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Facility 240 is a horizontal, cylindrical, small-sized, diffusion pumped thermal vacuum test chamber used for thermal vacuum testing and bakeout of test articles. The payload is mounted on a plate which is supported by rails welded to the chamber wall.

Mode of Operation

After the test article is instrumented with thermocouples and placed in the chamber, ground support equipment cabling is connected through the penetration plates, and ambient functional checks are performed. Placing the test article on a baseplate or suspending it from the overhead rail are acceptable mounting methods. Chamber evacuation is provided by rotary piston mechanical pumps and an oil diffusion pump. A main valve allows test set up while the pumping system is being established.


Parameters

Test Pressure: <13.3µPa (10-7 torr)
Shroud Temperature: -140°C to +110°C
Chamber Pumping Speed: 1,600 lit/sec @ 133 µPa
Evacuation Time: Atm to 13.3 µPa in 2 hr.


Physical Characteristics

Test Volume: 3' x 3'
Std. electrical feedthroughs: 61-pin, 37-pin, 7-pin, 4-pin, RF

Integral Instrumentation

Pressure: Capacitance manometer - Atm to 10-3 mmHg
Ion Gauge: 10-3 mmHg to ultimate
Payload Temperature: 18 thermocouple channels
Contamination Monitor: TQCM, coldfinger, residual gas analyzer