TEMPERATURE/SHOCK POSITION SENSOR FOR HIGH PRESSURE OXYGEN SYSTEMS

HIGH PRESSURE OXYGEN LINES ARE COMMON COMPONENTS OF SPACE FLIGHT SYSTEMS. A PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH THESE LINES IS THE POTENTIAL FOR PNEUMATIC IMPACT INITIATED IGNITION CAUSEDBY THE ADIABATIC COMPRESSION OF THE RESIDUAL OXYGEN IN A LINE WHEN IT IS OPENED TO THE HIGH PRESSURE OXYGEN SOURCE. A NONINTRUSIVE MEANS OF MEASURING THE TEMPERATURE IN THESE LINES IN THE TIME SCALE OVER WHICH THE HEATING IS OCCURRING WILL GREATLY AID THE DETERMINATION OF THE CAUSE OF THE IMPACT INITIATED IGNITION. WE PROPOSE THE INNOVATION OF USING RAYLEIGH SCATTERING TO DETERMINE THE TEMPERATURE NEAR THE END OF THE LINE AT A RATE WHICH CAN RESOLVE THE ADIABATIC COMPRESSION PROCESS. WE ALSO PROPOSE TO USE A NOVEL SHOCK POSITION SENSOR TO DETERMINE THE SHOCK VELOCITY AND LOCATION FROM WHICH THE TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION IN THE LINE CAN BE DETERMINED. OPTICS FOR DELIVERING THE LASER BEAM AND COLLECTING THE RAYLEIGH SCATTERED LIGHT WILL BE INCORPORATED IN THE END CAP OF THE LINE. THE END CAP WILL HAVE THE SAME INNER DIAMETER AS THE OXYGEN LINE SO AREA DISCONTINUITIES ARE AVOIDED. THE PROPOSED SENSORS ARE BOTH LOW COST AND SIMPLE IN DESIGN AND USE. THE PHASE I PROGRAM WILL CONSIST OF A LABORATORY DEMONSTRATION OF THE RAYLEIGH SCATTERING MEASUREMENTS IN HIGH PRESSURE LINES, AN ANALYTICAL MODELING EFFORT WHICH APPROXIMATELY DESCRIBES THE COMPRESSION PROCESSES, AND THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF THE RAYLEIGH SCATTERING AND SHOCK POSITION SENSORS.