentary
The result of this project is very much an unproven concept. The idea that liquids will remain within the sphere and not creep out of the gaps over time or when moving has only been very roughly simulated. That being said I hope that this project is able to convey at least some of what life in space could be like in the future.
This project serves as only the very beginning of exploration. There is still much for me to understand with fluid interactions in microgravity environments. A method for filling and cleaning the glass are also required. Understanding what happens when the volume of liquid inside is low is also to be explored. Fundamentally, the concept also needs to be proven.
This was, in many ways, a project in scope well beyond what could be achieved in the time frame and limited resources that I had, but because of that it was an enjoyable challenge. At some point it would be great to get back to it. Ideally in a microgravity environment where I can actually perform some experiments!!
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