A humidity control device for simulating low humidity environment of space for space products

Abstract

This application discloses a humidity control device for aerospace products used to simulate the low-humidity environment of space, addressing the problems of high equipment investment and high operating energy consumption associated with existing nitrogen replacement methods for humidity control in thermal cycling test chambers. This application includes a cold drying unit, an adsorption unit, a filtration unit, and a control unit. The cold drying unit initially removes moisture and some impurities from the air, followed by further drying and filtration by the adsorption unit, ultimately outputting dry, clean air. This application employs a modular design to achieve humidity control in the thermal cycling test chamber. Through a tiered drying process of pre-treatment by a cold dryer and fine treatment by an adsorption unit, system energy consumption is reduced. The system uses compressed air as its gas source, eliminating the need for continuous consumption of expensive media such as nitrogen. While ensuring the provision of ultra-low dew point dry air, it boasts significant advantages of low operating costs and high economic efficiency, effectively preventing material degradation caused by condensation during testing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of aerospace product testing technology, specifically to a humidity control device for aerospace products used to simulate the low-humidity environment of space. Background Technology

[0002] Thermal cycling is a reliability testing method that involves placing test samples in a thermal cycling chamber and repeatedly exposing them to alternating high and low temperatures. The shear stress caused by the difference in the thermal expansion coefficients of the materials accelerates the exposure of potential material defects, manufacturing defects, or fatigue failures. However, the alternating high and low temperatures during thermal cycling can easily lead to condensation on the sample surface, which differs significantly from the dry environment of space. This means the test conditions cannot realistically simulate the on-orbit operation conditions of a spacecraft. Furthermore, condensation can lead to risks such as electrical short circuits, equipment corrosion, and material aging.

[0003] Current humidity control technology for thermal cycling test chambers primarily relies on nitrogen replacement schemes. This involves continuously injecting high-purity nitrogen (≥99.99%) into the chamber to replace the air, controlling the oxygen content below 1% to achieve a low-humidity environment. This technology requires a nitrogen generator or high-pressure nitrogen cylinder group, using a compressed air system to continuously supply gas at a flow rate of 5-10 L / min, and using a dew point sensor to monitor humidity to ensure it is ≤10%RH. However, this technology suffers from drawbacks such as high equipment investment (nitrogen generator cost approximately 200,000-500,000 RMB), high operating energy consumption (compressor power ≥7.5kW), and high gas consumption (nitrogen consumption ≥30 m³ per hour). Utility Model Content

[0004] Therefore, this application provides a humidity control device for aerospace products used to simulate the low humidity environment of space, in order to solve the problems of high equipment investment and high operating energy consumption that exist in the existing thermal cycling test chamber humidity control using nitrogen replacement method.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution:

[0006] A humidity control device for aerospace products used to simulate the low-humidity environment of space, the humidity control device being used to control the humidity of a thermal cycling test chamber, comprising: a cold drying unit, an adsorption unit, a filtration unit, and a control unit; one end of the cold drying unit is connected to compressed air, and the other end is connected to the air inlet of the adsorption unit, the air outlet of the adsorption unit is connected to the air inlet of the thermal cycling test chamber, and the exhaust port of the thermal cycling test chamber is connected to the atmosphere; the filtration unit is used to dry and filter the compressed air; the control unit is used to control the operation of the cold drying unit and the adsorption unit.

[0007] Optionally, the refrigerated drying unit is a refrigerated dryer, which includes a casing and a pre-cooler, heat exchanger, evaporator, air-water separator, automatic drainer, and refrigeration system disposed within the casing; the compressed air flows sequentially through the pre-cooler, the hot side of the heat exchanger, the evaporator, and the air-water separator, and then the dried air returns to flow through the cold side of the heat exchanger before being output; the automatic drainer is connected to the bottom of the air-water separator and the evaporator to discharge condensate;

[0008] The refrigeration system includes a refrigeration compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator connected in sequence, and cools the compressed air flowing through the evaporator by circulating refrigerant.

