KR20230089326A - Thermal vacuum chamber with moisture trap device - Google Patents

Abstract

A thermal vacuum chamber according to an embodiment includes a chamber body, a cooler disposed inside the chamber body, a pump disposed outside the chamber body and connected to the chamber body, a moisture trap device at least partially disposed inside the chamber body, and A controller may include a control unit controlling the pump, the cooler, and the moisture trap device, and the moisture trap device may include a refrigerant supply unit and a collecting unit connected to the refrigerant supply unit and disposed inside the chamber body.

Description

Thermal vacuum chamber containing a moisture trap device {THERMAL VACUUM CHAMBER WITH MOISTURE TRAP DEVICE}

Various embodiments below relate to thermal vacuum chambers.

Aerospace equipment components are often used in the upper atmosphere or outer space where the atmosphere is thin. Accordingly, in order to predict the behavior of aerospace equipment components as they are used in their use environment, the components must be tested before the first flight.

Specifically, the thermal vacuum test at the satellite system level is performed for more than 15 days, and the performance of the satellite is verified by exposure to extremely low temperatures of -185 degrees or less.

A thermal vacuum chamber is generally composed of a vacuum vessel, a vacuum pump, a thermal control system and a control system, and the like. The vacuum pump of the thermal vacuum chamber may include a turbo molecular pump, a cryo pump, and the like depending on the type. In particular, the cryo pump can effectively exhaust moisture present in the thermal vacuum chamber. However, CRYO pumps are more expensive than other pumps because they use a helium chiller.

After the test for maintaining the cryogenic state is finished, the temperature in the thermal vacuum chamber returns to room temperature again. In this process, a large amount of moisture is desorbed from the cooler (eg, shroud), and the vacuum level in the chamber is out of the required condition.

The above background art is possessed or acquired by the inventor in the process of deriving the present invention, and cannot necessarily be said to be known art disclosed to the general public prior to filing the present invention.

An object according to an embodiment is to provide a thermal vacuum chamber capable of removing moisture generated in a room temperature return process.

An object according to one embodiment is to provide a thermal vacuum chamber capable of economically removing moisture.

An object according to one embodiment is to provide a thermal vacuum chamber that prevents the part under test from being contaminated by moisture during the test process.

An object according to an embodiment is to provide a thermal vacuum chamber with excellent space utilization.

A thermal vacuum chamber according to an embodiment includes a chamber body, a cooler disposed inside the chamber body, a pump disposed outside the chamber body and connected to the chamber body, a moisture trap device at least partially disposed inside the chamber body, and A controller may include a control unit controlling the pump, the cooler, and the moisture trap device, and the moisture trap device may include a refrigerant supply unit and a collecting unit connected to the refrigerant supply unit and disposed inside the chamber body.

The collecting unit may include a pipe directly connected to the refrigerant supply unit through which the refrigerant flows, and a collecting plate disposed on one surface of the pipe.

The pipes may be arranged in a zigzag pattern on the one surface of the collecting plate.

The pipe of the one or more collecting parts may include an inlet through which the refrigerant flows into the pipe and an outlet through which the refrigerant is discharged from the pipe, and the inlet of the pipe of one of the one or more collecting parts is the one of the collecting parts. Among the above collecting units, other collecting units may be connected to the refrigerant supply unit by being connected to the outlet of the pipe.

The pipe and the collecting plate may be made of copper.

A honeycomb structure may be disposed on one surface of the collecting plate.

The moisture trap device may further include a valve unit for controlling a supply amount of the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply unit to the collecting unit, and the collecting unit may be connected to the refrigerant supply unit through the valve unit.

The refrigerant supply unit may include a first refrigerant supply unit supplying a first refrigerant and a second refrigerant supply unit supplying a second refrigerant.

