flatulence in space?

[spacefire]

In microgravity, there's no convection so the fact that the gas coming from one's warm you know what will not rise...I guess it's up to the air fans and air purifiers. How efficient is the life support system in getting rid of the unpleasant smell?<br /><br /><br />What happens if one passes gas in an airtight Space Suit? Will it be there for the entire duration of the EVA, to be finally released when one unlucky crewmember removes the helmet of our flatulent spacewalker? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[larper]

I have to assume that when they lower the airpressure to 10psi for the prebreath, there is a lot of equilization going on that no one talks about. Same goes for when they lower the pressure to 5psi in the suits.<br /><br />Maybe THAT is what all of the "tin drum" sounds REALLY are. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong><font color="#ff0000">Vote </font><font color="#3366ff">Libertarian</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[spacefire]

makes sense. I get bloated like hell on airline flights. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[mrmorris]

<font color="yellow">"I guess it's up to the air fans and air purifiers"</font><br /><br />Brownian motion will cause any volume of gas to disperse even if there were no fans/etc. This is also true of the CO2 being exhaled by the astronauts, etc. That aside, there's always fans in space habitats to assist in mixing the atmosphere and pulling it to fan traps, carbon filters & CO2 scrubbers for processing. The activated carbon filters are designed specifically to handle odors.<br /><br /><font color="yellow">What happens if one passes gas in an airtight Space Suit? Will it be there for the entire duration of the EVA..."</font><br /><br />So let's work on this one. The suit is airtight -- presumably you mean no air leaves it. Yet there's an oxygen feed to the suit. Sooooo.. for the entire EVA, oxygen is coming in, but nothing is going out... so you see the suit inflating like a balloon throughout the EVA? Nope. I haven't researched the mechanics of EVA suits, but there must be a mechanism to release gas to keep the pressure stable. I would expect that to be part of a scrubber/filter system similar to that in the shuttle/ISS (albeit on a smaller scale).<br /><br />Mind you -- I'm sure it's still not a pleasant experience for the astronaut in question at T+5. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[spacefire]

what you say makes sense-and I don't know anything about spacesuits except that Alan Shepard peed in one.<br /><br /><br />still, a long EVA must get smelly. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[tap_sa]

EMU PLSS has activated charcoal to remove unwanted odours.<br /><br />But how about using flatulence for propulsion purposes, add valve and nozzle to the back. Such a warm gas thruster surely has Isp at least above 100sec! Precise control is another issue.<br /><br />

 

[mrmorris]

<font color="yellow">"Such a warm gas thruster surely has Isp at least above 100sec"</font><br /><br />I doubt that under the relatively low pressures involved. However, you miss the fact that we're talking methane here. Bottle it on exit, mix with O2 from the breathing apparatus and we have ourselves a viable propellant/oxidizer mix.

 

[larper]

Chris Rush on Flatulence in space:<br /><br />"Farting in space is not the same as when you are on Earth. You see, when you fart, you fart. That's it. Unless you're catholic, then you have guilt. But for an astronaut, they can't do that. If they let out a big ripper, they could fly into the sun. So, before he can fart, an astronaut has to figure out exactly what kind of fart he thinks he's going to make, and input that into the computer. 'One big ripper, two silent-but-deadlies, and a McDonalds BlastO'. " <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong><font color="#ff0000">Vote </font><font color="#3366ff">Libertarian</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[tap_sa]

<font color="yellow">"Bottle it on exit, mix with O2 from the breathing apparatus and we have ourselves a viable propellant/oxidizer mix."</font><br /><br />I recommend very reliable check valves between fuel source and combustion chamber, we don't want any backflow nor reverse pressure pulses!

 

[tap_sa]

Wasn't there some Mercury or Gemini mission that had serious trouble because of crew flatulence?

 

[mrmorris]

<font color="yellow">"...we don't want any backflow nor reverse pressure pulses!"</font><br /><br />Hmmm -- thinking about it -- there might also be some severe 'pogo' issues with this.

 

[gawin]

OMG this has made me laugh more then anything ive read in a long time. hehehehehe<br /><br />would give ne meaning to "huston we have a problem"

 

[trailrider]

You know the old saying, "That'll go over like a f--t in a spacesuit!" <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /><br />Re: using the "products of combustion" reminds me of a kid we had in Jr. High, who was very flatulant and last name was Boynton. We "invented" Boyton Drive. Theoretically, we figured if you fed him beans and Ex-lax...well, you get the picture!<br /><br />On the other hand, there might be a very practical solution for use of garbage in a long-duration spacecraft...use methane produced by anaerobic bacterial "digesters" to create methane/CO-2. The CO-2 can be broken down to produce additional oxygen, and the methane could be used for fuel.<br /><br />I did a study of the posssiblity of doing this back in 1971 as a project in college. Used methane produced by the local sewage system plant to static fire a small laboratory rocket engine. The effort was known as Project SEWERS (Space Ecology Waste Energy Recovery System), no kidding!<br /><br />Ad Luna! Ad Aries! Ad Astra!<br /><br />Trailrider

 

[igorsboss]

Remember that the force of a rocket's thrust is mass times acceleration.<br /><br />Since mass is part of the equation, certain farts will produce more thrust than others.

 

[drwayne]

http://yarchive.net/space/spacecraft/capsule_smell.html<br /><br />Wayne <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>"1) Give no quarter; 2) Take no prisoners; 3) Sink everything."  Admiral Jackie Fisher</p> </div>

 

[vogon13]

Enterprise Chief Engineer Scott always was informed before 'burrito night' in the galley so he could get a couple more environmental control packs on line.<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />BTW, wasn't there a Voyager episode that implied something about f*rts or BO or something?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[le3119]

Gives new meaning to "outgasing".

 

[spacefire]

how do you make a <b>spacefire</b>? <br /><br /><br /><br />light up a spacefart <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <br /><br /><br /><br />I hope that was self-deprecating enough. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>