Thermal vacuum, conducting

Environmental validation programs are tests performed to verify adequate workmanship in the construction of a test item. It is often necessary to impose stresses beyond those predicted for the mission in order to uncover defects. Thus, random vibration tests are conducted specifically to detect bad solder joints, loose or missing fasteners, improperly mounted parts, and so on. Cycling between temperature extremes during thermal-vacuum testing and the presence of EMI during EMC testing can also reveal the lack of proper construction and adequate workmanship. 

Thermal-vacuum test is a test conducted to demonstrate the capability of the test item to operate satisfactorily in vacuum at temperatures based on those... 

Beyond 340°C in the reboiler, the residue begins to crack thermally. If the distillation is stopped at this point, the residue is called the atmospheric residue. In order to continue, the distillation is conducted under a low pressure, vacuum", so as to reduce the temperature in the reboiler. 

Vacuum gauges may be broadly classified as either direct or indirect (10). Direct gauges measure pressure as force pet unit area. Indirect gauges measure a physical property, such as thermal conductivity or ionisation potential, known to change in a predictable manner with the molecular density of the gas. 

Finally, it is to be expected that the evaporation coefficient of a very stable compound, such as alumina, which has a large heat of sublimation resulting from the decomposition into the elements, will be low. Since the heat of evaporation must be drawn from the surface, in die case of a substance widr a low thermal conductivity such as an oxide, the resultant cooling of the surface may lead to a temperature gradient in and immediately below the surface. This will lower die evaporation rate compared to that which is calculated from the apparent, bulk, temperature of the evaporating sample as observed by optical pyromeuy, and thus lead to an apparently low free surface vaporization coefficient. This is probably die case in the evaporation of alumina in a vacuum. 

To meet the 2001 U.S. energy standards and the 2003 phase-out of HCFCs, there is a great incentive to develop a significantly better thermal insulation. The most dramatic approach would use vacuum panels for insulating the cabinet. A number of U.S. and Japanese manufacturers have developed such panels and placed these kinds of refrigerators in homes. The panels consist of multilayer plastic envelopes filled with precipitated (fumed) silica. The claimed thermal conductivity is one-fourth that of polyurethane foam. The two major obstacles are cost and the maintenance of vacuum for twenty years. 

---