The moisture trap device further includes a valve unit for adjusting the supply amount of the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply unit to the collecting unit, wherein the valve unit includes a first valve for adjusting the supply amount of the first refrigerant supply unit and the second refrigerant supply unit. And a second valve for adjusting the supply amount of, the collecting unit may be connected to the first refrigerant supply through the first valve, connected to the second refrigerant supply through the second valve.

In the thermal vacuum test method using a thermal vacuum chamber according to an embodiment, the thermal vacuum chamber includes a chamber body, a cooler disposed inside the chamber body, a pump disposed outside the chamber body, and at least a part inside the chamber body. A moisture trap device and a control unit are disposed, and the method includes a preparation step of preparing the temperature and vacuum degree required for the experiment in the thermal vacuum chamber, and a performing step of performing the test on an object in the thermal vacuum chamber. and a return step in which moisture generated by returning to a temperature and a degree of vacuum before the experiment in the thermal vacuum chamber is collected in the moisture trap device, and in the return step, while the temperature of the cooler rises, the inside of the chamber body It may include a first sub-step in which the temperature and degree of vacuum of the chamber are partially increased, and a second sub-step in which the temperature and degree of vacuum in the chamber body are partially increased while the temperature of the moisture trap device is increased.

In the preparation step, the temperature inside the chamber body may be lowered using the cooler, and moisture present in the chamber body may be discharged to the outside using the pump.

The moisture trap device may include a refrigerant supply unit, a collecting unit connected to the refrigerant supply unit and disposed inside the chamber body, and a valve unit controlling a supply amount of the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply unit to the collecting unit, wherein the refrigerant supply blowing,

It may include a first refrigerant supply unit for supplying a first refrigerant and a second refrigerant supply unit for supplying a second refrigerant, wherein the valve unit includes a first valve for controlling a supply amount of the first refrigerant supply unit and the second refrigerant supply unit. It may include a second valve for adjusting the supply amount, the collecting unit is connected to the first refrigerant supply through the first valve and connected to the second refrigerant supply through the second valve, the first sub-step In the second sub-step, the first valve is controlled through the control of the control unit so that the liquefied refrigerant flows into the collecting part, and the second valve is controlled through the control of the control part in the second sub-step so that the vaporized refrigerant flows into the collecting part. can

The thermal vacuum chamber according to an embodiment may remove moisture generated in the process of returning to room temperature.

A thermal vacuum chamber according to an embodiment can economically remove moisture.

The thermal vacuum chamber according to an embodiment may prevent the part under test from being contaminated by moisture during the test process.

A thermal vacuum chamber according to an embodiment may have excellent space utilization.

Effects of the thermal vacuum chamber according to an embodiment are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

1 is a schematic diagram of a thermal vacuum chamber according to a first embodiment.
Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a moisture trap device in a thermal vacuum chamber according to the first embodiment.
Fig. 3 shows a part of a honeycomb structure that can be disposed on the collecting plate of the moisture trap device of the thermal vacuum chamber according to the first embodiment.
Fig. 4 shows a moisture trap device in which the honeycomb structure of the thermal vacuum chamber according to the first embodiment is disposed.
5 is a schematic diagram of a thermal vacuum chamber according to a second embodiment.
6 is a schematic diagram of a thermal vacuum chamber according to a third embodiment.
7 is a schematic diagram of a moisture trap device in a thermal vacuum chamber according to a third embodiment.
8 is a schematic diagram of a moisture trap device in a thermal vacuum chamber according to a fourth embodiment.
9 is a graph of the vacuum degree and temperature of the thermal vacuum chamber according to the first embodiment according to control.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, since various changes can be made to the embodiments, the scope of the patent application is not limited or limited by these embodiments. It should be understood that all changes, equivalents or substitutes to the embodiments are included within the scope of rights.

Terms used in the examples are used only for the purpose of explanation and should not be construed as limiting. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as "include" or "have" are intended to designate that there is a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but one or more other features It should be understood that the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof is not precluded.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiment belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and unless explicitly defined in the present application, they should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning. don't

In addition, in the description with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same components regardless of reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions thereof will be omitted. In describing the embodiment, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the embodiment, the detailed description will be omitted.

