Scope Title:Intelligent Sensors for Rocket Propulsion TestingScope Description:Rocket propulsion system development is enabled by rigorous ground testing to mitigate the propulsion system risks inherent in spaceflight. Test articles and facilities are highly instrumented to enable a comprehensive analysis of propulsion system performance. Intelligent sensor systems have the potential for substantial reduction in time and cost of propulsion systems development, with substantially reduced operational costs and evolutionary improvements in ground, launch, and flight system operational robustness.Intelligent sensor systems would provide a highly flexible instrumentation solution capable of monitoring test facility parameters including temperature, pressure, flow, vibration, and/or storage vessel liquid level. Sensor systems should enable the ability to detect anomalies, determine causes and effects, predict future anomalies, and provide an integrated awareness of the health of the system. These intelligent sensors should also be capable of performing in-place calibrations with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceability and onboard conversion of raw sensor data to engineering units. The intelligent sensor system must also provide conversion of raw sensor data to engineering units, synchronization with Inter-Range Instrumentation Group Time Code Format B (IRIG-B), as well as network connectivity to facilitate real-time integration of collected data with data from conventional data acquisition systems.This subtopic seeks both wired and wireless solutions to address the need for intelligent sensor systems to monitor and characterize rocket engine performance. Wireless sensors are highly desirable and offer the ability to eliminate facility cabling/instrumentation, which can significantly the reduce the cost of operations. It also provides the capability for providing instrumentation in remote or hard to access locations. These advanced wireless instruments should function as a modular node in a sensor network, capable of performing some processing, gathering sensory information, and communicating with other connected nodes in the network.Rocket propulsion test facilities also provide excellent testbeds for testing and using the innovative technologies for possible application beyond the static propulsion testing environment. It is envisioned this advanced instrumentation would support sensing and control applications beyond those of propulsion testing. For example, inclusion of expert system and artificial intelligence technologies would provide great benefits for autonomous operations, health monitoring, or self-maintaining systems.This subtopic seeks to develop advanced intelligent sensor systems capable of performing onboard processing utilizing artificial intelligence to gauge the accuracy and health of the sensor. Sensor systems must provide the following functionality:Assess the quality of the data and health of the sensor.Perform in-place calibrations with NIST traceability.Data acquisition and conversion to engineering units for monitoring temperature, pressure, flow, vibration and/or storage vessel liquid level within established standards for error and uncertainty.Function reliably in extreme environments, including rapidly changing ranges of environmental conditions, such as those experienced in space. These ranges may be from extremely cold temperatures, such as cryogenic temperatures, to extremely high temperatures, such as those experienced near a rocket engine plume. Sensor operational environmental parameters must be suitable for the anticipated environment, e.g., extreme temperature (cryogenic or high heat), high vibration, flammable, etc.Collected data must be time-stamped to facilitate analysis with other collected datasets.Provide network connectivity to facilitate real-time transfer of data to other systems for monitoring and analysis. Expected TRL or TRL Range at completion of the Project: 3 to 6Primary Technology Taxonomy: Level 1 13 Ground, Test, and Surface SystemsLevel 2 13.1 Infrastructure Optimization Desired Deliverables of Phase I and Phase II:PrototypeHardwareSoftwareDesired Deliverables Description:For all above technologies, research should be conducted to demonstrate technical feasibility with a final report at Phase I and show a path towards Phase II hardware/software demonstration with delivery of a demonstration unit or software package for NASA testing at the completion of the Phase II contract. State of the Art and Critical Gaps:Highly modular, intelligent sensors are of interest to many NASA tests and missions. Real-time data from sensor networks reduces risk and provides data for future design improvements. Intelligent sensor systems enable the ability to assess the quality of the data and health of the sensor, increasing confidence in the system. They can be used for thermal and pressure measurement of systems and subsystems and also provide emergency system halt instructions in the case of leaks or fire. Other examples of potential NASA applications include (1) measuring temperature, voltage, and current from power storage and generation systems, (2) measuring pressure, temperature, vibrations, and flow in pumps, and (3) measuring pressure, temperature, and liquid level in pressure vessels.There are many other applications that would benefit from increased real-time intelligent sensors. For example, these sensors would be capable of addressing multiple mission requirements for remote monitoring such as vehicle health monitoring in flight systems and autonomous vehicle operation. This data is used in real time to determine safety margins and test anomalies. The data is also used post-test to correlate analytical models and optimize vehicle and test design. Because these sensors are small and low mass, they can be used for ground test and for flight. Sensor module miniaturization will further reduce size, mass, and cost.No existing intelligent sensor system option meets NASA's current needs for flexibility, size, mass, and resilience to extreme environments. Relevance / Science Traceability:This subtopic is relevant to the development of liquid propulsion systems development and verification testing in support of the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD) and Space Operations Mission Directorate (SOMD). It supports all test programs at Stennis Space Center (SSC) and other propulsion system development centers. Potential advocates are the Rocket Propulsion Test (RPT) Program Office and all rocket propulsion test programs at SSC. References:Fernando Figueroa, Randy Holland, David Coote, "NASA Stennis Space Center integrated system health management test bed and development capabilities," Proc. SPIE 6222, Sensors for Propulsion Measurement Applications, 62220K (10 May 2006).J. Schmalzel; F. Figueroa; J. Morris; S. Mandayam; R. Polikar, "An architecture for intelligent systems based on smart sensors," IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement (Volume: 54, Issue: 4, Aug. 2005).S. Rahman, R. Gilbrech, R. Lightfoot, M. Dawson, "Overview of Rocket Propulsion Testing at NASA Stennis Space Center," NASA Technical Report SE-1999-11-00024-SSC.H. Ryan, W. Solano, R. Holland, W. Saint Cyr, S. Rahman, "A future vision of data acquisition: distributed sensing, processing, and health monitoring," IMTC 2001. Proceedings of the 18th IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference. Rediscovering Measurement in the Age of Informatics (Cat. No.01CH 37188).
