Tenney Environmental Ships Vacuum Space Chamber and Two Walk-In Chambers for Testing of Large Satellites

Tenney Environmental, announced the shipment of a custom thermal vacuum chamber and two (2) walk-in chambers for testing of large satellites. The chambers will simulate the conditions of space and provide the customer with the ability to perform large product testing in house.

The space simulation system is a horizontal cylindrical vessel that is 16.5’ in length and 16’ in diameter. The unit is fully constructed with Type 304 stainless steel and the internal thermal shroud is made of double embossed stainless steel. The thermal vacuum chamber utilizes three (3) thermal fluid chillers for temperature conditioning and is controlled by their Smart 1.2 control system. The large vacuum chamber also features a large roughing vacuum pump as well as six (6) turbomolecular UHV vacuum pumps.  

One walk-in test chamber offers an 1,800 cubic foot workspace to be used for thermal cycling of satellite array panels. This process simulates the thermal fluctuations observed in a space environment prior to their assembly onto the main satellite. The second walk-in chamber provides approximately 5,600 cubic foot of workspace with three conditioning systems to facilitate thermal cycling. The expansive size of the second chamber allows for testing of a complete satellite array as it would be assembled on a low orbit satellite module and is designed with a custom track floor and bi-parting doors to facilitate loading of the entire assembly. The control system has advanced capabilities that allow for rapid thermal cycling which simulates the thermal conditions the assembly will experience in space along with monitoring and logging of a multitude of points for optimal data collection.

“The custom vacuum chamber was designed with a 16’ wide diameter to allow for space simulation testing of large satellites. Three thermal fluid chillers provide the temperature conditioning to recreate the conditions of space.”

– Justin Kashner, Vacuum Products Engineering Specialist

This Tenney space chamber design considers the OSHA, NEC, and ASME Code for Unfired Pressure Vessels. Unique features of this Tenney vacuum space chamber include:

• 1.0 x10-5 torr vacuum range
• Single chamber access door
• Dry screw style roughing pump
• Cold Cathode UHV Sensor
• 1,000,000 duty cycle rated stainless steel high vacuum gate valves
• Cryopump UHV system
• A PLC control system that fully automates the high vacuum operation
• Customer product placement stainless steel rail system

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