Environmental Chamber Test and Certification

NATC has five state-of-the-art environmental chambers, of which one is a dedicated corrosion test facility. These chambers are capable of providing conditions to meet commercial and military specifications, including MIL-STD-810 certification tests. Two of the chambers are situated end-to-end and can be operated independently or interconnected for a total length of 88 feet. This combined chamber can accommodate Class 8 tractors and trailers, combat and tactical support vehicles, electronics shelters and antennas, heavy equipment, construction equipment and large ground-based vehicles and equipment. The chambers are used for vehicle and component storage tests and operational testing with natural, breathable atmospheres suitable for internal combustion engine evaluations at environmental extremes. All of NATC’s environmental chambers are configured to integrate with durability and reliability tests to ensure complete exposure to the entire vehicle system.

NATC’s Environmental Chambers

Chamber #1 - 54 feet 6 inches (L) x 16 feet 2 inches (W) x 16 feet 1 inch (H) Chamber #2 - 31 feet 11 inches (L) x 18 feet 10 inches (W) x 20 feet 6 inches (H) Chambers #1 and #2 combined - 86 feet long Chamber #3 – 6 Feet 7 Inches (H) x 7 Feet 11 Inches (W) x 18 Feet 6 Inches (L) Chamber #4 – 6 Feet 10 Inches (H) x 6 Feet 1 Inch (W) x 5 Feet 4 Inches (L) Chamber #5 - Corrosion – 16 (H) x 17 (W) x 40 (L) feet

	One-Stop Environmental Testing Solutions
	High temperature (160°F) with/without solar radiation (to 1120 W/m2) Low temperature to -60°F Thermal shock -60°F to +160°F Humidity 5% to 95% natural, induced or aggravated Salt fog Blowing dust Blowing sand< Rain/blowing rain Ice/freezing rain Blowing wind to 40 MPH	Fungus Chassis dynamometer for in-chamber tests of vehicle performance under environmental conditions All chambers natural breathable atmospheres 24 hours per day, 7 days per week operation State-of-the-art systems - all automated Testing to ASTM SAE, IEC, EEC/ECE, GM, MIL-STD-810<

Natural breathable atmospheres are generated from -60°F to +160°F, obviating the need for man packs, and relative humidity is controlled between 5 and 95 percent. There is heat rejection capability up to 230,000 BTUH at -40°F. Solar radiation fixtures simulate the sun’s spectral irradiance from ultraviolet to infrared. NATC conducts salt fog, blowing dust, blowing sand, humidity, rain, solar radiation, high- and low-temperature storage and operation and other environmental certification tests.

Chamber Data Acquisition/Instrumentation

Commercial testing of air conditioning systems, defrosting/ defogging systems, engine cold and hot starting, tire aging and extreme temperature characterization, vehicle full and road load cooling, and vehicle paint and rust protection coatings can be performed. All of NATC’s environmental chambers have state-of-the-art data acquisition systems. Sensors and data acquisition equipment are available to measure and record virtually any quantity, frequency and type of test parameter of interest, including (but not limited to) engine, wheel and fan speeds; manifold, coolant and hydraulic line pressures; vehicle component, reservoir, exhaust and surface temperatures; exhaust gas emissions; and fuel, air, lubricant and coolant flow rates. The dedicated corrosion chamber has a pH meter embedded in the salt solution supply line for monitoring and recording ph of the salt solution during each salt fog application. Dedicated data acquisition systems allow up to 250 channels of simultaneous data collection and analysis of both digital and analog signals. NATC designs instrumentation applications to meet customer needs and all necessary instrumentation is available on site, allowing for efficient, “one-stop” testing.