Weathering test device and weathering test method

Abstract

To provide a weathering test device and a weather test method with which it is possible to suppress a decrease of atmospheric pressure in a pressurized container when discharging water in the pressurized container in a pressurized state.SOLUTION: While the atmospheric pressure in a drain tank 20a is pressurized to drainage atmospheric pressure which is equal to or lower by a prescribed pressure than the atmospheric pressure in a pressurized container 11, an inflow valve 20b for discharging water in the pressurized container 11 to the drain tank 20a is opened, a gas exhaust pipe 15 for atmospheric pressure adjustment in the pressurized container 11 is squeezed by a gas exhaust amount adjuster 31 provided to the gas exhaust pipe 15, and an exhaust bypass valve 20h inserted in a drain tank exhaust pipe 20g is opened, forming a flow path passing through the pressurized container 11, the inflow valve 20b, the drain tank 20a, and the exhaust bypass valve 20h. By moving water and gas in the pressurized container 11 together to the drain tank 20a via the inflow valve 20b, a change of atmospheric pressure in the pressurized container 11 is suppressed and water in the pressurized container 11 is quickly discharged.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a weather resistance test apparatus and a weather resistance test method. [Background technology]

[0002] When conducting tests for thermal oxidation degradation or hydrolysis to see how long it will take for organic or inorganic materials to deteriorate due to heat, moisture from rain, oxygen in the air, etc., it is best to conduct the tests in an actual environment. However, tests in an actual environment take a long time to obtain test results. For this reason, accelerated tests are conducted under higher temperatures than in the actual environment, with the amount and frequency of water spray simulating rain, and with high oxygen concentrations. These tests include the pressure cooker test (hereinafter also referred to as PCT test) and high temperature and constant humidity test.

[0003] In addition, when conducting weather resistance tests to determine how long it takes for organic and inorganic materials to deteriorate due to light and heat from the sun, moisture from rain, oxygen in the air, and the like, it is best to conduct the tests in an actual environment. However, tests in an actual environment may take a long time to obtain test results. Therefore, weather resistance tests are conducted using weather resistance accelerated test equipment with a light source with a higher light intensity than sunlight, and test results of the weather resistance of various materials are obtained early. Known examples of such weather resistance test equipment include a sunshine weather-ometer (SWOM), a metal weather meter (MW), a super UV (SUV), and a xenon weather meter (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0004] The Sunshine Weather-O-Meter is equipped with a light source made of a carbon arc, and irradiates the sample with light having wavelengths ranging from ultraviolet to visible light, while spraying water on the sample for a certain period of time with a water spray device, thereby achieving weather resistance testing in a short period of time. This device can shorten the test period to some extent. In addition, the Metal Weather Meter and Super UV are equipped with a metal halide lamp, which is a more powerful light source than the Sunshine Weather-O-Meter (SWOM), and irradiate the sample with a high amount of light from the light source ranging from ultraviolet to visible light, while spraying water on the sample for a certain period of time with a water spray device. These devices use a light source with a high amount of light, so they can perform weather resistance testing in a shorter period of time than the Sunshine Weather-O-Meter. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 1-21891 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 1-28897 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 7231081 [Patent Document 4] Patent No. 7268807 [Non-patent literature]

[0006] [Non-Patent Document 1] ESPEC Corporation, "Pressure Cooker Test", [online], [Retrieved October 5, 2023], Internet (URL: https: / / www.espec.co.jp / products / trustee / test / pressurecooker.html) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The PCT test is a moisture resistance evaluation method that allows water vapor to penetrate into the inside of a sample in a short period of time by increasing the water vapor pressure in a test chamber to be higher than the water vapor partial pressure inside the sample at 100°C or higher (see Non-Patent Document 1). The partial pressure of water vapor is increased by pressurizing the inside of the test chamber, so the test chamber becomes a pressurized container.

[0008] However, the PCT test only increases the partial pressure of water vapor, and has the problem that it cannot reproduce the deterioration that occurs when water, such as rain, or liquid hits the sample surface. Furthermore, while deterioration due to humidity is primarily hydrolysis, in real environments, oxidation degradation due to heat also occurs at the same time as hydrolysis. The PCT test has the problem that it cannot reproduce both of these phenomena. Therefore, there is a demand for equipment that can simultaneously perform thermal oxidation due to heat, deterioration due to water spray, and hydrolysis due to humidification within a pressurized container.

[0009] In the weather resistance testing devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, in addition to using a light source with a high light intensity, the pressure (e.g., oxygen partial pressure) in the device container in which the sample is placed is made higher than atmospheric pressure in order to facilitate the weather resistance testing. Furthermore, it is said that a weather resistance test that more closely replicates real weather can be performed by spraying water into the device container whose pressure is made higher than atmospheric pressure.

[0010] However, when water is sprayed into a container with a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure in thermal oxidation, water spray, hydrolysis tests, or weather resistance tests, discharging the sprayed water outside the device container becomes an issue. Because the device containers in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are sealed, when the water accumulated in the device container is discharged by spraying water, the pressure in the device container also drops at the same time, and the effect of pressurization by pressure cannot be obtained temporarily. Therefore, it is important to suppress the drop in pressure in the pressurized container when water is discharged from the pressurized container and to quickly return the reduced pressure to the set pressure, and there has been a demand for a device that can quickly return pressure.

[0011] Also, a method has been proposed for suppressing a drop in pressure within a pressurized container by using a drainage tank connected to the pressurized container, an inlet valve that can be opened and closed provided between the pressurized container and the drainage tank, and an outlet valve that can be opened and closed to drain the liquid within the drainage tank (see, for example, Patent Documents 3 and 4).

[0012] However, this structure cannot sufficiently suppress the pressure drop that accompanies the flow of liquid from the pressurized container to the drainage tank during the drainage operation, and when the amount of liquid is large, the drainage operation must be performed multiple times, which may result in a pressure drop inside the pressurized container. In addition, a method of pressurizing the drainage tank in advance to suppress the pressure drop has been adopted, but since the only liquid that moves to the drainage tank, which has the same pressure as the pressurized container, is due to its own weight, a method of more quickly draining the liquid from the pressurized container has been desired.

