Cost and performance effective design to thermal vacuum chamber

摘要

The present paper is covering reduction methods of LN2 consumption rate and improvement techniques of shroud temperature uniformity for T/V (thermal vacuum) test. The present methods were already implemented to an existing thermal vacuum chamber (diameter : 3.6m, length : 3m), which is located at Korea Aerospace Research Institute and was employed to thermal vacuum and thermal balance tests for KOMPSAT (KOrea Multi Purpose SATellite). KOMPSAT is the first full serviceable satellite in Korea, which was co-developed by KARI and TRW (U.S.A.). KOMPSAT is planned to be launched in the late of 1999. The implementation of current methods turned out to be satisfactory in test cost and function at the KARI chamber. The authors predict that the application of present methods to thermal vacuum chamber design will give benefits in operating cost as well as functions in other thermal vacuum tests.