[0009] Optionally, the adsorption unit is a dual-tower adsorption device, which includes an adsorption tower A and an adsorption tower B filled with adsorbent. The bottom of the adsorption tower A and the adsorption tower B are provided with a main air inlet and an exhaust end, and the top of the adsorption tower A and the adsorption tower B are provided with a main air outlet. The air outlet of the refrigerated dryer is connected to the main air inlet, and the main air outlet is connected to the air inlet of the thermal cycling test chamber.

[0010] Optionally, the air inlet of the refrigerated dryer is connected to a first pipe, which is used to introduce compressed air.

[0011] Optionally, the exhaust end is connected to the first pipe via a second pipe.

[0012] Optionally, the adsorbent is activated alumina or a molecular sieve.

[0013] Optionally, the filtration unit includes a first filter, a second filter, and a third filter; the first filter is disposed at the air source inlet of the refrigerated dryer; the second filter and the third filter are respectively disposed at the air outlets of the A adsorption tower and the B adsorption tower, and the air outlets of the A adsorption tower and the B adsorption tower converge to the main air outlet.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, this application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0015] 1. Based on further analysis and research of existing technical problems, this application provides a humidity control device for aerospace products used to simulate the low-humidity environment of space. The device includes a refrigeration and drying unit, an adsorption unit, a filtration unit, and a control unit. Compressed air first passes through the refrigeration and drying unit to initially remove moisture and some impurities. With the help of the cooling and dehumidification effect of the refrigeration system, the dew point of the gas can be lowered to approximately 0°C. Subsequently, the compressed air, after primary dehumidification, enters the adsorption unit for further drying and filtration. Simultaneously, a pressure balance control system automatically switches between the two adsorption towers to ensure a continuous and stable output of dry air with a dew point below -40°C. The dried and purified air, refined by the adsorption unit, meets various industrial or experimental needs, and is particularly suitable for the thermal cycling test chamber described in this application, enabling a more realistic simulation of the ground testing environment for aerospace products. The dry conditions in space effectively avoid risks such as electrical short circuits and equipment corrosion caused by condensation, significantly improving the reliability and evaluation accuracy of spacecraft components during ground testing. This application adopts a modular design to achieve humidity control in the thermal cycling test chamber. Through a tiered drying process of pretreatment by a cold dryer and fine treatment by an adsorption unit, the system energy consumption is greatly reduced. At the same time, the system uses compressed air as the gas source, eliminating the need for continuous consumption of expensive media such as nitrogen, making its overall operating cost lower than that of traditional nitrogen generator solutions. While ensuring the provision of ultra-low dew point dry air, it has significant advantages in terms of low operating cost and high economy. This application is applicable to environmental reliability testing of electronic components, precision instruments, and other products, completely eliminating condensation caused by temperature changes in thermal cycling tests, and effectively preventing material degradation caused by condensation during testing.

[0016] 2. The air inlet of the refrigerated dryer of this application is connected to the first pipe for introducing compressed air, and the bottom exhaust end of the adsorption unit is connected to the first pipe through the second pipe to realize the recycling of airflow and reduce energy consumption. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more intuitively illustrate the prior art and this application, exemplary drawings are provided below. It should be understood that the specific shapes and structures shown in the drawings should not generally be regarded as limiting conditions for implementing this application; for example, based on the technical concept disclosed in this application and the exemplary drawings, those skilled in the art are able to easily make conventional adjustments or further optimizations to the addition / reduction / classification, specific shapes, positional relationships, connection methods, size ratios, etc. of certain units (components).

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a space product humidity control device for simulating the low-humidity environment of space, provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 1 ;

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a space product humidity control device for simulating the low-humidity environment of space, provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 2 ;

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of airflow direction in the middle.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0022] 1. Refrigerated drying unit; 2. Adsorption unit; 21. Adsorption tower A; 22. Adsorption tower B; 23. Main air inlet; 24. Main air outlet; 3. First filter; 4. Second filter; 5. Third filter; 6. Control unit; 7. First pipeline; 8. Second pipeline; 9. Third pipeline. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0024] In the description of this application: unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. The terms "first," "second," "third," etc., in this application are intended to distinguish the objects referred to and do not have any special meaning in terms of technical connotation (e.g., they should not be construed as an emphasis on importance or order). Expressions such as "including," "comprising," and "having" also mean "not limited to" (certain units, components, materials, steps, etc.).