In addition, in describing the components of the embodiment, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are only used to distinguish the component from other components, and the nature, order, or order of the corresponding component is not limited by the term. When an element is described as being “connected,” “coupled to,” or “connected” to another element, that element may be directly connected or connected to the other element, but there may be another element between the elements. It should be understood that may be "connected", "coupled" or "connected".

Components included in one embodiment and components including common functions will be described using the same names in other embodiments. Unless stated to the contrary, descriptions described in one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments, and detailed descriptions will be omitted to the extent of overlap.

1 is a schematic diagram of a thermal vacuum chamber 10 according to a first embodiment. For example, the thermal vacuum chamber 10 according to the first embodiment is disposed inside the chamber body 11 forming the overall outer appearance of the chamber 10 and lowering the temperature of the chamber 10. A cooler 12, a pump 14 for discharging and removing moisture in the chamber body 11 to the outside, a moisture trap device 100 capable of collecting moisture generated in the chamber 10, and controlling them It may include a control unit 13 for

The shape and size of the chamber body 11 may vary depending on the size or shape of a target test object (not shown). For example, the chamber body 11 may have a hexahedral shape or a hollow cylinder shape. In addition, the chamber body 11 may be relatively small in size to test only small parts, and may be relatively large in size to test the entire satellite.

The cooler 12 of the thermal vacuum chamber 10 according to the first embodiment serves to lower the temperature in the chamber 10 as described above. This is to provide an environment for testing aerospace components through the thermal vacuum chamber 10 . For example, a cryogenic temperature (eg, -180 degrees Celsius) and a vacuum state may be provided to provide an environment similar to that of a space environment. The cooler 12 is intended to provide an environment similar to space in terms of temperature.

For example, the cooler 12 may be located inside the chamber body 11 . In addition, the size of the cooler 12 may be determined according to the size of the chamber body 11 . When the relatively large cooler 12 is disposed in the relatively small chamber body 11, it may be difficult to utilize the space inside the chamber body 11, and the relatively large chamber body 11 This is because it may be difficult to rapidly lower the temperature inside the chamber body 11 when the cooler 12 is relatively small in size.

The shape of the cooler 12 may be similar to that of the chamber body 11 , for example. For example, the chamber body 11 may have a hexahedral shape, and the cooler 12 may have a hexahedral shape spaced apart from the surface of the hexahedral chamber body 11 . Since the cooler 12 has a shape similar to that of the chamber body 11 and can be disposed entirely in the internal space of the chamber body 11, the temperature inside the chamber body 11 can be lowered as a whole rather than locally.

Meanwhile, the cooler 12 may be connected to and controlled by the control unit 13 .

The pump 14 of the thermal vacuum chamber 10 according to the first embodiment may be disposed outside the chamber body 11 and connected to the chamber body 11 . For example, a plurality of pumps 14 may be provided. In addition, the pump 14 may include a cryo pump 15 in addition to the general pump 16 . The cryopump 15 serves to remove moisture in the gas. Through this pump 14, a desired degree of vacuum in the chamber body 11 can be achieved.

At least a part of the moisture trap device 100 of the thermal vacuum chamber 10 according to the first embodiment may be disposed inside the chamber body 11 . For example, the moisture trap device 100 includes a collecting unit 130 that directly collects moisture, a refrigerant supply unit 110 that supplies a refrigerant to change the temperature of the collecting unit 130, and a refrigerant supply unit 110. ) may include a valve unit 120 for controlling the amount of refrigerant supplied to the collecting unit 130, of which the collecting unit 130 may be disposed inside the chamber body 11, and the rest It may be disposed outside the chamber body 11 .

