The chambers can be used to carry out approval and functional tests on heavy duty machines and vehicles (including special vehicles) and for research on and development of engineering systems for operation under extreme climatic and environmental conditions.
Institute of Heavy Duty Machines has a number of the thermoclimatic chambers which
can be used for functional/ operational tests on large vehicles, earthmoving machinery
and specialized equipment under extreme climatic conditions. For example large
arctic chamber (24x6x7m) accommodate wheeled, tracked and railway vehicles with
maximum loading of 70 kN per axle.The laboratory is equipped with modern measuring, data storing and data processing equipment based on PC computers. The laboratory is conected via SUN Sparc workstation to Cyfronet Computer Center giving access to internet network (Telnet, Ftp, Mail, NFS, Lpd, and X-Windows protocols) and thus linking the laboratory to other national and international research centers (eq. Fluidteknik NTNU, Norway; Subsea Research Group, Monash University).
Recently laboratory initiated steps to become ISO 9000 (EN 45000) certified laboratory.
Some of the machines tested in the laboratory were:- very fast train (VFT), 30 m long railway wagon,
- K-606 20 ton excavator,
- 40 ton military tracked srvice vehicle,
- 40 ton pipe laying tracked machine,
- chassis of the 100 to hydraulic crane.
Specification of measuring path elements for measurements of temperature, thermal
stream density and air circulation velocity. Temperature sensors: foil thermocouples
NiCr-Ni type T686-2; accuracy about 0.1°C within range from -200°C to +320°C;
achieved temperature measurement resolution +/- 0.05°C at accuracy 0.1%. Sensors
of thermal stream density: type 111, 112 (it works on basis of method of comparison
with known thermal resistance: tested wall - auxiliary wall) applied in range
from 50 [W/m2] to 100[W/m2] or 15[W/m2] to 30[W/m2] at threshold accuracy 1[W/m2]
or 0.2[W/m2] adequately. Air circulation velocity sensors: spherical probe ANT-93
- thermal anemometers, constant-temperatured with compensation of influence of
environment temperature; they enable measurement of instantaneous value of air
circulation velocity and intensity of its fluctuations.