[0013] The present invention has been made with the aim of solving the above-mentioned unresolved problems, and has an object to provide a weather resistance testing device and a weather resistance testing method that are capable of suppressing a pressure drop inside a pressurized container when discharging water from the container under pressure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pressure vessel in which a sample is placed, a gas inlet pipe for introducing gas into the pressure vessel, a gas exhaust pipe for discharging the gas in the pressure vessel, a pressure vessel pressure adjustment unit for adjusting the air pressure in the pressure vessel to a predetermined air pressure, a gas exhaust regulator provided in the gas exhaust pipe for throttling down the amount of gas exhausted from the pressure vessel to the gas exhaust pipe, a liquid supply unit for supplying liquid into the pressure vessel, a drain tank connected to the pressure vessel, an inlet valve provided in a flow path connecting the pressure vessel and the drain tank and capable of opening and closing, and an openable and closable inlet valve for discharging the liquid in the drain tank. Provided is a weather resistance testing apparatus comprising: a drain valve; a drain tank inlet pipe for introducing gas into the drain tank; a drain tank exhaust pipe for discharging the gas in the drain tank; a drain tank exhaust valve provided in the drain tank exhaust pipe and capable of being opened and closed; a drain tank pressure adjustment unit for adjusting the air pressure in the drain tank to an air pressure at the time of drainage which is the same as or lower than the air pressure in the pressurized container by a predetermined pressure; and a drain control unit for controlling the gas exhaust regulator, the inlet valve, the drain tank exhaust valve, and the drain tank pressure adjustment unit to form a flow path through which the liquid and the gas in the pressurized container move simultaneously to the drain tank.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a weather resistance testing method having a drain tank connected to a pressurized container, in which a weather resistance test is performed by introducing a liquid and a gas into the pressurized container, the method comprising the steps of: placing a sample in the pressurized container; closing an inlet valve that is provided in a flow path connecting the pressurized container and the drain tank and that can be opened and closed before starting the weather resistance test; introducing gas into the pressurized container while discharging the gas from a gas exhaust pipe for discharging the gas in the pressurized container, thereby adjusting the air pressure in the pressurized container to a predetermined air pressure; supplying the liquid into the pressurized container; closing an exhaust valve for discharging the liquid in the drain tank, and adjusting the air pressure in the drain tank to the air pressure in the pressurized container; a step of adjusting the air pressure in the drain tank to the same air pressure or a predetermined pressure lower; a step of continuing adjustment to maintain the air pressure in the drain tank after the air pressure in the drain tank has reached the air pressure in the drain tank, switching the inlet valve to an open state and switching a drain tank exhaust valve for discharging gas in the drain tank to an open state, and further throttling the amount of gas discharged from the pressurized container to the gas exhaust pipe to move the liquid and the gas in the pressurized container to the drain tank simultaneously; a step of switching the inlet valve to a closed state after the liquid in the pressurized container has been moved to the drain tank; and a step of switching the inlet valve to a closed state after the inlet valve has been closed, and switching the exhaust valve to an open state. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to suppress fluctuations in air pressure within the pressurized container when discharging water from the pressurized container in a pressurized state. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of a weather resistance test apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a graph showing changes in air pressure inside a pressurized container. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of a modified example of a weather resistance test apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of a modified example of a weather resistance test apparatus. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the pressurized container. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the pressurized container. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the relationship between thickness and planar dimensions, the thickness ratio of each layer, etc., may differ from the actual ones. Therefore, the specific thickness and dimensions should be determined by taking into consideration the following explanation. In addition, the drawings may of course include parts in which the dimensional relationships and ratios differ from one another.

[0019] Furthermore, the embodiments described below are merely examples of devices and methods for embodying the technical ideas of the present invention, and the technical ideas of the present invention do not specify the materials, shapes, structures, arrangements, etc. of the components described below. The technical idea of ​​the present invention can be modified in various ways within the technical scope defined by the claims.

[0020] [Embodiment] [Weather resistance test equipment] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic example of the configuration of a weather resistance test apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the weather resistance test apparatus 1 includes a pressurizing device 2, a light irradiating device 3, a control unit (a drainage control unit) 4, and an input unit 5.

[0021] [Pressure Apparatus] The pressurizing device 2 comprises a pressurized container 11, a sample holding section 12, a gas inlet pipe 13, a humidity regulator 14, a gas exhaust pipe 15, a pressure regulator 16 (pressurized container pressure regulator), a water spray pipe 17 (liquid supply section), a water flow regulator 18, a drain pipe 19, a drainage mechanism 20, a temperature regulator 21, a liquid level gauge 22, a hygrometer 24, and a monitor section 26. In the weather resistance test apparatus 1, a sample S is held in a sample holder 12 provided in a pressurized container 11, and while a gas such as oxygen or nitrogen is introduced from a gas inlet tube 13, the inside of the pressurized container 11 is adjusted to a predetermined pressure higher than atmospheric pressure by a pressure regulator 16. Then, in this pressurized state, water is sprayed onto the sample S from the tip of a water spray tube 17 while light L simulating sunlight or the like is irradiated onto the sample S from a light irradiation device 3. Furthermore, the sample S is heated by a temperature regulator 21.

[0022] The temperature regulator 21 may cool the sample S as necessary. The humidity of the gas such as oxygen introduced from the gas introduction pipe 13 may be adjusted by the humidity regulator 14. The sample S is left in such an environment for a predetermined period of time, and a weather resistance test is performed to determine how long it takes for the sample S to deteriorate due to light and heat from the sun, moisture such as rain, oxygen in the air, and the like. The weather resistance test apparatus 1 may further include a housing (not shown) for preventing leakage of ultraviolet light in which the above-mentioned components are housed, and may be configured to prevent ultraviolet light and high-intensity light irradiated by the light irradiation device 3 from leaking out.

