Micro annular gear pumps in space

What do micro pumps and space have in common? The connection can be found in the European space laboratory Columbus ESA where experiments with plants, micro organisms, cells and tissue cultures are planned. The first experiments at zero gravity are carried out with seeds of the mouse-ear cress plant (Arabidopsis thaliana).

First, the seeds are irrigated so that they germinate. After a while, the growth must be stopped, and the seedlings are transported back to the earth for scientific evaluation. The plants have to be put into a kind of frost state so that they can not grow anymore on their journey back to the earth. This happens with the help of formalin being enclosed to the plants in small amounts by micro annular gear pumps by the company HNP Mikrosysteme, which are on board of the research laboratory Columbus.

The laboratory carries eight micro annular gear pumps mzr-2921. With a length of 75 and a diameter of 13 mm, the mzr-pumps of the low pressure series are compact and small. Because of theirs weight of 56 g, the mzr-pumps are most suitable as payload for research in space as every gram accessories needs about 40 times fuel related to its own weight.

The mzr-2921 is a pump concept commonly used in analytical instrumentation. It is suitable for dosage of small pressures and of low viscosity liquids. Besides the low pressure series, micro annular gear pumps with direct or magnet motor as well as in different combination of material are available in three more series.

HNP Mikrosysteme GmbH
Nicole Jokisch
info@hnp-mikrosysteme.de
www.hnp-mikrosysteme.de