NJIT — Electrohydrodynamic Gas-Liquid Phase Separation¶
Last updated: Session 95, 2026-04-07
Summary¶
Boris Khusid at NJIT used FO parabolic flights to validate electrohydrodynamic (EHD) gas-liquid phase separation in microgravity — a fundamental challenge that compromises liquid pumps, volumetric sampling, and electrolytic oxygen generators in space. The FO discovery led to a Physical Review Letters publication (2015), an ISS experiment grant ($815K+), and ongoing colloid research published in npj Microgravity (2025). This is a clean FO → discovery → ISS → long-term ECLSS technology arc.
FO Project¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Project | 91373 |
| Lead Org | New Jersey Institute of Technology |
| PI | Boris Khusid |
| TRL | 3→6 |
| Period | 2012-08 to 2016-01 |
| TX | TX06.1.1: Atmosphere Revitalization |
| Views | 669 |
| Outcomes | Advanced To ×2 (2012-03, 2014-08) |
Technology¶
The problem: Gas-liquid phase separation is trivially solved by gravity on Earth — bubbles rise, liquid settles. In microgravity, this doesn't happen. The result: liquid pumps fail, volumetric sampling is unreliable, and electrolytic oxygen generators (critical ECLSS hardware) can't efficiently remove gas bubbles from the electrolyte. This has been a known problem since early space station operations.
Khusid's approach: Use electric fields to drive gas-liquid separation without gravity. In 2003, while conducting unrelated experiments on polarized suspensions during NASA parabolic flights, Khusid observed the unexpected appearance of a cone-shaped meniscus on fluid surfaces in electric fields — a new physical phenomenon. FO provided the microgravity environment to systematically study and validate this EHD phase separation mechanism.
Key discovery: The FO experiments revealed a dynamic cone-shaped meniscus formation on fluid surfaces in electric fields, which was not predicted by existing models. This was published in Physical Review Letters (2015): "Detection of a Dynamic Cone-Shaped Meniscus on the Surface of Fluids in Electric Fields" (DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.054501). The paper was co-authored with an astronaut who participated in the ISS experiments.
Downstream Impact¶
ISS Experiment Grant (confirmed)¶
Khusid received a multi-year NASA grant (minimum $815K) for ISS experiments investigating electric phenomena in colloids — one of only 8 proposals funded under NASA's Physical Science Research Program. The ISS work extended the FO parabolic flight discoveries into long-duration microgravity.
Binary Colloid Alloy Test (BCAT) on ISS¶
The ISS grant supported analysis of video microscopy images from NASA's BCAT experiments, connecting Khusid's EHD work to the broader ISS colloid physics program. This represents integration of FO-originated research into the ISS science portfolio.
ACE-T-Ellipsoids ISS Investigation (confirmed active)¶
Khusid and Lou Kondic (NJIT Distinguished Professor of Applied Mathematics) are conducting ACE-T-Ellipsoids experiments on ISS — studying how colloidal elliptical particles self-organize under controlled temperatures in microgravity. This is a follow-on to the ACE-T11 investigation on spherical particles. The comparison between spherical and ellipsoidal particle behavior is expected to reveal "the hidden interrelation between processes driving orientation and periodicity in particle arrangement." This extends the FO-originated research program into a second-generation ISS experiment series.
Ongoing Publications¶
- npj Microgravity (Nature) 2025: "Phase-field modeling of colloid-polymer mixtures in microgravity" — theoretical model validated against ISS BCAT data, extending Khusid's decade-long microgravity research program.
- Physical Review Letters 2015: Original FO discovery paper.
- Multiple additional publications on ResearchGate profile spanning EHD research.
ECLSS Technology Path (suggestive)¶
Khusid's research directly addresses ECLSS challenges: efficient gas-liquid separation for electrolytic oxygen generators, liquid handling in microgravity, and bubble management in electrochemical systems. A 2022 npj Microgravity review paper ("Electrolysis in reduced gravitational environments: current research perspectives and future applications") cites the broader EHD literature that Khusid's FO work feeds into.
The connection to specific ECLSS hardware implementation is not yet confirmed — this remains foundational science rather than an engineered product. But the technology area classification (TX06.1.1: Atmosphere Revitalization) explicitly places it in the ECLSS domain.
PI Profile¶
Boris Khusid — Full Professor, NJIT Department of Chemical, Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering. Expert in electrohydrodynamics. Over a decade of NASA-supported microgravity research. Also works on EHD applications in drug encapsulation and personalized medicine (terrestrial applications of the same physics).
Dollar Tracking¶
| Source | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| NASA ISS grant | $815K+ | Physical Science Research Program; ISS colloid experiments |
| FO project | (within FO budget) | Parabolic flight campaign 2012–2016 |
Significance¶
Archetype: FO Discovery → ISS Escalation — FO provided the first ~15-second microgravity windows that revealed a new phenomenon. That discovery was compelling enough to win an ISS grant for long-duration follow-up. The two "Advanced To" outcome records align with this escalation pattern.
Why this matters for ECLSS: The ISS currently uses centrifuges and mechanical separators for gas-liquid management — complex, maintenance-intensive hardware. EHD phase separation offers a potential solid-state alternative with no moving parts. If it matures to ECLSS integration, the FO parabolic flights were the starting point.
Surprise level: MEDIUM — Expected an ECLSS research project; didn't expect a PRL-level discovery leading to an ISS experiment program, or the specific cone-shaped meniscus finding.
Verification¶
- Sample size: 1 FO project, 1 PI
- Queries: techport_get_project [91373]; web search "Boris Khusid NJIT electrohydrodynamic phase separation microgravity"
- Evidence: PRL 2015 paper (DOI confirmed), ISS grant ($815K confirmed via NJIT news), npj Microgravity 2025 paper confirmed
- Counter-query: Are there non-FO origins for the cone-shaped meniscus discovery? (Khusid's 2003 observation was during NASA parabolic flights, so FO or FO-predecessor program is the origin)
- Confidence: Confirmed for FO→PRL→ISS arc; suggestive for ECLSS technology path
Cross-References¶
- Giner, Inc. — regenerative fuel cells for Artemis; related gas-liquid management in electrochemical cells
- Teledyne Energy — hydrogen fuel cell; similar electrochemical microgravity challenges
- Paragon COSMIC — ECLSS condensate separator; different separation approach for same class of problem
- Aerospace Corp Cryogenics — also published in npj Microgravity from FO work