[0025] The terms used in this application, such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and "middle," are generally used to indicate the general relative positional relationship for the purpose of intuitive understanding by referring to the accompanying drawings, and are not absolute limitations on the positional relationship in the actual product.

[0026] One embodiment of this application, such as Figures 1-3 As shown, a humidity control device for aerospace products used to simulate the low-humidity environment of space is disclosed. The humidity control device adopts a modular design and is used to control the humidity of a thermal cycling test chamber. It includes: a cold drying unit 1, an adsorption unit 2, a filtration unit, and a control unit 6. One end of the cold drying unit 1 is connected to an air source (compressed air), and the other end is connected to the air inlet of the adsorption unit 2. The air outlet of the adsorption unit 2 is connected to the air inlet of the thermal cycling test chamber, and the exhaust port of the thermal cycling test chamber is connected to the atmosphere.

[0027] The refrigerated drying unit 1 performs primary dehumidification of the compressed air, and the refrigeration system can lower the gas dew point to approximately 0°C. The pretreated air then enters the adsorption unit 2, where a dual-tower adsorption device filled with adsorbent further adsorbs residual trace amounts of water vapor and suspended impurities, achieving deep purification and drying. With the help of a pressure balancing and automatic switching system, it ensures a continuous output of dry, pure compressed air with a dew point below -40°C, thus providing drier and purer air. The filtration unit is used to dry and filter the compressed air. The control unit 6 is used to control the operation of the refrigerated drying unit 1 and the adsorption unit 2. The controller is responsible for regulating the operation of the system to ensure stable and efficient system operation.

[0028] The aforementioned refrigerated drying unit 1 is a refrigerated dryer, which includes a casing and a pre-cooler, heat exchanger, evaporator, air-water separator, automatic drainer, and refrigeration system disposed within the casing. The compressed air flows sequentially through the pre-cooler, the hot side of the heat exchanger, the evaporator, and the air-water separator, and then the dried air returns to flow through the cold side of the heat exchanger before being output. The automatic drainer is connected to the bottom of the air-water separator and the evaporator to discharge condensate.

[0029] The refrigeration system includes a refrigeration compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator connected in sequence through pipelines to form a closed loop, and cools the compressed air flowing through the evaporator by circulating refrigerant.

[0030] The refrigerated drying unit 1 utilizes refrigerant to exchange heat with compressed air. The refrigeration system cools the compressed air to approximately 0°C (dew point temperature), causing the moisture content in the compressed air to approach a supersaturated state. The principle is as follows: When the humid and hot compressed air flows into the pre-cooler to dissipate heat, it flows into the heat exchanger to exchange heat with the cold air discharged from the evaporator, lowering the temperature of the compressed air entering the evaporator. Then, the oil mist and water vapor in the compressed air are condensed and flow into the evaporator at the bottom. Through heat exchange with the refrigerant, the moisture and oil in the air are further condensed. Finally, the air is discharged outside the machine through an automatic drain. The dried compressed air, after being treated by the air-water separator, enters the subsequent adsorption unit 2 for further treatment. Refrigerated dryers typically contain filters to remove large particulate impurities from the air.

[0031] Adsorption unit 2 is a dual-tower adsorption device, which includes an A adsorption tower 21 and a B adsorption tower 22 filled with adsorbent. The bottom of the A adsorption tower 21 and the B adsorption tower 22 is provided with a main air inlet 23 and an exhaust end. The top of the A adsorption tower 21 and the B adsorption tower 22 is provided with a main air outlet 24. The air outlet of the refrigerated dryer is connected to the main air inlet 23 through a third pipe 9. The main air outlet 24 is connected to the air inlet of the thermal cycling test chamber. The air inlet of the refrigerated dryer is connected to a first pipe 7, which is used to introduce compressed air.

