GVIS Scientific Visualizations

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Graphic visualization showing combustion swirlers in the form of blue ribbons erupting from white nozzles attached to a larger, white structure. There are also thick red tendrils coming out from the nozzles and around the white structure.
Ray traced image of combustor swirlers
Credits: NASA GVIS

The Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) at NASA Glenn Research Center creates a variety of immersive visualizations and simulations in support of NASA's missions, projects, and future innovations. These visual tools help scientists, engineers, and researchers develop new solutions that bring their projects to life.

Scientific Visualizations

GVIS creates scientific visualizations to explain complex scientific systems which are typically impossible to see with the naked eye. These visualizations can be for large systems such as engines and storage tanks and add useful supplementary information as to how the system functions. Scientific visualizations can display information on large and microscopic scales, providing powerful insight to the inner workings of mechanical systems.

Visualization of the Zero Boil-Off Tank Experiment
NASA GVIS

Above is a visualization of the Zero Boil-Off Tank (ZBOT), a long term propellant storage tank developed by NASA. Spacecraft fuels are volitaile cryogenic liquid propellants which must be maintained at extremely low temperatures and also must be guarded from environmental heat leaks into the spacecraft's propellant tank. The featured visualization is an example of many experiments done on the ZBOT to investigate the best storage method for cryogenic liquid propellants. This visualizations shows the viewer the inner workings of the propellants inside the tank, bringing the experiment to life.

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