Magnetic Fluid Experiment

THE STORAGE OF LIQUID CRYOGENS IN ZERO-G CONDITIONS WITH MINIMAL CRYOGEN LOSS AND HIGH DELIVERY RATES HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS AN ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENT IN SPACE APPLICATIONS FOR MANY YEARS. THE SUGGESTION IN THIS INVITATION TO CONSIDER A STORAGE SYSYEM THAT UTILIZES THE MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF THE CRYOGENIC FLUID. MANY APPROACHES HAVE BEEN EXPLORED TO OVERCOME THE ZERO-G PROBLEM, SUCH AS ARTIFICIAL GRAVITY, LIQUID ACQUISITION DEVICES, PHYSICAL SEPARATION DEVICES, AND POROUS PLUGS. BUT THE METHODS PROPOSED BY ORBITEC ARE OF LESS COMPLEXITY AND MUCH HIGHER RELIABILITY. BY KNOWING THE LOCATION OF THE LIQUID AND GAS PHASES THE FOUR BASIC FUNCTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH CRYOGENIC STORAGE AND TRANSFER ARE GREATLY SIMPLIFIED. THE FOUR BASIC FUNCTIONS INCLUDE, SUPPLY OF SINGLE PHASE FLUIDS, PRESSURE AND FLOW CONTROL, RESUPPLY, AND GAUGING. BY USING THE MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF THE CRYOGENIC FLUID, WHERE LIQUID OXYGEN IS IMPARTING A MAGNETIC FIELD TO THE FLUID IN A DEWAR. THE USE OF MAGNETIC PROPERTIES IS NOW A POTENTIAL WITH THE ADVENT OF RELATIVELY NEW AND POWERFUL RARE EARTH MAGNETIC EXPULSION DEWAR(MED) FOR USE WITH LIQUID HYDROGEN WILL POTENTIALLY HAVE ALL THE BENEFITS OF THE MID. THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN DETERMINING FEASIBILITY FOR USE WITH A HYFROGEN SYSTEM IS HOW COMPARATIVELY LOWER DIAMAGNETIC HYDROGEN AND SURFACE TENSION FORCES WILL BEHAVE IN ZERO-G.