TVAC arrives at TK
Thermal Vacuum Testing for Space arrives at TK
As part of TK's MetOP-SG programme - but also to widen our Space capabilities - TK has installed Thermal Vacuum Capabilities. The system has kindly been supplied by ESC of Cambridge.
Pictured below...is the TVAC saucepan.. about 1.3 Metres in diamater and >0.6 Metres in useable height. On the left is David Wastell, MD of ESC and Mick Clack, Works Director of TK is on the other side of the image.
The system can reach well beow 10^-5 mBar (ESA's GDIR requirement) in 12 Hours, driven down by a large CTI CryoTorr 10 cryo pump with 9600 water cooled compressor
The Image above shows the TK manufactured Cu test plate, with the MWS & ICI PRT Demonstration Model clamped to the plate.
Table temperatutre control is provide by a Huber 815 heat/cooling sysyem, providing temperatures on the internal Cu thermal control plate.equipment for cycling between -60°C and +100°C.
Housekeeping test ports for provide for 20 temperature sensor feed-through ports.
System is equiped with an E-Vision2 Residual Gas Analyser from MKS to measure outgassing.
The TVAC can be operated remotely, though VPN connection into the TK network, and then grabbing control of the TVAC computer via a Microsoft Remode Desktop connection (RDC).
TVAC service will be available for hire: Contact Richard Wylde at
Included in the facility is the ability to measure temperature to millikelvin precision in a good vacuum. The images below show the stability of our ISOTECH Bridge/Fluke SPRT reference thermometers over a half an hour time period: The two SPRTS, mounted on an Al plate controlled in temperature by our Huber oil-based controller, track one another to better than 5mK.
