Test chamber and method

A test chamber for conditioning air, the test chamber comprising:

• a temperature-insulated test space configured to be sealable from an environment and to hold test material, and
• a temperature control device configured to control temperature of the temperature-insulated test space and to establish said temperature in a temperature range from −50° C. to +180° C. within the temperature-insulated test space, the temperature control device having a heating feature and a cooling feature with a cooling circuit with a refrigerant that includes a hydrocarbon or a refrigerant mixture of hydrocarbons, a heat exchanger in the temperature-insulated test space, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion member,
• wherein the test chamber is provided with a machine room physically separated from the temperature-insulated test space,
• wherein the cooling circuit with the compressor is at least partially disposed in the machine room,
• wherein the test chamber comprises a ventilation system having a detector with at least one gas sensor configured to detect the refrigerant in the temperature-insulated test space, the ventilation system comprises a fan and an exhaust duct that is connected to the test space and the machine room in such a manner that one fan can transport air from the machine room and the temperature-insulated test space into the exhaust duct.

A method for operating a test chamber having a temperature-insulated test space that is configured to be sealed from an environment and to hold a test material, the temperature-controlled test space being temperature-controlled with a temperature control device of the test chamber, the temperature control device being used to establish a temperature in a temperature range −50° C. to +180° C. within the temperature-controlled test space,

• wherein the temperature control device has a heating feature and a cooling feature with a cooling circuit with a refrigerant, a heat exchanger in the temperature-controlled test space, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion member, wherein the refrigerant is a hydrocarbon or a refrigerant mixture of hydrocarbons, the test chamber is provided with a machine room physically separated from the temperature-controlled test space, and wherein the cooling circuit with the compressor is at least partially disposed in the machine room,
• the method comprising:
• detecting said refrigerant in the temperature-controlled test space using at least one gas sensor of a detector of a ventilation system of the test chamber, and
• transporting air from the temperature-controlled test space into an exhaust duct of the ventilation system with a fan of the ventilation, wherein the exhaust duct is connected to the temperature-controlled test space wherein the fan comprises a fan motor that is disposed in an air-tight enclosure, and a fan impeller.

A method for operating a test chamber for conditioning air, the test chamber having a temperature-insulated test space configured to be sealable, from an environment and to hold test material, the temperature-controlled test space being temperature-controlled using a temperature control device of the test chamber, the temperature control device being configured to establish a temperature in a temperature range from −50° C. to +180° C. within the temperature-controlled test space,

• wherein the temperature control device has a heating feature and a cooling feature with a cooling circuit with a refrigerant, a heat exchanger in the test space, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion member,
• wherein the refrigerant includes a hydrocarbon or a refrigerant mixture of hydrocarbons, the test chamber is provided with a machine room physically separated from the temperature-controlled test space, and the cooling circuit with the compressor is at least partially disposed in the machine room,
• the method comprising:
• detecting said refrigerant in the temperature-controlled test space using at least one gas sensor of a detector of a ventilation system of the test chamber, and
• transporting air from the machine room and the temperature-controlled test space into an exhaust duct of the ventilation system with a fan of the ventilation system, wherein the exhaust duct is connected to the temperature-controlled test space and the machine room.