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Dusty Thermal Vacuum Chamber (DTVAC)

Perform rapid testing of lunar surface systems and science instruments. This facility consists of a thermal vacuum chamber, removable regolith beds, and supporting equipment.

Media

Members

Active

pjvansusDr. Paul van Susante
mcguadagMarcello Guadagno
georgejoGeorge Johnson

Alumni

bdwieganBen Wiegand

Overview

The Dusty Thermal Vacuum Chamber (DTVAC) is a facility used to simulate extreme extraplanetary environments such as Lunar PSRs and the Martian surface. The DTVAC is customized for rapid servicing of meter-class payloads via removable sandbox carts capable of holding icy regolith.

Technical Details

  • The chamber has an internal volume of 127x127x178 cm and is loaded from the side for ease of access. A 22in flange on top of the chamber enables future expansions to support large-scale drilling tests.
  • This facility is cooled by a 3125 gallon LN2 tank and warmed by internal heaters to produce operating temperatures between -196°C and 150°C. This range is able to simulate temperatures found in most illuminated and shaded areas of the Moon.
  • Rough vacuum is reached with a roughing pump and is then taken to 5x10^-6 Torr using a turbopump with no simulant present and 5x10^-4 with simulant.
  • The DTVAC has 2 light sources and 6 mounting points internally placed on the chamber ceiling.
  • The facility is currently configured to support power lines rated for 700 volts / 28 A, a 25pin data connection, and 2X 5-pair thermocouple feedthroughs

Viewport & Feedthroughs

table 2 table 1

feedthrough diagram

Regolith Cart

  • 2X rectangular metal carts that roll into the vacuum facility from an enclosed loading area.
  • Each cart has an Internal volume of 60x116x167 cm.
  • Carts are capable of holding up to 60 cm of dry and or icy regolith mixtures.
  • MTU-LHT-1A simulant for the regolith carts is produced in house.
  • 80/20 rails line all sides of the cart lip for equipment mounting.

Reports and Presentations

  • M. C. Guadagno and P. J. van Susante, “Commissioning and Testing of Dusty Thermal Vacuum Chamber Designed for Lunar Environment Simulation,” in ASCEND 2020, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. doi: 10.2514/6.2020-4197.
  • Wiegand, Ben, "COMMISSIONING AND TESTING OF A NEW DUSTY THERMAL VACUUM CHAMBER", Open Access Master's Report, Michigan Technological University, 2021. doi: 10.37099/9.2021-1268.