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MERLIN (refrigerator)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Microgravity Experiment Research Locker/Incubator (MERLIN) was designed by University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering (CBSE) to operate as a hardmounted, single middeck locker equivalent within the ISS EXPRESS rack, the Space Shuttle, SpaceX Dragon, and Cygnus (spacecraft) . It is used to provide a temperature controlled environment for scientific experiments between -20 °C and 48.5 °C. MERLIN is also used to Support Crew Galley Operations.[1]

Description

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  • MERLIN is cooled using Thermoelectric elements, and can be cooled to -20 °C while using ISS water supply or -10 °C while only being air cooled. Resistive heating elements are used to provide an incubation capacity up to 48.5 °C.
  • MERLIN contains temperature sensor connections inside the payload volume, for monitoring sample temperature, for up to 12 sensors.
  • The internal sample volume is ~0.65 cubic feet (0.018 m3).

Additional Cold Stowage

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MERLIN is one of multiple units available for storage on the ISS and/or transportation to and from the ISS.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Fact Sheet (Microgravity Experiment Research Locker Incubator (MERLIN))". NASA. Archived from the original on 25 November 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2015.