Variable rotation and irradiation weathering testing machine
AssigneeAtlas Electric Devices Co.
InventorsBhakti S. Patel, Jacob Tikhtman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Material samples may be tested for weathering by a method which comprises securing the samples to a rack which rotates about a central radiation source, and exposing the samples to irradiation from the source at a first intensity of at least about 1.5 SUNS, while rotating the rack at a rate of at least about 6 rpm. Alternatively, a lower radiation intensity may be provided from the same apparatus, using a lower rotation rate. The method may also comprise a step of varying the inductance of a circuit supplying power to the central radiation source as one changes the intensity of the irradiation, to enhance the constancy of spectral distribution of the irradiation at the different intensities.
Claims19
A weathering testing machine which comprises:
- a source of radiation;
- a power controller having a plurality of settings corresponding to predetermined radiation intensity outputs from the source of radiation;
- a circuit connected to said source of radiation and said power controller wherein the inductance of said circuit is changed as said power controller settings are changed to cause the spectral distribution of the radiation emitted by said source of radiation to be relatively constant;
- and
- a rack positioned to be irradiated by said source of radiation, for carrying samples to be irradiated.
A method of weathering testing material samples, which comprises:
- securing samples to a rack which rotates about a central radiation source, and exposing said samples to irradiation from said source at an intensity of at least about 1.5 SUNS, while rotating said rack at a rate of at least about 6 rpm;
- rotating samples on said rack at another time while exposing said samples to irradiation from said source at an intensity of about 1 SUN while rotating said rack at a rate of less than 6 rpm;
- and varying the inductance of a circuit supplying power to the central radiation source while changing the instensity of said irradiation to cause the spectral distribution of said irradiation to be relatively constant at different intensities.
A weathering testing machine which comprises:
- a source of radiation;
- a power controller having a plurality of settings corresponding to predetermined radiation intensity outputs from the source of radiation;
- a circuit connected to said source of radiation and said power controller wherein the inductance of said circuit is changed as said power controller settings are changed to cause the spectral distribution of the radiation emitted by said source of radiation to be relatively constant;
- a rack, positioned to be irradiated by said source of radiation, for carrying samples to be irradiated;
- said rack being rotatable about said source of radiation;
- said source of radiation being capable of irradiating samples on said rack at a first radiation intensity of about 1 SUN or a second irradiation intensity of at least about 1.5 SUNS.
The method of weathering testing material samples, which comprises:
- securing said samples to a rack which rotates about a central radiation source;
- exposing said samples to irradiation from said source at an intensity of at least about 1.5 SUNS while rotating said rack at a rate of at least about 10 rpm., and further comprising the step of varying the inductance of a circuit supplying power to the central radiation source while changing the intensity of said irradiation, to cause the spectral distribution of said irradiation at different intensities to be relatively constant.
A method of weathering testing material samples which comprises:
- securing said samples to a rack which rotates about a central radiation source;
- exposing said samples to irradiation at a first intensity;
- changing the intensity of irradiation from said central radiation source to a second intensity;
- and
- simultaneously changing the inductance of the circuit powering said central radiation source to cause the spectral distribution of said irradiation at said first and second intensities to be relatively constant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.