[0023] [Pressurized container] The pressurized container 11 is a pressurizable airtight container, and has a storage section 11a for storing the sample holder 12 and the like, and a lid 11b for closing the opening of the storage section 11a. The pressurized container 11 has, for example, a removable upper lid 11b, and when the sample S is placed, the lid 11b is removed from the storage section 11a and used. After the sample S is placed, the lid 11b is attached to the storage section 11a so that the inside is airtight, and for example, each circumferential portion is fastened and fixed with a bolt or the like. The material of the pressurized container 11 can be various materials as long as they have pressure resistance against the atmospheric pressure inside the pressurized container 11, and can be composed of, for example, SUS, aluminum alloy, iron, titanium alloy, tungsten alloy, etc.

[0024] A gas inlet pipe 13, a gas exhaust pipe 15, a water spray pipe 17, and a drain pipe 19 are connected to the storage section 11a, and the tip of each pipe is configured to be located inside the storage section 11a. This allows a predetermined test gas (oxygen, etc.) to be introduced into the pressurized container 11 from the gas inlet pipe 13, while unnecessary gas can be discharged from the gas exhaust pipe 15, and water can be sprayed onto the sample S from the water spray pipe 17, while unnecessary water can be discharged from the drain pipe 19. In the weather resistance test apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, the lid 11b is configured to be removable, so various pipes are connected together to the storage section 11a, but some of these pipes may be connected to the lid 11b.

[0025] An opening 11c is provided in the center of the cover 11b in an area facing the sample holder 12 (sample S). A quartz glass plate 11d (light transmitting portion) is airtightly fitted into this opening 11c. The quartz glass plate 11d is positioned to face the sample holder 12, and is configured to transmit the light L irradiated from the light irradiating device 3 without attenuation, so that the light L is irradiated directly onto the sample S.

[0026] The quartz glass plate 11d may be a light-transmitting member made of another material as long as the light L (particularly ultraviolet light) emitted from the light irradiation device 3 can be transmitted therethrough. The quartz glass plate 11d constitutes a part of the pressurized vessel 11, and therefore has a structure for maintaining the atmosphere and air pressure inside the pressurized vessel 11.

[0027] [Sample holder] The sample holder 12 is a member for holding a sample S used in a weather resistance test. The sample holder 12 is composed of, for example, a plate member 12a and a support member 12b for supporting the plate member 12a. The sample S is placed on the plate member 12a and is held thereon by being attached with aluminum tape or the like. The plate member 12a may be attached to the support member 12b so as to be horizontal, but may also be inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so that the water sprayed from the water spray tube 17 does not remain on the sample S. The plate member 12a may also have a built-in temperature regulator 21. The temperature regulator 21 may be configured to have a built-in heater and a cooling channel, and adjusts the temperature of the sample S by heating or cooling the sample S by feeding back the value of a thermocouple.

[0028] The temperature regulator 21 allows the sample S held in the sample holder 12 to be heated or cooled to a predetermined temperature to perform a weather resistance test. When the sample S is heated by the temperature regulator 21, the heating temperature is preferably equal to or higher than room temperature and equal to or lower than the decomposition temperature of the sample S. By heating to a temperature equal to or lower than the decomposition temperature, it is possible to adjust the balance between deterioration due to light, oxygen, humidity, and the like without promoting deterioration due to heat alone. Note that instead of or in combination with the temperature regulator 21, a gas temperature regulation mechanism for heating or cooling the gas introduced from the gas introduction tube 13 may be provided, or a temperature regulator may be provided in the pressurized container 11 to regulate the temperature of the container itself, or a combination of these may be used.

[0029] [Light irradiation device] The light irradiation device 3 is configured to include a light source 3a that irradiates light L, and an optical filter 3b that removes light of some wavelengths from the light from the light source 3a. The light source 3a may be any light source that irradiates light L that includes at least ultraviolet light, and may be, for example, a carbon arc used in weather resistance tests, a high-pressure mercury lamp, a xenon lamp, a metal halide, or the like, either alone or in combination of two different types of light sources. The light source 3a may be an LED light source or a laser light source. However, it is preferable to use xenon as the light source 3a, which has a wavelength closest to that of sunlight.

[0030] Moreover, the light irradiated from the light source 3a preferably includes light in the wavelength range of 290 nm to 390 nm, and preferably includes at least a part of the light in the wavelength range of 290 nm to 390 nm. The spectral shape of the light irradiated from the light source 3a is preferably close to the spectral shape of sunlight, and light with a wavelength shorter than 290 nm may be included, but it is preferable to cut it by the optical filter 3b. In addition, in the light L irradiated from the light source 3a, light with a wavelength longer than 390 nm does not directly cause deterioration of the sample S, but light with a wavelength in the infrared region in particular has an effect of heating the sample S, so it may be left. On the other hand, since the temperature of the sample S is adjusted by the above-mentioned temperature adjuster 21 or the like, infrared light with a wavelength longer than 390 nm may be cut by the optical filter 3b to eliminate the effect of heating by the light L.

[0031] The light irradiation device 3 is preferably configured to irradiate the light L from the light source 3a to the sample S as parallel light, but is not limited thereto. For example, the light L from the light source 3a may be configured to spread radially to some extent. In this case, it is preferable to consider the arrangement of the sample S so that the illuminance of the light L from the light irradiation device 3 is uniform on the sample S (so that the illuminance on each sample S is the same when multiple samples S are tested).

[0032] By configuring the light L from the light source 3a to be irradiated onto the sample S as parallel light, the light irradiated onto the sample S becomes more uniform, preventing strong light from being irradiated onto a portion of the sample S, and enabling a stable weather resistance test to be performed. When multiple samples are tested simultaneously, the irradiated light is parallel, eliminating unevenness in the illuminance of the light irradiated onto each sample S, and therefore eliminating the need to rearrange the samples S during the weather resistance test (for example, for 3 to 6 months) to even out uneven illuminance. This makes it possible to obtain more accurate weather resistance test results with less work.

[0033] In this case, the optical system may include at least one collimating lens. As described above, in this weather resistance test apparatus, the light irradiation device is disposed outside the pressure vessel, and there is no significant restriction on the size of the optical system for generating parallel light, so that a more optimal optical system can be used. The amount of light L emitted from the light irradiation device 3 may be greater than that of sunlight. For example, the amount of light emitted from the light source 3a with a wavelength of 365 nm is 15 mW / cm. 2 More than 60mW / cm 2 The "light amount" here is a value measured with a device that measures the light amount at a wavelength of 365 nm (for example, UIT-250 UVD-S365 receiver manufactured by Ushio Inc.), and is a wavelength distribution with a wavelength of 365 nm as the absolute calibration wavelength, for example, a value obtained by detecting the light amount in a sensitivity wavelength range of 310 nm to 390 nm.