Also, for example, the collecting unit 130 may be independently disposed regardless of the location of the cooler 12 within the chamber body 11 . Although the collector 130 is shown in FIG. 1 as being disposed outside the cooler 12, this location is not absolute. Also, since the cooler 12 may not form a closed space, the space of the chamber body 11 may not be divided into the inside and outside of the cooler 12 .

2 is a schematic diagram of a moisture trap device 100 in a thermal vacuum chamber 10 according to a first embodiment. As described above, the moisture trap device 100 of the thermal vacuum chamber 10 according to the first embodiment may include a refrigerant supply unit 110, a collecting unit 130, and a valve unit 120.

After the cryogenic test is performed using the thermal vacuum chamber 10, when the test is finished, the temperature of the cooler 12 rises and the temperature inside the chamber body 11 returns to room temperature. At this time, moisture adsorbed to the cooler 12 without being removed by the pump 14 may be phase-inverted again in the form of water vapor. Due to this, the degree of vacuum inside the chamber body 11 may rise at an undesirable time, and the degree of vacuum inside the chamber body 11 may deviate from the required conditions.

Water vapor can be removed using the cryopump 15, but since the removal rate is limited, the thermal vacuum chamber 10 according to the first embodiment primarily removes water vapor using the moisture trap device 100. can be captured.

In the case of using an additional cryopump 15, water vapor present in the chamber body 11 can be removed more quickly than in the case of using one cryopump 15, but the cryopump 15 is large and Since the price is high, the thermal vacuum chamber 10 according to the first embodiment has a separate moisture trap device 100 to primarily collect water vapor, so that only one cryopump 15 can clean the inside of the chamber body 11. Allows water vapor to be removed without increasing the vacuum level.

The refrigerant supply unit 110 may supply low-temperature refrigerant to the collecting unit 130 in order to lower the temperature of the collecting unit 130 where water vapor is directly collected. For example, liquid nitrogen may be supplied to the collecting unit 130 to lower the temperature of the collecting unit 130 to -180 degrees Celsius. The refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply unit 110 may pass through the valve unit 120 and be supplied through the inlet 1311 of the collecting unit 130 .

The valve unit 120 of the thermal vacuum chamber 10 according to the first embodiment may be controlled by the control unit 13 . Collecting moisture by lowering the temperature of the collecting unit 130 is performed after the end of the experiment, and since the temperature of the collecting unit 130 must rise again as the temperature inside the chamber body 11 rises, the collecting unit 130 ) should be controlled to be lower or higher depending on the tableware. This can be achieved by controlling the amount of refrigerant supplied to the collecting unit 130 by the control unit 13 using the valve unit 120 .

The collecting unit 130 of the thermal vacuum chamber 10 according to the first embodiment is connected to the refrigerant supply unit 110 and has a pipe 131 through which the refrigerant can flow and the collecting pipe 131 is disposed on one surface. Plate 132 may be included.

The collecting plate 132 may be a part that directly collects moisture inside the chamber body 11 . Since the amount of moisture that can be collected per unit time increases as the surface area of the collecting plate 132 increases, the area of the collecting plate 132 may be variously designated to effectively collect moisture. For example, a honeycomb structure 133 may be formed on the collecting plate 132 as will be described later in order to increase a surface area where moisture can be collected.

As shown in FIG. 2 , when a single collecting plate 132 is provided, moisture may be collected on one side and the other side opposite to the collecting plate 132 .

The pipe 131 includes a pipe inlet 1311 into which the refrigerant flows, a flow part 1310 formed on the collecting plate 132, and a pipe outlet through which the refrigerant is discharged to the outside of the collecting plate 132 through the flow part 1310. (1312).

The flow part 1310 serving as a passage through which the refrigerant directly flows may have various shapes. For example, the flow part may be formed in a straight line and disposed on the collecting plate 132, and as shown in FIG. may be arranged in a zigzag pattern on one surface of the collecting plate 132 . On the other hand, although not shown, the flow unit 1310 may be arranged in a zigzag shape such as a triangle on one surface of the collecting plate 132 .

