FIBER SENSORS FOR HIGH TEMPERATURES AND PRESSURES

GROUND OPERATIONS INSTRUMENTATION FOR ROCKET ENGINES WILL REQUIRE SOPHISTICATED SENSING DEVICES FOR MEASURING PRESSUREAND TEMPERATURE ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS IN AN EXTREMELY HARSH ENVIRONMENT. NEW CONCEPTS IN SENSOR DESIGN WILL HAVE TO BE DEVELOPED TO MEASURE THESE KEY PARAMETERS UNDER LAUNCH AND GROUND TESTING CONDITIONS. PRESENT DAY SENSORS WILL NOT OPERATE RELIABLY IN THIS ENVIRONMENT. FIBER OPTIC SENSORS OFFER A POSSIBLE SOLUTION. HOWEVER, PRESENT FIBERS OF GLASS OR SILICA ARE NOT ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE TEMPERATURES AND PRESSURES THAT EXIST DURING LAUNCH OR GROUND TEST CONDITIONS. LASERGENICS CORPORATION IS PROPOSING TO INVESTIGATE SINGLE CRYSTAL FIBERS OF SAPPHIRE AND YAG FOR THIS APPLICATION. THESE MATERIALS CAN WITHSTAND THE HARSH ENVIRONMENT THAT WILL EXIST. WE ARE PROPOSING A UNIQUE APPROACH THAT WOULD ALLOW THE MEASUREMENT OF BOTH TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE WITH A SINGLE FIBER OPTIC. THIS CONCEPT WILL BE TESTED DURING THE PHASE I EFFORT AND A PROTOTYPE SENSOR SYSTEM WILL BE BUILT DURING THE PHASE II PROGRAM.