太空酬載實驗室因應各項任務的環境測試需求，例如探空八號的姿態計、中大的多功能積光元件、探空九號的太空電漿量測儀與光學陀螺儀、福衛五號的先進電離層探測儀等，必須自行建造一個熱真空複合測試系統。此系統包含熱真空艙、熱交換板、熱源供應設備、控制機箱等。熱真空艙可提供高真空的環境（10-3 Pa以下）。經由自動抽氣控制程式，艙內壓力可在30分鐘內，由一大氣壓降至3.9×10-3 Pa。待測物可安置在熱交換板上，由熱源供應設備提供溫度循環測試。透過溫度循環控制程式，可穩定地控制熱交換板上的溫度。例如在二十分鐘內從常溫升溫至80°C，在四十分鐘內從80°C降溫至-40°C，以及在二十分鐘內從-40°C回溫至常溫。此控制程式可有效地達到設定溫度，抑制溫度擺盪在±2°C以內。其後可在十分鐘內穩定於設定溫度，並且保持在±1°C以內。在整個的熱真空測試過程中，熱交換板上量測到的溫度變異數小於0.5。此控制程式亦可在溫度循環艙內提供溫度循環測試環境。在升溫、降溫與保溫上的效果與在真空艙內相同。然而在整個的溫度循環測試過程中，在溫度循環艙內所量測到的溫度變異數則是小於0.1，表現較在真空艙內優異。透過三維建模與熱流設定，可模擬熱交換板的溫度變化過程。與實驗結果相比，有助於未來開發較大型的熱交換板與更好的溫度均勻度。 In response to the environmental test for missions, like Aspectmeter for Sounding Rocket VIII(SR-VIII), Multifunction Integrated Optical Circuit made by NCU, Space Plasma Sensor Package and Fiber Optical Gyroscope for Sounding Rocket IX(SR-IX), Advanced Ionospheric Probe for FORMOSAT-5 satellite, etc. A thermal vacuum test system is constructed in Space Payload Laboratory, National Central University, to provide a space environmental test for space payloads. The system consists a vacuum chamber, a copper thermal exchange base plate, a thermal source, and a set of control module. The chamber can be pumped down to high vacuum (under 10-3 Pa) in 30 minutes from 1atm to 3.9×10-3 Pa. A Device Under Test (DUT) can be placed on the base plate inside the chamber pumped down to high vacuum to experience temperature cycle provided by the thermal source. An in-house temperature cycling program is developed to control the temperature on the surface of thermal base plate (or DUT) from ambient to 80°C in 20 min, from 80°C to -40°C in 40 min, and from -40°C to ambient in 20 min. The program can minimize temperature overshoot and undershoot within ±2°C and rapidly reduce temperature fluctuation within ±1°C in 10 min. Furthermore, temperature variances between an input temperature cycling profile and a temperature measurement result can be smaller than 0.5 for a test process. The program can also conduct thermal cycling test inside thermal cycling chamber with the same performance. With a 3-D model simulation and flow setting, we can copy the same condition of real test and get the simulation result of temperature on thermal plate. Compare with the result with real test data, we can contribute a bigger and better thermal exchange base plate in the future.
