Date of Defense
4-16-2019
Date of Graduation
4-2019
Department
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
First Advisor
Jennifer Hudson
Second Advisor
Kristina Lemmer
Abstract
The process of adapting a preexisting vacuum chamber to perform thermal vacuum testing is a rare process in the testing industry. A closed vacuum system that was designed without thermal capacitance in mind will hinder the development of additional thermal system capabilities and prove difficult from a cost standpoint. Generally, building a thermal vacuum system from scratch will cost on the order of $10,000 to $100,000 depending on the system requirements regarding control and thermal capacitance within the chamber. This project will explore the cost of such an adaptation, attempting to minimize expense, and potentially provide the “Western Aerospace Launch Initiative” student organization with the capability to perform basic thermal vacuum environment testing at an extremely reduced cost. These basic thermal vacuum tests will be delivered at a lower cost than that which WALI would otherwise need to outsource for.
Recommended Citation
Russell, Jacob, "Thermal Adaptation of a Vacuum Chamber" (2019). Honors Theses. 3158.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses/3158
Access Setting
Honors Thesis-Open Access
Access Agreement
Thermal Adaptation of a Vacuum Chamber.pdf (2097 kB)
Defense Presentation