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- https://www.realpars.com/blog/thermocouple Thermocoupling
- Requires no battery or power draw
- What homogeneous temperature are we trying to achieve? [so that we know what temperature the sensors have to withstand]
- Is cost an important factor to the sensor?
- What is the goal of the sensor suites across the multiple tests?
- Is it measuring temperature for all of them them?
- No, look below for the explanation of each test.
- Is it measuring temperature for all of them them?
- Optimal Placements Within physical mixing device (minimize the # of extra sensors within the tank]for Thermocouplers in the Tank
1. Tank wall thermocouples
Where: Directly on the metal surface of the cryogenic tank itself, under the MLI, touching the tank’s skin.
How many: Often 8–20, spaced around the circumference and length (top, mid, bottom).
Purpose: Detect hot spots, cold spots, and how evenly the tank is cooled.
Think: small metal dots glued right onto the tank’s external shell.
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2. Cooling-loop inlet thermocouple
Where: On the tube that carries cold refrigerant into the BAC loop, right before it touches the tank.
Purpose: Measures the temperature of the coolant before it absorbs heat from the tank.
This is the “entry temperature” of the cooling system.
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3. Cooling-loop outlet thermocouple
Where: On the tube where the refrigerant exits the BAC loop, right after it has passed along the tank’s surface.
Purpose: Shows how much warmer the coolant got after absorbing heat.
This is the “exit temperature.”
Inlet vs outlet difference = actual heat absorbed from the tank.
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4. MLI outer-surface thermocouples
Where: On the outermost layer of the insulation blanket that wraps the tank, fully outside the MLI stack.
Purpose: Shows how hot the outside of the insulation gets from chamber radiation and heaters.
These sit on top of the MLI, not touching metal.
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5. Heater / IR panel thermocouples
Where: Stuck directly on the surface of the heater panels or IR lamp housings that are pointed at the tank.
Purpose: Monitor the temperature of the “fake Sun” to confirm your heat input is stable and known.
- Understand what each test is doing c
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- Sensors: thermocouples(mixing of fluid), pressure sensor(LN_2 boils off easily), liquid level sensor(detect sloshing and boil off), flow meter(how much fluid is being moved), IMU/accelerometer(identify periods of microgravity), voltage sensor(how much heat is added for induced stratification)
Sensor recommendations:
- Type T thermocouples (Justification)