Superfluid helium tanker instrumentation

An instrumentation system for a 1992 Space Shuttle flight demonstration of a superfluid helium (SFHe) tanker and transfer technology is presented. The system provides measurement of helium temperatures, pressures, flow rates, and mass, and it detects the presence of liquid or vapor. The instrumentation system described consists of analog and digital portions which comprise a fault tolerant, compact, and relatively lightweight space-quality electronics system. The data processing hardware and software are ground-commandable, perform measurements asynchronously, and format telemetry for transmission to the ground. A novel heat pulse mass gaging technique is described and a new liquid/vapor sensor is presented. Flowmeters for SFHe are discussed, and a SFHe fountain-effect pump is described. Results of tests to date are presented.<
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