Dusty Thermo-Vacuum Facility (DTVAC)

DTVAC is one of the few facilities in the world and the only facility in Canada to simulate Lunar/Mars/Asteroid environments.

The Dusty Thermo-Vacuum (DTVAC) planetary environment test facility simultaneously combines controlled dust simulant dispersion in vacuum with simulated solar illumination and thermal control of the test devices. Test devices include surface (e.g. solar cell, radiator), optical (laser, fiber amplifier), and mechanical (motor, bearing) assemblies.

Features thermal:
Vacuum
Solar simulator
Thermal plate
Temperature controlled shroud
Specimen length [mm]: 1000.0
Specimen width/dia [mm]: 1000.0
Specimen height/thk [mm]: 900.0
Mass max. [kg]: 500.0
Higher temperature [K]: 333.15
Lower temperature [K]: 213.15
Temperature change rate [±K/min]: 0.25
Solar simulator intensity max. [W/m²]: 800
Data acquisition: 25 Thermocouples, 3x DB50, 1x DB25, 1x DB15, 2x DB9
Vacuum limit [hPa] [mbar]: <7.5·10^-8
Certification:
ISO/IEC 17025
ISO 9001
AS/EN/JISQ 9100
Keywords: Thermal vacuum cycling, thermal cycling, TVAC, dust, Mars, Moon, MBPC, MPB space photonics