[0034] [Gas introduction pipe] The gas introduction pipe 13 is a pipe for introducing gas from outside the pressurized vessel 11 into the pressurized vessel 11, and is a member for changing the atmosphere inside the pressurized vessel 11 and increasing the air pressure. The gas introduced into the pressurized vessel 11 from the gas introduction pipe 13 is introduced into the pressurized vessel 11 at a pressure at least equal to or higher than the pressure set by the pressure regulator 16. The gas introduced from the gas introduction pipe 13 may be, for example, oxygen gas, nitrogen gas, or a mixture of oxygen gas and nitrogen gas. The gas introduction pipe 13 may be provided with a mass flow controller (not shown) to adjust the flow rate of the gas introduced, and when two or more types of gas are introduced, a gas mixer (not shown) may be provided to switch or mix the gases introduced.

[0035] [Humidity regulator] The humidity regulator 14 is connected to, for example, the gas inlet pipe 13, and is a device that adjusts the humidity of the gas by bubbling the water in the humidity regulator 14 and humidifying or dehumidifying the gas introduced through the gas inlet pipe 13, for example. The humidity regulator 14 sets the humidity inside the pressurized container 11 to a predetermined range. The humidity regulator 14 may be controlled by a hygrometer 24 provided inside the pressurized container 11, with humidity information from the hygrometer 24 being monitored by a monitor unit 26, and the humidity regulator 14 may be controlled by the control unit 4 based on the monitored signal. Note that, although the humidity of the gas introduced is adjusted using the humidity regulator 14 here, the humidity of the gas may be adjusted by a humidifier instead of the humidity regulator 14.

[0036] [Gas exhaust pipe] The gas exhaust pipe 15 is a pipe for discharging the gas in the pressurized container 11. A gas exhaust amount regulator 31 and a pressure regulator 16 are attached to the gas exhaust pipe 15, and a gas exhaust junction pipe 32 is provided between the gas exhaust amount regulator 31 and the pressure regulator 16 to connect them. A drainage tank exhaust pipe (drainage tank exhaust pipe) 20g equipped with an exhaust bypass valve (drainage tank exhaust valve) 20h, which is connected to a drainage tank 20a described later, joins the gas exhaust junction pipe 32. The gas exhaust amount regulator 31 and the pressure regulator 16 maintain the air pressure in the pressurized container 11 at a set air pressure. When an air pressure sensor 23a described later detects that the air pressure in the pressurized container 11 has reached or exceeded the set air pressure, the pressure regulator 16 opens a valve in the pressure regulator 16 under the control of the control unit 4, and adjusts the air pressure in the pressurized container 11 to the set air pressure.

[0037] [Water spray pipe] The water spray pipe 17 is a member for spraying water onto the sample S placed in the pressure vessel 11 . The water spray pipe 17 sprays water at a flow rate after the flow rate of water supplied from outside the pressurized container 11 is adjusted by the water flow regulator 18 onto the sample S in the pressurized container 11. The water flow regulator 18 is a device that adjusts the amount of water sprayed from the water spray pipe 17 onto the sample S, and sets the amount of water to be sprayed according to the required amount of water notified from the control unit 4. A spray nozzle 17a is attached to the tip of the water spray pipe 17 in the pressurized container 11, and this spray nozzle 17a can spray water over the entire sample S (spray, mist, shower). It is also possible to adjust the force of the water sprayed from this spray nozzle 17a by adjusting the water flow regulator 18. The spray device consisting of the water spray pipe 17 and the water flow regulator 18 is a device that imitates rain in a real environment, and the water to be sprayed may be pure water, tap water, water with an adjusted pH to imitate acid rain, water containing metal ions, or a mixture of these, or hydrogen peroxide water, etc.

[0038] Although the case of spraying water onto the sample S has been described here, liquids other than water may also be used, and the present invention is not limited to spraying a liquid such as water onto the sample S, but can also be applied to cases such as pouring a liquid such as water onto the sample S, or supplying a liquid into the pressurized container 11 so that the liquid does not come into contact with the sample S. The drain pipe 19 is a member for discharging the water sprayed from the water spray pipe 17 inside the pressurized container 11 to the outside of the pressurized container 11. A drain mechanism 20 is attached to the drain pipe 19, and unnecessary water inside the pressurized container 11 is discharged by operating the drain mechanism 20.

[0039] [Drainage mechanism] The drain mechanism 20 includes a drain tank (drainage tank) 20a connected to the drain pipe 19, an inflow valve 20b provided on the inflow side of the drain tank 20a of the drain pipe 19 that can be opened and closed, and an exhaust valve 20c provided on the discharge side of the drain tank 20a of the drain pipe 19 that can be opened and closed. The inflow valve 20b and the exhaust valve 20c are normally closed during the weather resistance test and are controlled to maintain the air pressure and atmosphere (oxygen gas concentration, etc.) in the pressurized container 11. In addition, a check valve 20da is provided between the drain tank 20a and the inflow valve 20b in the drain pipe 9 to prevent the flow of water and gas toward the inflow valve 20b.

[0040] The gas introduction pipe (waste tank introduction pipe) 20i of the drain tank 20a is connected to the gas introduction pipe 13 or the gas supply unit 30 capable of supplying dry air via a drain tank pressure regulator (waste tank pressure regulator, drain tank introduction amount regulator) 20e and an openable drain tank gas supply valve 20f, and the air pressure in the drain tank 20a is controlled by the drain tank pressure regulator 20e to be the same as the air pressure in the pressurized container 11 or a predetermined pressure lower than the air pressure in the pressurized container 11. The "predetermined pressure" here means that the minimum operating pressure difference of the check valve 20da can be secured, and is set to a value of, for example, about 5 kPa to 30 kPa. Hereinafter, the air pressure that is the same as the air pressure in the pressurized container 11 or a predetermined pressure lower than the air pressure in the pressurized container 11 is referred to as the drain pressure.

