ME Thermal Vacuum Chamber

1
ME Thermal Vacuum Chamber

• Cost and Time Estimate

2
Overview

• Develop Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) chamber.
• Use for graduate research
• Tool for undergraduate teaching (ME242)
• Provide environment to study radiative heat
  transfer or related topics (ME241)
• Possible fit with senior design
• Provides ME Department with tool for materials
  science, materials processing, and
  instrumentation testing.

3
TVAC Overview

• Chamber will use existing 2-stage vacuum pump
• Chamber could be evacuated to 10-6 torr
  (estimate)
• Chamber could heat to 300C
• Chamber would use LabVIEW or concurrent control
  systems.

4
Schematic
Heater / Cooling
Pump System
TVAC
LabVIEW
5
Pump

• Roughing pump evacuates to low pressure.
• Cryo pump evacuates to approximately 10-3 to
  10-6 torr
• Current pump requires some repair.
• Current pump requires LN2 source.
• Current pump needs mod to control system,
  especially vacuum gages.

6
TVAC chamber

• Chamber would be made via SEAS shop.
• Chamber would house inductive heaters.
• Chamber dimensions 12 wide by 18 length
• Chamber is a sealed cylinder with one end welded.
• Other end of chamber is a bolted endcap.
• Chamber would have three dedicated ports heater
  power, heater control, instrumentation.

7
Costs