Meanwhile, although not shown, the refrigerant discharged to the outside through the pipe outlet 1312 may be returned to the refrigerant supply unit 110 again.

3 shows a part of a honeycomb structure 133 that can be disposed on the collecting plate 132 of the moisture trap device 100 of the thermal vacuum chamber 10 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 4 shows the first embodiment. A moisture trap device 100 is shown in which the honeycomb structure 133 of the thermal vacuum chamber 10 according to the example is disposed.

The honeycomb structure 133 can be attached on the collecting plate 132 by welding, for example, and cooled together with the collecting plate 132 by heat conduction. Due to the honeycomb structure 133, the surface area of the collecting plate 132 can be increased, and more moisture can be collected per unit time. The honeycomb structure 133 may be disposed on one side and/or the other side of the collecting plate 132 . The height, size and thickness of the hexagons, etc. of the honeycomb structure 133 may vary depending on the desired surface area and specifications.

At least a portion of the above-mentioned collecting plate 132, pipe 131, and honeycomb structure 133 may be made of a metal material. For example, the pipe 131 is cooled by the refrigerant flowing in the pipe 131, and the collector plate 132 to which the pipe 131 is attached is cooled by the cooled pipe 131, and the cooled collector plate 132 ), the honeycomb structure 133 attached to the collecting plate 132 can be made of a metal material with high thermal conductivity so that it can be rapidly cooled. For example, it may be made of copper in consideration of thermal conductivity and price.

5 is a schematic diagram of a thermal vacuum chamber 20 according to a second embodiment. Compared to the thermal vacuum chamber 20 according to the first embodiment, the thermal vacuum chamber 20 according to the second embodiment does not have one refrigerant supply unit but two refrigerant supply units (eg, the first refrigerant supply unit 211 and The second refrigerant supply unit 212) may be included, and two valves (eg, the first valve 221 and the second valve 222) may be included instead of one valve unit. In other respects, since the contents of the thermal vacuum chamber 10 according to the first embodiment and the thermal vacuum chamber 20 according to the second embodiment are the same, descriptions of the same range are omitted.

The first valve 221 of the thermal vacuum chamber 20 according to the second embodiment may adjust the supply amount of the refrigerant provided from the first refrigerant supply unit 211 to the collecting unit 230, and the second valve 222 may adjust the supply amount of the refrigerant provided to the collecting unit 230 from the second refrigerant supply unit 212 . Meanwhile, the first valve 221 and the second valve 222 may be controlled by the control unit 23 .

The first refrigerant supply unit 211 may supply the first refrigerant, and the second refrigerant supply unit 212 may supply the second refrigerant. The first refrigerant and the second refrigerant may be different materials or may be the same material different from each other only in phase. The thermal vacuum chamber 20 according to the second embodiment controls the first valve 221 and the second valve 222 so that, for example, the first refrigerant which is a refrigerant having a lower temperature among the first refrigerant and the second refrigerant By supplying first, the collecting unit 230 can be quickly cooled, and then the first valve 221 is adjusted to reduce the supply of the first refrigerant, or the refrigerant having a higher temperature while reducing the supply of the first refrigerant. The temperature of the collecting unit 230 may be gradually increased by supplying the second refrigerant together.

For example, the first refrigerant may consist of liquid nitrogen and the second refrigerant may consist of gaseous nitrogen. Since liquid nitrogen has a relatively lower temperature than gaseous nitrogen, the temperature of the collecting unit 230 can be quickly lowered by supplying liquid nitrogen to the collecting unit 230 . Thereafter, the temperature of the collecting unit 230 is increased in various ways, such as stopping the supply of liquid nitrogen, increasing the supply of gaseous nitrogen while reducing the supply of liquid nitrogen, or increasing the supply of gaseous nitrogen while stopping the supply of liquid nitrogen. can be gradually increased.