[0041] An exhaust bypass valve 20h is provided in the drainage tank exhaust pipe 20g that connects the drainage tank 20a and the gas exhaust junction pipe 32, and this exhaust bypass valve 20h is normally closed during the weather resistance test and is controlled to maintain the air pressure and atmosphere inside the pressurized vessel 11. A check valve 20db is provided between the drainage tank 20a and the exhaust bypass valve 20h in the drainage tank exhaust pipe 20g to prevent gas from flowing in the direction of the drainage tank 20a.

[0042] The drain tank 20a may have a volume that matches the amount of water to be sprayed. The inlet valve 20b, the outlet valve 20c, and the exhaust bypass valve 20h are controlled by the control unit 4, and the inlet valve 20b and the exhaust bypass valve 20h are controlled to be open at a preset timing such as during water spraying by the water spray pipe 17 or when water spraying is completed, and at the same time, the gas exhaust regulator 31 controls the amount of gas flowing from the pressurized container 11 to the gas exhaust pipe 15 to be throttled. This causes a gas flow from the pressurized container 11 to the drain tank 20a and a gas flow from the drain tank 20a to the pressure regulator 16 through the drain tank exhaust pipe 20g, and the water in the pressurized container 11 is moved to the drain tank 20a by using this gas flow. The "preset timing" for controlling the inlet valve 20b and the exhaust bypass valve 20h to an open state refers to when water is being sprayed or when water spraying has ended. Specifically, the timing can be set to any timing, such as when the water level in the pressurized container 11 reaches or exceeds a specified value, or periodically while water is being sprayed, or when the user specifies that water should be discharged from the pressurized container 11.

[0043] When all the water in the pressurized container 11 has moved to the drain tank 20a, the inflow valve 20b and the exhaust bypass valve 20h are controlled to be in the closed state, and the gas exhaust regulator 31 is controlled to release the throttle state. On the other hand, after the water in the pressurized container 11 has moved to the drain tank 20a and the inflow valve 20b has been controlled to be in the closed state, the exhaust valve 20c is controlled to be in the open state, and the water stored in the drain tank 20a is discharged.

[0044] The gas exhaust regulator 31 is provided with a mechanism that will not close as a safety mechanism to prevent abnormal pressurization inside the pressurized vessel 11 when an abnormality occurs in the drain pipe 19 or the inflow valve 20b, preventing the inflow of water or gas.

[0045] [Liquid level gauge] The pressurized container 11 and the drainage tank 20a are provided with a level gauge 22a for detecting the water level in the pressurized container 11 and a level gauge 22b for detecting the water level in the drainage tank 20a, respectively, as level gauges 22 for detecting the water level in the containers (tanks). Information detected by the level gauges 22 (22a, 22b) is input to the control unit 4 via the monitor unit 26. In addition, the pressurized container 11 and the drainage tank 20a are provided with a pressure sensor 23a for detecting the air pressure in the pressurized container 11 and a pressure sensor 23b for detecting the air pressure in the drainage tank 20a, respectively, as air pressure sensors 23 for detecting the air pressure in the containers (tanks). Information detected by the air pressure sensors 23 (23a, 23b) is input to the control unit 4 via the monitor unit 26.

[0046] The pressurized vessel 11 is also provided with various sensors (not shown) that detect various conditions within the pressurized vessel 11, such as temperature (internal temperature or sample temperature), pressure, gas concentration, gas flow rate, etc., and information detected by the various sensors is input to the control unit 4. The monitor unit 26 receives measurement signals from the liquid level gauge 22 and the hygrometer 24, displays these measurement signals on a display device (not shown), and transmits each measurement signal to the control unit 4. A user of the weather resistance testing apparatus 1 can monitor the water levels in the pressurized vessel 11 and the drainage tank 20a, and the humidity within the pressurized vessel 11, by referring to the display on the monitor unit 26.

[0047] [Control Unit] The control unit 4 is a device that controls the overall operation of the weather resistance test apparatus 1, and is composed of, for example, a computer equipped with a CPU, etc. The control unit 4 is electrically connected to the input unit 5, a mass flow controller (not shown) provided in the gas introduction pipe 13, the humidity regulator 14, the pressure regulator 16, the water flow regulator 18, the inlet valve 20b, the exhaust valve 20c, the drain tank pressure regulator 20e, the drain tank gas supply valve 20f, the exhaust bypass valve 20h, the temperature regulator 21, and the gas exhaust regulator 31 via wiring, etc. The control unit 4 controls the operation of the mass flow controller of the gas inlet pipe 13, the humidity regulator 14, the pressure regulator 16, the water flow regulator 18, the inlet valve 20b, the drain tank gas supply valve 20f, the exhaust valve 20c, the drain tank pressure regulator 20e, the exhaust bypass valve 20h, the temperature regulator 21, and the gas exhaust regulator 31 based on the input information from the input unit 5, the detection information from the liquid level gauge 22, the air pressure sensor 23, and the hygrometer 24 via the monitor unit 26, the gas introduction flow rate from various sensors not shown, the air pressure, temperature, humidity, water level, etc. in the pressurized container 11. The sample S placed in the weather resistance test device 1 is placed in a predetermined environment by the control by the control unit 4. The control unit 4 is also electrically connected to the light irradiation device 3 placed outside the pressurized container 11 via wiring or the like, and controls the light amount, irradiation time, interval, etc. of the light L to be irradiated.

[0048] Specifically, the control by the control unit 4 controls the mass flow controller and pressure regulator 16 of the gas introduction pipe 13 to adjust the concentration of the gas introduced from the gas introduction pipe 13 and the air pressure in the pressurized container 11. For example, the gas introduced from the gas introduction pipe 13 may be pressurized so that the partial pressure of oxygen contained in the gas becomes higher than the partial pressure of oxygen in the atmosphere. The control unit 4 may also control the mass flow controller to mix the oxygen gas and nitrogen gas (inert gas) introduced through the gas introduction pipe 13 to a desired concentration. Furthermore, the control unit 4 may mix the oxygen gas and nitrogen gas (inert gas) introduced through the gas introduction pipe 13 to a desired concentration, and then pressurize the mixed gas introduced into the pressurized container 11 using a compression pump or the like.

