New methods will be investigated for the remote measurement of temperature, pressure, flow, and liquid level in the temperature region from -271 to -253 degrees Celsius (in the temperature range of operation of present superconductors), based on temperature-dependent optical phenomena in some materials at cryogenic temperatures. The proposed methods will use fiber optic systems and should require relatively simple instrumentation. Phase I work will concentrate on optical thermometry, which should lead to the development, during Phase II, of fiber optic thermometers, flowmeters, gas pressure gauges, and liquid level meters for the cryogenic region.The potential applications as described by the company: Potential commercial applications include measurement and control devices for future systems for the transmission of electrical power on superconducting cables, and devices for handling potentially explosive cryogenic fluids, where the presence of electrical conductors may be hazardous.
