Robust Highly-Multiplexed Fiber Optic Sensor Array for Cryogenic Fluid Management

In response to NASA’s requirements for a distributed temperature measurement system for cryogenic fluid management (CFM), Opterro proposes to demonstrate the feasibility of a scalable high-resolution temperature measurement system that can accurately measure temperature at multiple locations on a single optical fiber at least 1 meter long at cryogenic temperatures. Innovation is in the combination of features including interrogation and sensor array having ruggedness, reliability, sufficient number of sensors, high spatial resolution, high sensitivity, and excellent measurement repeatability in the cryogenic temperature range to meet the CFM needs. In Phase I, Opterro will demonstrate an end-to-end fiber-optic cryogenic temperature measurement system comprising a photonic-integrated-circuit (PIC) based interrogator and a meter-long temperature measurement fiber with better than centimeter-scale spatial resolution and 0.5 K temperature measurement resolution down to liquid hydrogen temperature (20 K). Opterro will leverage its previous spectrally-multiplexed multipoint temperature sensing work, performed in cryomodules for the particle accelerator community, and translate the learnings and results to high-TRL application for NASA and commercial CFM applications.