Magnetic retention of LO2 in an accelerating environment

Recent advances in magnet technology suggest that magnetic positive positioning of liquids may become a viable technology for future spacecraft systems. Preliminary simulation results for a subscale tank are presented which illustrate that a magnet of sufficient strength can retain liquid oxygen (LO2) in an accelerating environment. Development of a new computational model for simulating equilibrium free surface shapes in the presence of a magnetic field is presented. Comparisons of equilibrium simulation predictions to known solutions for simple configurations support the conclusion that the computational model is suitable for continuing the investigation of magnetic propellant storage. Results obtained using the equilibrium simulation are presented to further demonstrate the feasibility of using magnetic retention to manage cryogenic propellants onboard spacecraft.