High-Response Total Temperature Distortion Measurement

Measurement of gas total temperature, particularly in highly unsteady transonic flow, continues to demand spatial and temporal resolution beyond the capabilities of most existing probe deployed sensors, but is essential to elucidate the role of inlet gas temperature distortion on gas turbine engine performance. To meet this requirement, MetroLaser has proposed and demonstrated, under the Phase I SBIR program, a fast-response fiber-optic microsensor for high spatial and temporal resolution gas temperature measurements. MetroLaser now proposes to advance this work under a Phase II program to develop a networked array of microsensors for distributed engine inlet gas temperature measurements. The temperature sensor array will be supported by a fully integrated MicroSensor Control unit (MSC), capable of supporting up to 48 fiber microsensors in modular unit upgrades. The proposed instrumentation will incorporate commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) telecommunications technology to facilitate ease of service and ready maintenance of the system at full operational status. Details of the microsensor fabrication, operational principles, calibration procedures and instrumentation for sensor multiplexing are discussed in this Phase II proposal.