Wall Air and Moisture Penetration Test Chambers
The wall air and moisture penetration test chambers subject 2.4×3 m (8×10 ft) wall assemblies to simulated indoor and outdoor temperatures of 15.6 to 32.2°C (60 to 90°F) and −17.8 to 43.3°C (0 to 110°F), respectively, and 10 to 90% relative humidity. Other simulated outdoor conditions are positive and negative wind/gust pressures, rain, and solar radiation.
Atlas Ci-3000+ Weathering Chamber
The Ci-3000+ provides a testing environment with precise control of solar irradiance, temperature, and relative humidity for up to 22 samples. It tests the impact of dew formation on surfaces and generates solar irradiation equivalent to that of two Suns. Users can program a weathering cycle through a digital control panel, save the data to an SD disc, and display test parameters on a screen for monitoring. Multiple test cycles can be stored in the system’s memory.
Small Appliance Environmental Chamber
This 3.3×3.3×2.6 m (10×10×8 ft) chamber is used to characterize the performance of appliances such as residential water heaters and refrigerators. It controls dry-bulb temperature from −17.8 to 48.9°C (0 to 120°F) and relative humidity from 40 to 80% at a cooling load of about 4000 Btu/h. Utilities include 480 V, 3-phase power at 40 A with step-down transformers to provide 240, 208, and 120 V.
Large Environmental Chambers
Characterizing the performance of commercial heating/ventilation/air-conditioning (HVAC), supermarket refrigeration, and combined heat and power systems (up to 20 tons) is accomplished using “outdoor” and “indoor” chambers of the same size at 6.1×6.1 m (20×20 ft) with a 4.3 m (14 ft) ceiling. Gas and electricity are supplied, with 480 V, 3-phase power at 225 A and step-down to 240, 208, and 120 V. Dry bulb temperature is controlled at −29 to 54°C (−20 to 130°F) and relative humidity at 30 to 90%.
Mid-Size Environmental Chambers
These chambers support performance characterization of gas and electric space-conditioning and combined heat and power components and systems (up to 10 tons). Gas and electricity are supplied, with 480 V, 3-phase power at 225 A and step-down to 240, 208, and 120 V. The “outdoor” chamber is 4.6×5.5 m (15×18 ft) and “indoor” chamber 4.6×3.7 m (15×12 ft). Dry bulb temperature is controlled at −23 to 54°C (−10 to 130°F) and relative humidity at 30 to 90%.
Multi-Zone Environmental Chambers
This facility characterizes the performance of multi-zone electric or gas HVAC systems (up to 10 tons) for residential and small commercial use. The “outdoor” chamber is 6.1×4.6 m (20×15 ft); the 8.5 m (28 ft) square “indoor” chamber can be divided into up to four spaces controlled at different conditions to represent separate zones. Dry-bulb temperature is controlled at −23 to 54°C (−10 to 130°F) and relative humidity at 30 to 90%. Utilities include 480 V, 3-phase power at 225 A with step-down to 240, 208, and 120 V.
