This project started with the question of developing a ‘glass’ that could only be used in zero-g environments. The concepts that I have come across for drinking in space have been very interesting but many are simply modified versions of Earth glassware.
I wanted to re-imagine drinking for someone who had grown up in the ‘direction-less’ nature of zero-g. Why would you need a top and a bottom if nothing else in your life had one?
The result of this project is very much an un-proven concept. The idea that liquids will remain within the sphere and not creep out of the gaps over time or when moving has only been very roughly simulated. That being said I hope that this project is able to convey at least some of what life in space could be like in the future.
When gravity is no longer present, the strongest ‘force’ with regards to liquids is surface tension and adhesive forces between the liquid and the container. Therefore it should be possible to create a drinking vessel that takes advantage of this situation to, allowing the liquid to bridge the gaps in a static situation until a sufficiently high pressure differential is applied (for example when drinking from it). The simulations below attempt to visualise this behavior.
This project serves as only the very beginning of exploration. There is still much for me to understand with fluid interactions in microgravity environments. A method for filling and cleaning the glass are also required. Understanding what happens when the volume of liquid inside is low is also to be explored. Fundamentally the concept also needs to be proven.
ABKF Space 