Airflow diverter for reduced specimen temperature gradient

Inventors

Saari, Byron John • Meybaum, Paul Eric

Assignees

MTS Systems Corp

Abstract

An environmental chamber includes an enclosure having opposed walls each wall having an aperture of size to receive a test specimen support therethrough. The apertures are aligned with each other along on a reference axis. A forced air source is configured to supply forced air in a direction to intersect with the reference axis within the enclosure. A diverter is positioned between the forced air source and the reference axis. The diverter is configured to receive the forced air and control the air flow past different portions of the reference axis. The environmental chamber is used with a load frame having test specimen supports extending into the opposed apertures. A method of directing more force air at the test specimen supports than at at least a portion of the test specimen to maintain a selected temperature gradient in the test specimen is also provided.

Core Innovation

The invention provides an environmental chamber for load-frame testing in which opposed walls of an enclosure include apertures aligned along a reference axis. A conduit is adjustable in length and is oriented to provide air directed to the reference axis, with a forced air source supplying forced air through the conduit so the forced air intersects the reference axis within the enclosure. The chamber includes a diverter mounted to an opening of the conduit remote from the forced air source, located inside the enclosure, and configured to receive the forced air and control air flow past different portions of the reference axis.

The adjustability of the conduit length adjusts a position of the diverter with respect to the reference axis. By controlling airflow past different portions of the reference axis, the chamber alters local air flow distribution relative to the reference axis to address temperature gradients. Diverter configurations described include surfaces and opening patterns that redistribute forced air toward selected portions along the reference axis and away from inner portions.

In a related aspect, the invention integrates the environmental chamber into a load frame having a support structure, an actuator connected to the support structure, and a pair of test specimen supports configured to hold a portion of a test specimen therebetween on the reference axis. The forced air is delivered through the adjustable-length conduit to intersect the reference axis within the enclosure, and the diverter mounted to the conduit end controls air flow past different portions of the reference axis while the conduit length adjusts the diverter position.

The described diverter effects include reducing air flow at a middle portion and increasing air flow at test specimen support portions along the reference axis. Background material in the provided description explains that load-frame specimen temperature gradients arise from heat transfer challenges associated with differing thermal conductivity and convective coefficients between the test specimen and test specimen support structure, and that an example simulation is described showing reduced maximum/minimum specimen temperature gradient using a diverter.

Claims Coverage

The partial content includes two independent claims, one directed to an environmental chamber and the other directed to a load frame that includes the environmental chamber. Across the independent claims, the core inventive features are the enclosure with aligned apertures along a reference axis, an adjustable-length conduit delivering forced air to intersect the reference axis inside the enclosure, and an internal diverter mounted to the conduit opening whose position relative to the reference axis is adjustable to control airflow past different portions of the reference axis.

The independent claims cover an environmental chamber architecture that delivers forced air via an adjustable-length conduit intersecting an internal reference axis through aligned wall apertures, and the same chamber integrated into a load frame with specimen supports positioned on the reference axis. In both, the internal diverter mounted to the conduit end controls airflow past different portions of the reference axis, with the conduit length used to adjust the diverter position relative to the reference axis.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications