Mixing effectiveness in the Apollo oxygen tanks of spin-up and rotation-reversal maneuvers

Two-dimensional simulations of stratified flows in the Apollo oxygen tanks have been used to estimate the mixing effectiveness of spin-up and rotation-reversal maneuvers. Calculations have been made for square and circular cylindrical tank geometries. Differences arising from heater position on the tank wall or near the center of the tank have been investigated. In the event of a prolonged period without normal maneuvers, the potential pressure decay (drop in pressure that would result from adiabatic mixing) can be suppressed by more than a factor of two through the use of spin-up and rotation-reversal maneuvers. Changes in rotation rate of order three revolutions per hour or greater are sufficient for this purpose.