[0049] In addition, in the control by the control unit 4, it is preferable that the air pressure inside the pressurized container 11 is adjusted by the pressure regulator 16 to 1 MPa or less in gauge pressure. The oxygen concentration of the gas introduced under pressure at this time is preferably 1% to 100% in terms of the oxygen concentration before pressurization. More preferably, it is 0.5 MPa or less in gauge pressure. The oxygen concentration of the gas introduced under pressure is preferably 4% to 100% in terms of the oxygen concentration before pressurization. By suppressing the air pressure in this way, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the pressurized container 11, and as a result, it is possible to reduce the size and weight of the pressurized container 11 and the weather resistance test apparatus 1.

[0050] The control unit 4 may also control the humidity regulator 14 to reproduce the weather resistance caused by the humidity in the actual environment. The control unit 4 adjusts the humidity of the introduced gas by the humidity regulator 14 based on the information of the humidity detected by a sensor (not shown). The weather resistance test device 1 may humidify to a certain extent, but the humidity in the pressurized container 11 is preferably 40% to 100%, and more preferably 50% to 100%. The control unit 4 controls the humidity regulator 14 so as to achieve such a humidity range. When performing an accelerated weather resistance test, it is preferable to select the oxygen concentration in the pressurized container 11 according to the amount of ultraviolet light irradiated from the light source 3a of the weather resistance test device 1, relative to the amount of oxygen required when the sample deteriorates due to the amount of ultraviolet light contained in sunlight in the actual environment. Furthermore, in order to promote the diffusion of oxygen into the inside of the sample S, the deterioration of the sample S can be promoted by increasing the air pressure in the pressurized container 11.

[0051] The control unit 4 also controls the water flow regulator 18 to control the start and stop of spraying water from the water spray pipe 17 and adjust the amount of water sprayed onto the sample S. Furthermore, by controlling the water flow regulator 18, when the water spray pipe 17 sprays water onto the sample S, the control unit 4 controls the drain tank gas supply valve 20f to an open state, operates the drain tank pressure regulator 20e, and controls the air pressure inside the drain tank 20a to a drain pressure that is the same as the air pressure inside the pressurized container 11 or a predetermined pressure lower, based on information from the air pressure sensor 23, by controlling the drain tank pressure regulator 20e to continue to control the drain tank pressure regulator 20e so as to maintain this drain pressure, controls the inlet valve 20b and the exhaust bypass valve 20h to an open state, and further controls the gas exhaust regulator 31 to a throttled state. When all the water in the pressurized container 11 has been moved to the drain tank 20a, the control unit 4 controls the inlet valve 20b and the exhaust bypass valve 20h to a closed state, releases the throttle state of the gas exhaust regulator 31, and controls the air pressure in the drain tank 20a to a predetermined air pressure by the drain tank pressure regulator 20e. This predetermined air pressure may be, for example, atmospheric pressure, or may be controlled to the air pressure at the time of drainage in preparation for the next time water is drained from the pressurized container 11, or may be any air pressure.

[0052] Furthermore, when the inlet valve 20b is switched to the closed state, the control unit 4 subsequently controls the outlet valve 20c to the open state, and when all the water stored in the drain tank 20a is drained, controls the outlet valve 20c to the closed state. The control unit 4 detects that all the water in the pressurized container 11 has moved to the drain tank 20a based on the detection value of a liquid level gauge 22a provided in the pressurized container 11, for example.

[0053] Then, when the air pressure inside the drainage tank 20a reaches, for example, atmospheric pressure, the drainage tank pressure regulator 20e is stopped from operating, and the drainage tank gas supply valve 20f is controlled to be in a closed state. Furthermore, the control unit 4 detects that all the water in the drain tank 20a has been drained based on the detection value of the liquid level gauge 22b provided in the drain tank 20a, for example. When the water level in the pressurized container 11 or the water level in the drain tank 20a exceeds a specified value based on the detection values ​​of the liquid level gauges 22a, 22b, the control unit 4 determines that an abnormality has occurred and controls the inlet valve 20b and the outlet valve 20c to drain the water in the pressurized container 11 or the drain tank 20a, and stops the supply of water from the water spray pipe 17, etc., in response to the occurrence of an abnormality.

[0054] [Weather resistance test method] Next, a weather resistance testing method using the weather resistance testing device 1 will be described. When a weather resistance test is performed, first, a sample S to be used in the weather resistance test is prepared. There may be one sample S or multiple samples S. The sample S may be a decorative sheet or a member made of various inorganic or organic materials, and is not particularly limited. When such a sample S is prepared, the lid 11b of the pressurized container 11 is removed, and the sample S is held by, for example, attaching it to the plate-like member 12a of the sample holding unit 12. Thereafter, the lid 11b is airtightly attached to the storage unit 11a and fixed with bolts or the like. This causes the pressurized container 11 containing the sample S to be sealed.

[0055] At this time, the inlet valve 20b, the exhaust bypass valve 20h, and the exhaust valve 20c are controlled to be in a closed state, and the gas exhaust regulator 31 is controlled to be in a non-throttled state. Next, under the control of the control unit 4, the air pressure is set by the pressure regulator 16, and a predetermined flow rate of gas (oxygen gas or nitrogen gas) is introduced into the pressurized container 11 from the gas introduction pipe 13 by a mass flow controller or the like under the control of the control unit 4. The concentration and pressure (partial pressure) of the introduced gas are controlled to be predetermined values.

[0056] Furthermore, water, the amount of which is adjusted by the control of the water flow rate regulator 18 by the control unit 4, is supplied to the sample S from the spray nozzle 17a of the water spray pipe 17 continuously or at a predetermined cycle. Furthermore, under the control of the control unit 4, the temperature regulator 21 adjusts the temperature and keeps the sample S at a predetermined temperature (e.g., 80°C). In this state, in the weather resistance test apparatus 1, under the control of the control unit 4, a predetermined light L is irradiated from the light irradiation device 3 into the pressurized container 11 through the quartz glass plate 11d, the sample S is irradiated, and a weather resistance test is performed.

