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Space Station Freedom (SSF) equipment is being developed to support future research in the life sciences and material sciences. This paper focuses on the preservation and storage equipment, and the trace contaminant control system,. The preservation and storage equipment includes cryogenic freezers (-196°C) for specimen quick-freezing and storage, a freeze drier, and a -70°C freezer for general storage. A predevelopment Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) has been built to support Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) testing. The hardware will be used in the Predevelopment Operational System Test (POST) to verify design interfaces with other subsystems of the air revitalization system.

In the early 80's, climbing energy prices and Canadian government incentives in the form of tax rebates expanded the use of propane as an automotive fuel. As a result of the growing population of propane fueled vehicles and field reports of serious engine oil thickening in propane service, preliminary studies of engine oil performance in this service were initiated. Field test programs have shown that propane affects service severity in the opposite way to that normally expected with gasoline. Short trip city service with propane proved very mild, whereas long haul highway propane service can significantly oxidize the engine lubricant and produce serious loss of low temperature performance. In this latter type of service, satisfactory engine oil antioxidancy together with suitable oil drain intervals can be critical to satisfactory engine life. This paper reviews these effects of propane fueled engines on engine oil performance as demonstrated in field test programs.

A controlled cold starting and oil pumpability field test was conducted in Northern Ontario to quantify the expected advantages for 0W synthetic and part-synthetic multigrades over 5W30 mineral oils. In a second program the following winter, an attempt was made to establish the impact on starting performance of “real world” driving conditions. In fact, four 4-cylinder vehicles could not distinguish between 0W and 5W multigrades differing in CCS viscosity by about 19 poise at −30°C. A full-synthetic oil did show a small pumpability advantage, but all the oils performed satisfactorily. Under real world driving conditions with two types of three year old vehicles, fuel dilution and fluctuations in battery output completely obscured oil viscosity effects from 0, 5 and 10W30 oils.

ALUMINUM engines promise a gain in the power/weight ratio and possibilities of production economies. Aluminum has already proved its value for some parts; only the adaptation of design for high production methods delays full realization of the metal's potentials. This paper describes the problems encountered in adapting the V-type engine to fabrication methods using aluminum alloy parts. Applications of aluminum in crankcase and cylinder block, cylinder liners and heads, intake manifold, pistons, and bearings are also discussed.