Capacitance Based Combined Single and Two Phase Mass Flow Meter for Cryogenic Hydrogen

Tech4Imaging (T4I) proposes to develop a Capacitance Based Combined Single and Two Phase Mass Flow Meter for Cryogenic fuel with an accuracy of 2% full scale from 0 to 100% liquid volume fraction. This accuracy is within 1% of industry standard for single phase gas mass flow meters. This flow meter can be scaled to different pipe diameters to measure flow rates between 0.1 lbm/s to 500 lbm/s depending on the fluid density. This flow meter will be applicable to most cryogenic two phase flows including nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, methane, and natural gas. This proposal will focus on development and testing with nitrogen and hydrogen, but much of the development will also be applicable to oxygen, methane, and natural gas. This tool will be an inline spool piece with embedded capacitance sensors that can be installed on a cryogenic liquid transfer line. The capacitance plates embedded in the spool piece interrogate the sensing region by emitting a low power, low frequency electric field into the flow and sensing perturbations in the electric field caused by differences in the permittivity of the flow medium. Tech4Imaging (T4I) proposes to develop a Capacitance Based Combined Single and Two Phase Mass Flow Meter for Cryogenic fuel with an accuracy of ±2% full scale from 0 to 100% liquid volume fraction. This accuracy is within 1% of industry standard for single phase gas mass flow meters. This flow meter can be scaled to different pipe diameters to measure flow rates between 0.1 lbm/s to 500 lbm/s depending on the fluid density. This flow meter will be applicable to most cryogenic flows including nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, methane, and natural gas. This proposal will focus on development and testing with nitrogen and hydrogen, but much of the development will also be applicable to oxygen, methane, and natural gas. NASA platforms are T4I’s key customer in the Phase II project, with a particular focus on Stennis Space Center (SSC) to support development of liquid propulsion systems and verification testing. This product will be useable anywhere the customer is transferring liquid cryogens in single or two phase but will be particularly useful in advanced ground rocket propulsion testing.  Technical Objectives: Objective 1: Design a DAS that integrates thermal mass flow measurement for single phase flow measurement capabilities and meets the requirements specification. Objective 2: Design a Sensor that integrates the thermal mass flow measurement for single phase flow measurement capabilities and meets the requirements specification. Objective 3: Develop firmware/software to acquire the data, perform calculations, communicate to the operator in real time, can seamlessly transition between single and two phase flow measurement, and meets the requirements specification. Objective 4: Build and integrate the flow meter demonstration unit for nitrogen/hydrogen. Objective 5: Verify integrated single and two phase mass flow rate measurement on two phase nitrogen flow loop. Objective 6: Verify integrated single and two phase mass flow rate measurement on two phase hydrogen flow loop. Proposed deliverables to NASA 1.  Final Report The final report will be a summary of all the technical and commercial development activities performed during phase II. 2.    Demonstration unit for NASA testing The demonstration unit will conform to the requirements specification developed in Phase I (or as modified during Phase II). It will be calibrated and ready to use for both nitrogen and hydrogen according to the development during the technical activities in Phase II.  

NASA platforms are T4I’s key customer in the Phase II project, with a particular focus on Stennis Space Center (SSC) to support development of liquid propulsion systems and verification testing. Other NASA applications include the Space Operations Mission Directorate and the Exploration Systems Development Mission. This product will be useable anywhere NASA is transferring liquid cryogens. Implementation of this product will minimize program time, cost, and risk to NASA scientists. Another important application where it is critical to know the mass flow rate of the fluid is in custody transfer of cryogenic fluids. Additional applications include determining the effectiveness of vacuum jacketing, piping designs, operational parameters, and thermal management schemes. Once proven to work, the technology could also be adapted for use on cryogenic tanks for fuel gauging.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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