ABSTRACT
Fluid management in space has been central to the development of space-based technologies since the beginning. The basic fluid management technologies required for these early applications, including positioning and stability, were specifically developed for each case, i.e., each system was analyzed individually as the need arose. Long-lived space systems that use subcritical cryogens present low-gravity fluid management challenges, including special storage utilization problems due to their low liquid temperatures. Liquid expulsion from a container comprises another important task necessary for fluid management in low gravity. Vapor venting is another area of fluid management in low-gravity environment that is the subject of extensive study. In most applications of fluid management, the individual technology areas discussed above, such as liquid expulsion, positioning, draining, and vapor venting, can occur simultaneously in complex space-based system. The question must be answered of how a fluid acquisition and storage system can be made to operate in an optimal and efficient manner in low-gravity environment.