6 is a schematic diagram of a thermal vacuum chamber 30 according to a third embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a moisture trap device 300 of the thermal vacuum chamber 30 according to a third embodiment. Compared to the thermal vacuum chamber 10 according to the first embodiment, the thermal vacuum chamber 30 according to the third embodiment does not have one collecting unit but a plurality of collecting units, the first collecting unit 330 and the second collecting unit. (340). In other respects, since the thermal vacuum chamber 30 according to the third embodiment is the same as the thermal vacuum chamber 10 according to the first embodiment, descriptions of the same range are omitted.

Meanwhile, a thermal vacuum chamber according to an embodiment may include not only two but also three or more collecting units. Although the thermal vacuum chamber 30 according to the third embodiment is illustrated as including two collecting parts, the thermal vacuum chamber according to one embodiment is not limited thereto. Also, the thermal vacuum chamber according to an embodiment may include a plurality of collecting parts and a plurality of refrigerant supply parts. For example, the thermal vacuum chamber according to an embodiment may be a combination of a thermal vacuum chamber ( 20 in FIG. 5 ) according to the second embodiment and a thermal vacuum chamber 30 according to the third embodiment.

Referring again to Fig. 7, a moisture trap device 300 of a thermal vacuum chamber 30 according to a third embodiment is shown. For example, the moisture trap device 300 of the thermal vacuum chamber 30 according to the third embodiment may include a first collecting unit 330 and a second collecting unit 340 connected in parallel. The first collecting unit may include a first pipe 331 through which the refrigerant directly flows and a first collecting plate 332 through which moisture is collected. The second collecting unit 340 may also include a second pipe 341 through which the refrigerant directly flows and a second collecting plate 342 through which moisture is collected. Although not shown, the first collecting plate 332 and the second collecting plate 342 have a honeycomb structure (eg, honeycomb structure 133 of FIG. 4 ) similar to the thermal vacuum chamber ( 10 in FIG. 1 ) according to the first embodiment. ) can be placed.

The first pipe 331 is a first pipe flow part 3310 disposed at the first pipe inlet 3311 into which the refrigerant flows and the first collecting plate 332 to cool the first collecting plate 332 by heat conduction. and a first pipe outlet 3312 through which the refrigerant flowing through the first pipe flow unit 3310 is discharged.

The second pipe 341 is disposed at the second pipe inlet 3411 into which the refrigerant flows and the second collecting plate 342 to cool the second collecting plate 342 by heat conduction. The second pipe flow part 3410 and a second pipe outlet 3412 through which the refrigerant flowing through the second pipe flow unit 3410 is discharged.

8 is a schematic diagram of a moisture trap device 400 in a thermal vacuum chamber according to a fourth embodiment. Comparing the thermal vacuum chamber (30 in FIG. 6) according to the third embodiment and the thermal vacuum chamber according to the fourth embodiment, the first collecting unit of the moisture trap device 400 of the thermal vacuum chamber according to the fourth embodiment 430 and the second collecting unit 440 are connected in series rather than in parallel. In other ranges, contents of the thermal vacuum chamber (30 in FIG. 6) according to the third embodiment and the thermal vacuum chamber according to the fourth embodiment are the same, so descriptions of the same ranges are omitted.

The moisture trap device 400 of the thermal vacuum chamber according to the fourth embodiment may include a first collecting unit 430 and a second collecting unit 440 connected in series. The first collecting unit 430 may include a first pipe 431 through which the refrigerant directly flows and a first collecting plate 432 through which moisture is collected. The second collecting unit 440 may also include a second pipe 441 through which the refrigerant directly flows and a second collecting plate 442 through which moisture is collected. Although not shown, the first collecting plate 432 and the second collecting plate 442 have a honeycomb structure (eg, honeycomb structure 133 of FIG. 4 ) similarly to the thermal vacuum chamber ( 10 in FIG. 1 ) according to the first embodiment. can be placed.

