FLOW RATE MEASUREMENTS FOR CRYOGENIC PROPELLANTS ARE REQUIRED FOR SPACECRAFT AND SPACE EXPLORATION SYSTEMS.…

Public award description

FLOW RATE MEASUREMENTS FOR CRYOGENIC PROPELLANTS ARE REQUIRED FOR SPACECRAFT AND SPACE EXPLORATION SYSTEMS. SUCH A REQUIREMENT HAS BEEN HAMPERED BY LACK OF FAST AND ACCURATE INSTRUMENTS AMONG EXISTING TECHNOLOGIES. THIS PROPOSED PROJECT WILL DEVELOP A MASS FLOW MEASUREMENT SYSTEM FOR NON-CONDUCTING CRYOGENIC PROPELLANT FLOW TO MEET THE NASA'S NEED. IN THE PROPOSED SYSTEM, AN ELECTROMAGNETIC FLOWMETER FOR INSULATING FLUIDS (EMFIF) WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE REAL-TIME LIQUID VELOCITY INFORMATION UNDER SINGLE- AND TWO-PHASE FLOW CONDITIONS, AND AN X-RAY VOID FRACTION SENSOR WILL PROVIDE PHASE CONCENTRATION AND INTERFACIAL VELOCITY INFORMATION. THE X-RAY SENSOR WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO DETECT BUBBLE EXISTENCE IN CRYOGENIC PROPELLANT FLOW. THE WHOLE PROPOSED SYSTEM WILL BE A USEFUL INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE PROPELLANT FLOWRATE IN ROCKET ENGINE FEED LINES. DURING THE PHASE I PROJECT, A TEST MODEL OF THE PROPOSAL MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE WILL BE DESIGNED AND BUILT. THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PROPOSED FLOWMETER WILL BE STUDIED IN AN EXPERIMENTAL CROSS-CALIBRATION. IF THE PHASE I STUDY SHOWS THAT IT IS FEASIBLE TO EMPLOY THE FLOWMETER FOR SINGLE/TWO-PHASE FLOW, THE PHASE II DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS ENGINEERING DESIGN AND VERIFICATION OF THE SYSTEM WILL BE CARRIED OUT.