Mass Guaging and Thermometry on the Superfluic Helium On-Orbit Transfer Flight Demonstration
M.J. DiPirro, P.J. Shirron and J.G. Tuttle
Code 713, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
Published in Adv. Cryo. Eng. 39 (1994)129
The Superfluid Helium On-Orbit Transfer (SHOOT) Flight Demonstration, launched in June, 1993 was a shuttle attached payload designed to demonstrate the technology needed to resupply superfluid helium dewars in space. One of the technology items demonstrated was the ability to determine the mass in either supply or receiver dewar. Liquid quantity was measured using heat pulse mass gauging. For SHOOT the algorithm used to compute the mass from temperature measurements has been improved and the resolution and accuracy of the thermometry has been increased. The resulting mass resolution is 1 to 3%. In orbit the heat pulse mass gauging result is compared to results obtained using liquid/vapor discriminators when the liquid is purposely settled to one end of the dewars. Mass gauging results are also be compared to integrated flow meter results. The electronics for thermometer readout are also be briefly described. 
SHOOT
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