Microaccelerations on Board the Mir Orbital Station and Quick Analysis of the Gravitational Sensitivity of Convective Heat/Mass Transfer Processes

This paper presents an analysis of the microacceleration phenomena recorded on board the Russian space station Mir. This analysis is based on acceleration measurements collected in September and October of 1995. Acceleration values were obtained by two methods: SAMS measurements, and by calculations based on attitude telemetry information from the Mir station. These calculations allowed estimating a quasi-steady acceleration component. This component was compared with the results of selection of low-frequency component from SAMS measurements. Both methods gave very similar results in some cases after correction of SAMS data. Data preparation techniques for use in problems of computational hydrodynamics are considered. Examples of computer simulation of thermal convection and quick analysis of gravitational sensitivity of convective processes are described.