[0057] In addition, when water is sprayed onto the sample S, the drainage mechanism 20 operates at a preset timing, for example, when the water level in the pressurized container 11 reaches a certain level, or periodically, and drains the water in the pressurized container 11 via the drainage tank 20a and out of the drainage tank 20a while continuing the weather resistance test.

[0058] Subsequently, the deterioration state of the sample S is tested by continuously performing the above-mentioned conditions of light irradiation, pressurization, temperature adjustment, and water supply. Such a test may be performed continuously for, for example, 3 to 6 months, or may be continued for 6 months or more, or for 1 year or more. Furthermore, light irradiation, water spraying, etc. may be repeated at a predetermined cycle while maintaining a predetermined pressurization and temperature adjustment. Such a test condition may be appropriately selected so as to be similar to a test in an actual environment.

[0059] The water inside the pressurized container 11 is discharged in the following procedure. First, the drain tank gas supply valve 20f is opened, and the drain tank pressure regulator 20e is operated to control the air pressure in the drain tank 20a to the same as the air pressure in the pressurized container 11 or to a drain pressure that is a predetermined pressure lower. When the air pressure in the drain tank 20a reaches the drain pressure, the inlet valve 20b and the exhaust bypass valve 20h are switched to an open state while the drain tank pressure regulator 20e is kept under control to maintain the drain pressure. At the same time, the gas exhaust regulator 31 is controlled to reduce the amount of gas flowing into the gas exhaust pipe 15.

[0060] By switching the inflow valve 20b to an open state, the water in the pressurized container 11 moves to the drain tank 20a. When all the water in the pressurized container 11 has moved to the drain tank 20a, the inflow valve 20b and the exhaust bypass valve 20h are switched to a closed state, the gas exhaust regulator 31 releases the throttle state, and then the inflow valve 20b is switched to a closed state, and the exhaust valve 20c is switched to an open state to drain the water in the drain tank 20a out of the drain tank 20a.

[0061] Here, by switching the inflow valve 20b and the exhaust bypass valve 20h to an open state and throttling the amount of gas flowing into the gas exhaust pipe 15 by the gas exhaust amount regulator 31, a flow path from the pressurized container 11 to the drainage tank 20a and a flow path from the drainage tank 20a through the drainage tank exhaust pipe 20g to the pressure regulator 16 are formed. At this time, by throttling the amount of gas flowing into the gas exhaust pipe 15, the amount of gas flowing into the pressure regulator 16 from the gas exhaust pipe 15 is reduced, but since the amount of gas input to the pressure regulator 16 equivalent to the reduction in the amount of gas input to the pressure regulator 16 is supplied from the drainage tank exhaust pipe 20g to the pressure regulator 16, the amount of gas flowing into the pressure regulator 16 remains the same, and the pressure inside the pressurized container 11 is maintained at a predetermined pressure.

[0062] In addition, a flow path from the pressurized container 11 to the drain tank 20a and a flow path from the drain tank 20a through the drain tank exhaust pipe 20g to the pressure regulator 16 are formed, forming a flow path from the pressurized container 11 to the drain tank 20a, the drain tank exhaust pipe 20g, and exhausted from the pressure regulator 16, and the gas in the pressurized container 11 moves through this flow path. Therefore, in the flow path from the pressurized container 11 to the drain tank 20a, the water in the pressurized container 11 flows toward the drain tank 20a together with the gas in the pressurized container 11. The flow of gas from the pressurized container 11 to the drain tank 20a is a flow that promotes the movement of the water in the pressurized container 11 to the drain tank 20a, and the water in the pressurized container 11 moves to the drain tank 20a by its own weight, and is promoted by the flow of gas to move to the drain tank 20a.

[0063] As a result, the water in the pressurized container 11 moves to the drain tank 20a more quickly than when it moves only by its own weight. Since the time required for the water in the pressurized container 11 to move to the drain tank 20a is shortened, the time for the air pressure in the pressurized container 11 to drop as the water in the pressurized container 11 moves can be shortened, and the degree of drop in the air pressure in the pressurized container 11 can be reduced. In addition, since the inlet valve 20b is switched to the open state when the air pressure in the drain tank 20a is the same as the air pressure in the pressurized container 11 or is a drain pressure that is lower by a predetermined pressure, the fluctuation rate (drop rate) of the air pressure in the pressurized container 11 caused by switching the inlet valve 20b to the open state can be suppressed, and therefore the drop in the air pressure in the pressurized container 11 caused by the discharge of the water in the pressurized container 11 can be suppressed, thereby suppressing the decrease in the reliability of the weather resistance test and enabling a weather resistance test that is more in line with the actual environment to be performed.

[0064] FIG. 2(a) shows the change in air pressure in the pressurized container 11 and the drainage tank 20a before and after the inlet valve 20b is switched to an open state when water in the pressurized container 11 is moved to the drainage tank 20a. 2(a), when water in the pressurized container 11 is moved to the drainage tank 20a during a weather resistance test, the drainage tank pressure regulator 20e is operated at time t1, and the air pressure in the drainage tank 20a rises from atmospheric pressure. At this time, the inlet valve 20b is closed, so the pressure in the pressurized container 11 is maintained at a predetermined air pressure P.

[0065] At time t2, when the air pressure in the drain tank 20a reaches a drainage air pressure that is the same as or a predetermined pressure lower than the air pressure in the pressurized container 11, the inlet valve 20b and the exhaust bypass valve 20h are switched to an open state, and the gas exhaust regulator 31 is switched to a throttling state, the water in the pressurized container 11 moves to the drain tank 20a. At this time, the air pressure in the pressurized container 11 and the air pressure in the drain tank 20a are approximately the same, so even if the inlet valve 20b is switched to an open state at time t2, the air pressure in the pressurized container 11 maintains approximately the predetermined air pressure P.

[0066] Then, when the movement of the water in the pressurized container 11 to the drainage tank 20a is completed and the inlet valve 20b and the exhaust bypass valve 20h are switched to the closed state at time t3, the predetermined air pressure P is maintained inside the pressurized container 11, and the water in the drainage tank 20a is drained by switching the exhaust valve 20c to the open state. Furthermore, the air pressure in the drainage tank 20a is controlled to be atmospheric pressure by the drainage tank pressure regulator 20e, so that the air pressure in the drainage tank 20a drops to atmospheric pressure.