The first pipe 431 is a first pipe flow part 4310 disposed at the first pipe inlet 4311 into which the refrigerant flows and the first collecting plate 432 to cool the first collecting plate 432 by heat conduction. and a first pipe outlet 4312 connected to the second pipe inlet 4411 through which the refrigerant flowing through the first pipe flow unit 4310 is discharged.

The second pipe 441 is disposed at the second pipe inlet 4411 and the second collecting plate 442 into which the refrigerant flowing through the first pipe 431 is introduced to cool the second collecting plate 442 by heat conduction. It may include a second pipe flow part 4410 and a second pipe outlet 4412 through which the refrigerant flowing through the second pipe flow part 4410 is discharged.

9 is a graph of the vacuum degree and temperature of the thermal vacuum chamber (10 in FIG. 1) according to the first embodiment according to the control. Referring to the graph shown in FIG. 9 , a thermal vacuum test method will be described using the thermal vacuum chamber ( 10 in FIG. 1 ) according to the first embodiment. Meanwhile, a thermal vacuum test method to be described later may be applied to all thermal vacuum chambers according to one embodiment other than the thermal vacuum chamber ( 10 in FIG. 1 ) according to the first embodiment.

First, the temperature required for the experiment is prepared using the cooler (12 in FIG. 1) of the thermal vacuum chamber (10 in FIG. 1) according to the first embodiment, and the chamber body (FIG. 14) is used to The degree of vacuum required in the experiment is prepared by removing the water in 11) of 1).

Then, a thermal vacuum test is performed on the aerospace components in the space inside the chamber body ( 11 in FIG. 1 ). For example, as described above, the test may be performed for several days (eg, 15 days) at a cryogenic temperature of about -180 degrees Celsius.

After all the tests have been performed, the temperature and vacuum level in the chamber body ( 11 in FIG. 1 ) are returned to their original states. At this time, moisture that may occur inside the chamber body is collected by a moisture trap device (100 in FIG. 1).

The above-mentioned step of returning to the original state may include several detailed steps. For example, when the state inside the chamber body (11 in FIG. 1) is restored, the temperature of the cooler (12 in FIG. 1) rises, and the temperature and vacuum inside the chamber body (11 in FIG. 1) are partially increased, and moisture The trap device (100 in FIG. 1) is cooled to collect moisture (indicated by # 1), and the moisture generated as the temperature inside the chamber body (11 in FIG. 1) rises is reduced to the moisture trap device (100 in FIG. 1) After being collected by the step of partially increasing the degree of vacuum inside the chamber body (11 in FIG. 1) (indicated by # 2), as the temperature of the moisture trap device (100 in FIG. 1) rises, the chamber body (11 in FIG. 1) It may include a step (indicated by # 3) of returning the internal temperature and vacuum to room temperature and pressure.

On the other hand, as mentioned above, the temperature of the moisture trap device (100 in FIG. 1) can be adjusted by controlling the supply amount of the refrigerant supply unit or by controlling each supply amount when a plurality of refrigerant supply units are provided.

As described above, although the embodiments have been described with limited drawings, those skilled in the art can apply various technical modifications and variations based on the above. For example, the described techniques may be performed in an order different from the method described, and/or components of the described system, structure, device, circuit, etc. may be combined or combined in a different form than the method described, or other components may be used. Or even if it is replaced or substituted by equivalents, appropriate results can be achieved.

Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents of the claims are within the scope of the following claims.

