Inventors:
Richard T. Walter - Seabrook TX
Paul D. Van Buskirk - Corpus Christi TX
William F. Weber - Webster TX
Richard C. Froebel - Houston TX
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC
International Classification:
G01F 1700
Abstract:
A method for determining the volume of compressible gas in a system including incompressible substances in a zero-gravity environment consisting of measuring the change in pressure (. DELTA. P) for a known volume change rate (. DELTA. V/. DELTA. t) in the polytropic region between isothermal and adiabatic conditions. The measurements are utilized in an idealized formula for determining the change in isothermal pressure (. DELTA. P. sub. iso) for the gas. From the isothermal pressure change (. DELTA. P. sub. iso) the gas volume is obtained. The method is also applicable to determination of gas volume by utilizing work (W) in the compression process. In a passive system, the relationship of specific densities can be obtained.