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Spinoff story
Low-Cost Flow Meters Bring Efficiency, Reliability to Nuclear Plants
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
Innovators at Marshall Space Flight Center co-invented a deceptively simple device to measure the flow of liquid oxygen into rocket engines. The so-called balanced flow meter was then commercialized in industrial applications where it has saved millions, if not billions, of dollars in costs. Most recently, Graftel LLC of Elk Grove Village, Illinois, has brought the inexpensive device to the nuclear industry, where it has dramatically increased flow-measurement accuracy, reduced noise, increased safety, and saved on operation costs.