Vacuum Chamber use in Solar Energy Research

Vacuum Chamber use in Solar Energy Research 01
Vacuum Chamber use in Solar Energy Research 01
This vacuum chamber was built to perform Solar energy research on Photovoltaic Cells. We had some constrains with regards to the outside dimensions of the chamber. As you can see, it could not be too tall because it had to fit into our clients assembly jig. We therefore removed our standard lid handles and machined the handles themselves right into the acrylic chamber lid. Concurrently, we also removed our 3-Port Plate that houses the vacuum valve, the venting valve, and the vacuum gauge and moved each of them to the side wall of vacuum chamber. Finally, a way to connect electrical signals and power to the interior of the vacuum chamber from the outside, while the Solar Cell is under vacuum, was to provide an electrical feedthrough. This electrical power feedthrough was placed on the opposite wall of the vent valve, vacuum valve, and vacuum gauge.

As you can tell, there is a square and large window made from Quartz Glass coupled to the lid. The reason Quartz was used is because acrylic has limiting optical transmission properties - it does not transmit light at all in the Ultra Violet spectrum. Most of the time, this is not critical; however, in some applications, such as photovoltaics and solar power research, the transmission properties of the vacuum chamber wall become vital. Keep in mind that Ultraviolet Transmitting Acrylic does exist, but in our situation, it was not cost effective, and it did not provide replacement options.

You can read more about Ultraviolet Transmitting Acrylic Here: Optical Transmission Properties of Acrylic

One of the advantages is also the option that our client has to remove the 6 inches by 6 inch Quartz Window and replace it with any other material with various optical transmission properties. All that needs to be done is loosen the bolts that are fastening the Window Holding Plate, made from 6061 Aluminum, remove it, remove the Glass, and replace this viewport with another Window made from a different material with different optical transmission properties such as Sapphire Glass, Borosilicate, Pyrex, etc.

Similar Items

Our clients prefer to work with us because we are Experts in Custom Fabrication (especially Polymer Fabrication). Check out some of our other items we carry that you can combine/integrate with your systems or projects.

Portable Vacuum Chamber and Pump Systems
We carry a wide range of portable vacuum chamber and pump systems. A Portable Vacuum Chamber and Pump system is placed onto a frame structure and lockable swivel casters which enable you to move your vacuum chamber and pump system around your facility. Our portable vacuum systems are very popular among businesses that are constantly growing, evolving, or sharing. Our portable vacuum systems are moved with ease from location to location.
Rotary Vane Vacuum Pumps
Rotary Vane Vacuum Pumps are the most widely used vacuum pump in the industry. When it comes to performance at a reasonable price, rotary vane vacuum pumps are the way to go. Many Rotary Vane Pumps can achieve 2 to 5 milliTorr vacuum rating at a good volumetric flowrate (2 to 20 CFM) at a very reasonable price (hundreds to a few thousand dollars)
Our Work: Pressure and Vacuum Chamber used for Calibration of Weather Stations across the US
Have you ever wondered how the weather forecast works? You must admit; the weathermen (or weatherwoman) have become a whole lot more accurate over time. 10 years ago, the weather forecast was not as accurate as it is today. Part of the reason is that we have better forecasting technology as in more powerful computers who crunch numbers faster to out a most likely scenario. Another reason is that mathematics, physics, and science has progressed. The main reason however, is that we have better tools and equipment.
Related Articles: Force Decay Leak Testing
Force Decay Leak Testing is a very popular quantitative leak testing method used to quality test package and product integrity due to its ability to detect small leaks which cannot be seen through visual inspection. In this method, the test specimen is internally inflated by either internal pressurization or vacuum force. The inflated test specimen will, in turn, apply a force on a pressure transducer. Finally, the change in force applied by the inflated specimen over a specified time is observed.