If you have ever wondered how to build a climatic chamber, in this article we will go to see the main components of a professional climatic chamber, analyzing their structure and their functions.
How to Build a Climatic Chamber: The Structure
The essential part of a climatic chamber is not an object but a space: the test volume.
The test volume is the space inside the climatic chamber in which it is possible to alter and control the environmental parameters, including that of temperature and relative humidity.
The test volume must be carefully isolated from the external environment to allow the control of environmental parameters. The structure that guarantees the test volume is called insulation and is generally built using polyurethane foam.
The external shell is then placed around the insulation, which forms the appearance of the room and is built in stainless steel for the climatic ones and in painted galvanized sheet metal for the environmental ones.
Finally, each climatic chamber has different accessories inside the test volume to position the various types of samples, among which there are shelves, hooks, clamps and shelving.
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How to Build a Climate Chamber: Climate Systems
We now come to the various systems that make up the technological part of the climatic chamber and allow it to perform its functions. The systems we list are those necessary for each type of climatic chamber, but some chambers have more.
The Refrigerator System controls the cooling and dehumidification of the test volume. Its components are not different from those of common refrigerators but the control that can be exercised over them is different. Where domestic refrigerators reach a temperature and maintain it; in climatic chambers the parameters can be altered quickly and precisely.
The Heating System serves to raise the temperature inside the test volume. The heat is generated through electric resistances of suitable power and this parameter can also be altered with precision. In addition, since heat is among the riskiest parameters and in some circumstances it can generate fires, the heating system generally has a double redundant safety control, to avoid accidents.
The Humidification System alters and controls the relative humidity within the test volume. There are two main ways of producing moisture in a climate chamber. An old method involved producing hot steam from boiling and some systems still use it.
Other more modern systems, such as those implemented by FDM, produce cold nebulization using ultrasound obtained by means of very rapid oscillations of a ceramic plate.
How to Build a Climatic Chamber: Control Systems
Finally, there are the control systems that govern the work done by climate systems.
Two are essential to any climatic chamber and they are the electrical circuit and the PLC.
The electrical circuit is the interface that connects the brain of the chamber (the PLC) and the various climate systems.
It is generally located in a separate box and can be assembled within a single electronic board or in individual components. This latest configuration is implemented by FDM and is more practical and economical because it is possible to replace a single defective component without changing the entire board.
Finally, there is the PLC which stands for Programmable Logic Controller and is the real "brain" of the climatic chamber. The PLC adjusts the power of the system, acquires the signals of the probes inside the chamber and converts them into actionable data that the operator can adjust according to the needs of the test.
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The FDM Climatic Chamber
The FDM Climatic Chambers integrates all the systems listed above and it is possible to mount two different controllers. The stillFACE Controller is the standard controller that presides over the stability tests. It features a simple and intuitive interface that assists the operator in setting up the test.
At the customer's request, the innovative revoFACE programmer can also be installed, which regulates dynamic tests, ideal for programming climate cycles.
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