AN ULTRA-HIGH RESOLUTION PLUME ANOMALOUS SPECIE DETECTION SYSTEM FOR SSME ENGINE PRE-FLIGHT TESTING

A VERY SENSITIVE DETECTION SYSTEM WILL BE DEVELOPED TO MEASURE CONCENTRATIONS OF METALLIC SPECIES IN THE SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINE (SSME) PLUME AT THE NOZZLE EXIT. THE SYSTEM WILL HAVE A DETECTION RANGE FROM 1 PPB TO 1000 PPB, ALLOWING DE-TECTION OF WEAR AND INCIPIENT FAILURE. IT IS NON-INTRUSIVE, CAN OPERATE ON TESTS STANDS WITH AND WITHOUT A DIFFUSER IN PLACE, AND USES NARROWLINE ABSORPTION TO MEASURE CONCENTRATIONS. A REFERENCE WAVELENGTH IS MONITOREDTO SEPARATE BROADBAND ABSORPTION, REFRACTION, AND OPTICS CONTAMINATION FROM ATOMIC LINE ABSORPTION. PHASE I WILL DETERMINE THE DETECTION RANGE ACHIEVABLE USING A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS. A SYSTEM WILL BE DESIGNED AND DEMONSTRATED USING THE DTF ENGINE AT SSC. CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS OF A FULL-SCALE TEST STAND INSTRUMENT WILL BE COMPLETED. PHASE II WOULD PRODUCE A FULL-SCALE, TEST-STAND INSTRUMENT FOR INSTALLATION ON AN SSME TEST STAND AT SSC. A VERY SENSITIVE DETECTION SYSTEM WILL BE DEVELOPED TO MEASURE CONCENTRATIONS OF METALLIC SPECIES IN THE SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINE (SSME) PLUME AT THE NOZZLE EXIT. THE SYSTEM WILL HAVE A DETECTION RANGE FROM 1 PPB TO 1000 PPB, ALLOWING DE-TECTION OF WEAR AND INCIPIENT FAILURE. IT IS NON-INTRUSIVE, CAN OPERATE ON TESTS STANDS WITH AND WITHOUT A DIFFUSER IN PLACE, AND USES NARROWLINE ABSORPTION TO MEASURE CONCENTRATIONS. A REFERENCE WAVELENGTH IS MONITOREDTO SEPARATE BROADBAND ABSORPTION, REFRACTION, AND OPTICS CONTAMINATION FROM ATOMIC LINE ABSORPTION. PHASE I WILL DETERMINE THE DETECTION RANGE ACHIEVABLE USING A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS. A SYSTEM WILL BE DESIGNED AND DEMONSTRATED USING THE DTF ENGINE AT SSC. CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS OF A FULL-SCALE TEST STAND INSTRUMENT WILL BE COMPLETED. PHASE II WOULD PRODUCE A FULL-SCALE, TEST-STAND INSTRUMENT FOR INSTALLATION ON AN SSME TEST STAND AT SSC.