10: thermal vacuum chamber
11: chamber body
12: Cooler
13: control unit
14: pump
100: moisture trap
110: refrigerant supply
120: valve part
130: collection unit
131: pipe
132: collection plate

Claims (12)

In the thermal vacuum chamber,
chamber body;
a cooler disposed inside the chamber body;
a pump disposed outside the chamber body and connected to the chamber body;
a moisture trap device at least partially disposed inside the chamber body; and
a control unit controlling the pump, the cooler, and the moisture trap device;
including,
The moisture trap device,
refrigerant supply; and
a collection unit connected to the refrigerant supply unit and disposed inside the chamber body;
including,
thermal vacuum chamber.
According to claim 1,
The collection unit,
A pipe directly connected to the refrigerant supply unit through which the refrigerant flows; and
a collecting plate on which the pipe is disposed on one surface;
including,
thermal vacuum chamber.
According to claim 2,
The pipes are arranged in a zigzag pattern on the one surface of the collecting plate.
thermal vacuum chamber.
According to claim 2,
The pipe of the one or more collecting parts,
an inlet through which refrigerant may flow into the pipe; and
an outlet through which the refrigerant is discharged from the pipe;
including,
The inlet of the pipe of one of the one or more collecting parts,
Connected to the refrigerant supply part by being connected to the outlet of the pipe of the other collecting part among the one or more collecting parts,
thermal vacuum chamber.
According to claim 2,
The pipe and the collecting plate are made of copper,
thermal vacuum chamber.
According to claim 2,
A honeycomb structure is disposed on one surface of the collecting plate,
thermal vacuum chamber.
According to claim 6,
The moisture trap device,
a valve unit controlling a supply amount of the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply unit to the collecting unit;
Including more,
The collecting unit is connected to the refrigerant supply unit through the valve unit,
thermal vacuum chamber.
According to claim 1,
The refrigerant supply unit,
a first refrigerant supply unit supplying a first refrigerant; and
a second refrigerant supply unit supplying a second refrigerant;
including,
thermal vacuum chamber.
According to claim 8,
The moisture trap device,
a valve unit controlling a supply amount of the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply unit to the collecting unit;
Including more,
The valve part,
a first valve controlling a supply amount of the first refrigerant supply unit; and
a second valve controlling a supply amount of the second refrigerant supply unit;
including,
The collecting unit is connected to the first refrigerant supply through the first valve and connected to the second refrigerant supply through the second valve,
thermal vacuum chamber.
In a thermal vacuum test method using a thermal vacuum chamber including a chamber body, a cooler disposed inside the chamber body, a pump disposed outside the chamber body, a moisture trap device at least partially disposed inside the chamber body, and a control unit ,
a preparation step in which temperature and vacuum required for the experiment are prepared in the thermal vacuum chamber;
a performing step in which a test is performed on an object in the thermal vacuum chamber; and
a return step in which moisture generated by returning to a temperature and vacuum level before the experiment in the thermal vacuum chamber is collected in the moisture trap device;
including,
The return step is
a first sub-step of partially increasing the temperature and the degree of vacuum inside the chamber body as the temperature of the cooler rises; and
a second sub-step of partially increasing the temperature and the degree of vacuum inside the chamber body as the temperature of the moisture trap device increases;
including,
Thermal vacuum test method.
According to claim 10,
In the preparation step,
The temperature in the chamber body is lowered using the cooler,
The water present in the chamber body is discharged to the outside using the pump,
Thermal vacuum test method.
According to claim 11,
The moisture trap device,
refrigerant supply;
a collection unit connected to the refrigerant supply unit and disposed inside the chamber body; and
a valve unit controlling a supply amount of the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply unit to the collecting unit;
including,
The refrigerant supply unit,
a first refrigerant supply unit supplying a first refrigerant; and
a second refrigerant supply unit supplying a second refrigerant;
including,
The valve part,
a first valve controlling a supply amount of the first refrigerant supply unit; and
a second valve controlling a supply amount of the second refrigerant supply unit;
including,
The collecting unit is connected to the first refrigerant supply through the first valve and connected to the second refrigerant supply through the second valve,
In the first sub-step, the first valve is controlled through the control of the control unit so that the liquefied refrigerant flows into the collecting unit,
In the second sub-step, the second valve is adjusted through the control of the control unit so that the vaporized refrigerant flows into the collecting unit.
Thermal vacuum test method.

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