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A Concept for the Inclusion of Analytical and Computational Capability in Existing Systems for Measurement of Neutron FluxFor approximately two decades, efforts have been sponsored by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center to make possible high-speed, automated classification and quantification of constituent materials in various harsh environments. MSFC, along with the Air Force/Arnold Engineering Development Center, has led the work, developing and implementing systems that employ principles of emission and absorption spectroscopy to monitor molecular and atomic particulates in gas plasma of rocket engine flow fields. One such system identifies species and quantifies mass loss rates in H2/O2 rocket plumes. Other gases have been examined and the physics of their detection under numerous conditions were made a part of the knowledge base for the MSFC/USAF team. Additionally, efforts are being advanced to hardware encode components of the data analysis tools in order to address real-time operational requirements for health monitoring and management. NASA has a significant investment in these systems, warranting a spiral approach that meshes current tools and experience with technological advancements. This paper addresses current systems - the Optical Plume Anomaly Detector (OPAD) and the Engine Diagnostic Filtering System (EDIFIS) - and discusses what is considered a natural progression: a concept for migrating them towards detection of high energy particles, including neutrons and gamma rays. The proposal outlines system development to date, basic concepts for future advancements, and recommendations for accomplishing them.
Document ID
20050110170
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Patrick, Clinton
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Cooper, Anita E.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Powers, W. T.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Date Acquired
August 22, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2005
Subject Category
Instrumentation And Photography
Meeting Information
Meeting: Continuing the Voyager of Discovery, 1st Space Exploration Conference
Location: Orlando, FL
Country: United States
Start Date: February 2, 2005
End Date: February 4, 2005
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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