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(photo Source: Internet) although this question seems a bit ridiculous, after all, humans have not even been to Mars, let alone Jupiter, which is much farther away. But the European Space Agency ESA solved the French fries problem with a large-diameter centrifuge (LDC) that provides gravity experiments for scientists around the world.

Why is the European Space Agency willing to carry out such a "stupid" project? You may not believe it (but really), because the astronauts at the space station made a request to the bureau, saying that if you want to eat French fries, they must be freshly fried and cannot be delivered by rocket express, and cold French fries are not delicious.

But after all, it's French fries, and deep-frying doesn't look very safe. Fried on earth will spill oil, not to mention space. There are too many uncertain things to let people fry French fries in space.

Photo Source: considering that giphy scientists may have a positive psychological impact on crew morale, Greek scientists spent millions of pounds on research to help astronauts eat fresh French fries, with emphasis on the project supported by the European Space Agency.

At the European Space Agency, there is a large centrifuge (LDC) designed to train pilots and astronauts to produce nine times the Earth's gravity, up to 20 grams.

Figure source: the ESA centrifuge has a diameter of 8 meters and has four long arms. Each arm can carry two test pods with a maximum payload of 80 kg. When the centrifuge rotates, a centripetal force can be generated to simulate the hypergravity field in the pod.

This centrifuge can not only be used for training, but also provide a hypergravity environment for cells, plants and small animals, as well as for physical science and technological experiments.

Photo Source: of course, the ESA pod can not be directly used to hold French fries. It must be modified.

The picture below shows the modified interior of the pod as a special fryer, and the instrument on the lower left is a thermostat, which can be used for French fries.

Image source: there is also a high-speed camera in the literature to observe the small bubbles produced by French fries to see the speed at which these bubbles are formed or detached.

High-speed rotating centrifuge source: in the literature, the scientists then cut the potatoes into strips and fried them in olive oil, while using centrifuges to create different gravity conditions (1 times, 1.8 times, 3 times, 6 times, and 9 times gravity). In order to study the effect of gravity acceleration on the pastry thickness and water evaporation rate of potato chips.

Image source: ESA results show that higher gravity increases heat transfer between hot oil and potatoes, shortens frying time, and results in thicker and more crisp shells of French fries. In the end, the researchers found that French fries taste best in places where the gravity of the earth is three times that of the earth, while Jupiter is exactly three times the earth's gravity. So it can be said that French fries are the best on Jupiter.

Although we all know that McDonald's French fries are better than KFC's, if McDonald's could get a hypergravity device to make French fries at three times the gravity, it might taste better and become an extinct in the French fries world.

Tu Yuan: giphy, do you think this is the end? Recently, the European Space Agency has been messing with French fries again, studying the effects of French fries in microgravity and publishing the results in the 2023 issue of the journal International Food Research.

However, this time, instead of using a large centrifuge, we switched to parabolic flight to simulate weightlessness conditions. Anyway, it looks like there is plenty of money for the experiment.

You can see from the experimental diagram below that more bubbles are produced under zero gravity. The results show that French fries are still feasible under the condition of weightlessness in space.

Photo Source: literature, but on the whole, it's just space fries. It's okay to fry something at the space station. It's another matter whether it tastes good or not.

To be sure, French fries taste best under 3 times gravity. McDonald's quickly follow up.

Source of cover: Internet

Reference:

Https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996913005929?via%3Dihub

Https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996922013072?via%3Dihub

This article is from the official Wechat account: bring Science Home (ID:steamforkids), author: everything.

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