[0032] Preferably, the exhaust end (exhaust port) of the adsorption unit 2 is connected to the first pipe 7 through the second pipe 8 to realize the recycling of airflow.

[0033] The aforementioned adsorption towers A and B contain adsorbents, such as activated alumina and / or molecular sieves. These adsorbents have strong hydrophilicity and can adsorb trace amounts of moisture in the air. Adsorption towers A and B typically operate alternately, with one tower adsorbing while the other regenerates to ensure continuous system operation. Each adsorption tower is equipped with a filter to further filter impurities from the air.

[0034] Preferably, the filtration unit includes multiple filters for graded drying and filtration of compressed air in the entire system. It includes a first filter 3, a second filter 4, and a third filter 5. Each filter typically has a filter element inside. When air passes through the filter element, impurities are intercepted by the filter element, thereby purifying the air.

[0035] The first filter 3 is located at the air source inlet of the refrigerated dryer, specifically in the first pipe 7 near the refrigerated dryer. The first filter 3 is a multi-stage adsorption filter (including coarse and fine filters) used to remove particulate matter, oil mist and other impurities from the compressed air, ensuring the purity of the output air and preventing it from contaminating or clogging the heat exchangers, evaporators and other equipment inside the refrigerated dryer, providing primary filtration protection for subsequent equipment.

[0036] The second filter 4 and the third filter 5 are respectively installed at the outlets of adsorption tower A 21 and adsorption tower B 22, and the outlets of adsorption tower A 21 and adsorption tower B 22 are all connected to the main outlet 24.

[0037] The above embodiments form a dry air system, the workflow of which is as follows: The dry air system first removes moisture and some impurities from the compressed air through the cold drying unit 1 (i.e., a cold dryer, achieving preliminary or coarse drying). With the help of the cooling and dehumidification effect of the refrigeration system, the dew point of the gas can be reduced to approximately 0°C (specifically, it can be reduced to a dew point temperature of approximately 2°C above 0°C). Subsequently, the compressed air enters the adsorption unit 2 (composed of adsorption tower A 21 and adsorption tower B 22, achieving deep or fine drying) for further drying and filtration of the air. At the same time, the pressure balance control system realizes the automatic switching of the two adsorption towers to ensure a continuous and stable output dew point below -40°C (e.g., approximately -60°C). The system generates dry air (at 0°C); ultimately, it outputs dry, clean air. During this process, the control unit 6 (i.e., the system controller) is responsible for regulating the system's operation to ensure stable and efficient operation. The filter unit purifies the air throughout the process. This design enables the dry air system to continuously provide high-quality, dry air to meet various industrial or experimental needs. It is particularly suitable for the thermal cycling test chamber described in this application. When conducting thermal cycling tests on aerospace products, it can more realistically simulate the dry environment of space, effectively avoiding risks such as electrical short circuits and equipment corrosion caused by condensation, and significantly improving the reliability and evaluation accuracy of spacecraft components in ground testing.

[0038] This application ensures the dryness and purity of the output air through multi-stage processing. First, the first filter 3, as a pre-filter, is located at the air source inlet of the system to initially remove particulate matter and liquid oil and water from the compressed air. Then, the air flows through a refrigerated dryer for initial cooling and drying, and then through the adsorption unit 2 (adsorbent) for deep adsorption and drying. Afterward, the second filter 4 and the third filter 5, as post-filters, are located at the outlet of the adsorption unit 2 to thoroughly filter out any adsorbent dust that may escape, ultimately ensuring the dryness and cleanliness of the output air.

[0039] This application also has the following advantages:

[0040] 1. The modular design enables humidity control in the thermal cycling test chamber, suitable for environmental reliability testing of electronic components, precision instruments, and other products. It meets the stringent humidity requirements of standards such as GJB 1027A, effectively preventing material degradation caused by condensation during testing. The tiered drying process, combining pre-treatment with a refrigerated dryer and fine treatment with an adsorption tower, significantly reduces system energy consumption. Furthermore, the system uses compressed air as its gas source, eliminating the need for continuously consuming expensive media such as nitrogen, resulting in lower overall operating costs compared to traditional nitrogen generator solutions. While ensuring the provision of ultra-low dew point dry air, it offers significant advantages in terms of low operating costs and high economic efficiency. The modular adsorption dehumidification system of this application, through deep dehumidification using molecular sieves, can lower the dew point to below -40℃, while reducing operating energy consumption by more than 40%.

