Fiber Optic Multimodal Sensing System

To meet the NASA need for measurement of pressure, temperature and strain in a high temperature and radiation environment to support ground testing of Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) rockets, RC Integrated Systems LLC (RISL) proposes to develop a novel Fiber Optic Multimodal Sensing (FOMS) System, providing simultaneous measurement of NTP engine exhaust gas temperature, pressure, and structural strain. The FOMS is based on fabrication of unique multimodal sensors along the length of a single hybrid optical fiber and coating of the fiber with a novel ceramic material for extreme high-temperature applications. Due to the unique designs of FOMS sensors and use of commercial off-the-shelf modular components, the FOMS system achieves large measurement range and high accuracy for the measurement of temperature, pressure, and strain. The FOMS system is capable of measuring temperature as high as 1500 degrees C with 0.1 degree C accuracy, strains of up to 10,000 microstrains with 1 microstrain accuracy, and pressure of over 5000 psi with accuracy of 0.2%. In Phase I RISL will demonstrate the FOMS feasibility by fabricating and testing a technology readiness level (TRL)-4 prototype, with the goal of achieving TRL-6 by the end of Phase II.