[0041] 2. In terms of technical performance, the dew point is stably controlled below -40℃ through multi-stage adsorption technology; in terms of economy, compressed air is used as the gas source, and a closed-loop gas path design can reduce energy consumption by more than 60%, eliminating the need for continuous nitrogen consumption and reducing the cost of a single test from approximately 200,000 yuan to 10,000 yuan; in terms of reliability, 99% of the condensation risk can be eliminated; in terms of adaptability, the modular structure is compatible with the modification of existing thermal cycling test chambers, supports wide temperature range control from -70℃ to 150℃, and meets the requirements of standards such as GJB 1027A-2020; this device fundamentally solves the technical bottlenecks of high energy consumption, large humidity fluctuations, and distorted operating conditions inherent in the nitrogen replacement method.

[0042] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way (as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features). For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described; these embodiments not explicitly written should also be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

Claims

1. A humidity control device for aerospace products used to simulate the low-humidity environment of space, characterized in that, The humidity control device is used to control the humidity of the thermal cycling test chamber, and includes: a cold drying unit, an adsorption unit, a filtration unit, and a control unit; one end of the cold drying unit is connected to compressed air, and the other end is connected to the air inlet of the adsorption unit, the air outlet of the adsorption unit is connected to the air inlet of the thermal cycling test chamber, and the exhaust port of the thermal cycling test chamber is connected to the atmosphere; the filtration unit is used to dry and filter the compressed air; the control unit is used to control the operation of the cold drying unit and the adsorption unit.

2. The aerospace product humidity control device for simulating the low-humidity environment of space according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerated drying unit is a refrigerated dryer, which includes a casing and a pre-cooler, heat exchanger, evaporator, air-water separator, automatic drainer, and refrigeration system disposed within the casing. The compressed air flows sequentially through the pre-cooler, the hot side of the heat exchanger, the evaporator, and the air-water separator, and then the dried air returns to flow through the cold side of the heat exchanger before being output. The automatic drainer is connected to the bottom of the air-water separator and the evaporator to discharge condensate. The refrigeration system includes a refrigeration compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator connected in sequence, and cools the compressed air flowing through the evaporator by circulating refrigerant.

3. The aerospace product humidity control device for simulating the low-humidity environment of space according to claim 2, characterized in that, The adsorption unit is a dual-tower adsorption device, which includes an adsorption tower A and an adsorption tower B filled with adsorbent. The bottom of the adsorption tower A and the adsorption tower B are provided with a main air inlet and an exhaust end, and the top of the adsorption tower A and the adsorption tower B are provided with a main air outlet. The air outlet of the refrigerated dryer is connected to the main air inlet, and the main air outlet is connected to the air inlet of the thermal cycling test chamber.

4. The aerospace product humidity control device for simulating the low-humidity environment of space according to claim 3, characterized in that, The air inlet of the refrigerated dryer is connected to a first pipe, which is used to introduce compressed air.

5. The aerospace product humidity control device for simulating the low-humidity environment of space according to claim 4, characterized in that, The exhaust end is connected to the first pipe via a second pipe.

6. The aerospace product humidity control device for simulating the low-humidity environment of space according to claim 3 or 5, characterized in that, The adsorbent is activated alumina or a molecular sieve.

7. The aerospace product humidity control device for simulating the low-humidity environment of space according to claim 4, characterized in that, The filtration unit includes a first filter, a second filter, and a third filter; the first filter is located at the air source inlet of the refrigerated dryer; the second filter and the third filter are respectively located at the air outlets of the A adsorption tower and the B adsorption tower, and the air outlets of the A adsorption tower and the B adsorption tower converge to the main air outlet.

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