[0067] In other words, even if the water in the pressurized container 11 is moved to the drainage tank 20a, the air pressure in the pressurized container 11 is maintained at approximately the predetermined air pressure P, as shown in FIG. 2(a), and it can be seen that there is almost no change in the air pressure in the pressurized container 11. FIG. 2(b) shows the change in air pressure inside the pressurized container 11 when the water in the pressurized container 11 is moved to the drainage tank 20a using a weather resistance testing device (such as the weather resistance testing device described in Patent Documents 3 and 4) that does not have the function of adjusting the air pressure inside the drainage tank 20a to the same air pressure as the air pressure inside the pressurized container 11 or to a drainage air pressure that is a predetermined pressure lower.

[0068] In this case, while the exhaust valve 20c is closed, the air pressure inside the pressurized container 11 is maintained at a predetermined air pressure P, and the air pressure inside the drainage tank 20a is maintained at atmospheric pressure. Then, when the exhaust valve 20c is switched to an open state at time t11, the air pressure inside the drainage tank 20a is atmospheric pressure, which is lower than the air pressure inside the pressurized container 11, so the air pressure inside the drainage tank 20a rises and, conversely, the air pressure inside the pressurized container 11 falls.

[0069] Then, when the drain valve 20c is switched to the closed state at time t12, the air pressure inside the pressurized container 11 rises again and is maintained at the predetermined air pressure P. Meanwhile, in the drainage tank 20a, the water inside the drainage tank 20a is drained by opening the drain valve 20c, and the air pressure inside the drainage tank 20a drops accordingly. In other words, the air pressure inside the pressurized container 11 temporarily drops when the water inside the pressurized container 11 is drained.

[0070] In addition, deterioration of a sample in a real environment is not only caused by light, but also by rain and moisture (humidity) contained in the atmosphere. Water that adheres to the surface of a sample due to rain or humidity diffuses from the surface of the sample into the inside of the sample, and the sample deteriorates due to hydrolysis or the like. In the weather resistance test device 1, the amount of water spray and the humidity in the pressurized container 11 can be selected in order to promote deterioration due to water, similar to the relationship between the amount of light from the light source 3a and oxygen. Furthermore, the inside of the pressurized container 11 is pressurized to promote the diffusion of water into the inside of the sample. Also, the temperature of the sample S can be changed in order to further promote the reaction between the sample deteriorated by light irradiation and oxygen, and the hydrolysis reaction by water. The temperature of the sample S may be adjusted based on the amount of light from the light irradiation device 3. In the weather resistance testing device 1, by appropriately selecting the amount of light, oxygen concentration, pressure (atmospheric pressure), water, humidity, and temperature, degradation due to light and degradation due to water proceed in a balanced manner, and it becomes possible to obtain weather resistance test results in a short period of time that are similar to those obtained over a long period of time in an actual environment, without suffering from adverse effects such as being strongly affected only by light.

[0071] 〔effect〕 As described above, in the weather resistance test apparatus 1, the light irradiation device 3 having the light source 3a is arranged outside the pressurized container 11, and is configured to irradiate light L onto the sample S in the pressurized container 11 from outside the pressurized container 11. In this case, since the light irradiation device 3 is outside the pressurized container 11, the light irradiation device 3 will not be damaged by a high-pressure atmosphere, etc., and even if it is damaged for some reason, the air pressure inside the pressurized container 11 will not be suddenly increased, and the impact on the pressurized container 11 will be reduced.

[0072] As a result, according to this weathering test apparatus 1, by using the pressurized container 11, it is possible to promote the weathering test while improving safety. In addition, according to the weather resistance test apparatus 1, since the light irradiation device 3 is disposed outside the pressurized container 11, it is not necessary to make the pressurized container 11, which requires high safety standards, larger than necessary, and the apparatus can be made using a smaller pressurized container 11. This also improves safety. Furthermore, by disposing the light irradiation device 3 outside the pressurized container 11, it becomes easier to perform optical design in the light irradiation device 3, such as increasing the amount of light L to be irradiated, making it easier to select the wavelength of the light L to be irradiated, or reducing unevenness in the illuminance of the light irradiated to the sample S, so that it is possible to approach a test in a real environment (especially in terms of optical aspects) or to promote the test in a state close to the real environment, and it becomes possible to promote the weather resistance test while reproducing the test results in the real environment.

[0073] Furthermore, in the weather resistance test apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, when the sample S is sprayed with water, the water in the pressurized container 11 is moved to the drain tank 20a after the spraying is completed. Here, in the weather resistance test apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1, water is sprayed onto the sample S during the weather resistance test, and when the water in the pressurized container 11 is discharged, a flow path from the pressurized container 11 to the drainage tank 20a and a flow path from the drainage tank 20a through the drainage tank exhaust pipe 20g to the pressure regulator 16 are generated, and the water is moved to the drainage tank 20a by this flow. As a result, when moving water from the pressurized container 11 to the drainage tank 20a, the water in the pressurized container 11 can be discharged while eliminating a drop in air pressure in the pressurized container 11. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the reproducibility of the actual environment due to a decrease in air pressure in the pressurized container 11 during the weather resistance test, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in the reliability of the weather resistance test.

[0074] In the weather resistance test apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the light source 3a has an output of 15 mW / cm 2 More than 60mW / cm 2It is preferable that the xenon lamp has a light output of 10 ...

[0075] In addition, in the weather resistance test apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, it is preferable that the light L from the light source 3a contains at least ultraviolet light. In this case, the irradiated light contains ultraviolet light, which is contained in sunlight and is likely to affect the deterioration of materials, etc., and it becomes possible to easily obtain test results that reproduce tests under real environments. In the weather resistance test apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the light irradiation device 3 may further include an optical filter 3b that removes at least one of ultraviolet rays and infrared rays having a wavelength of 290 nm or less from the light from the light source 3a. Since the amount of ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 290 nm or less contained in sunlight is small, by using the optical filter 3b that removes ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 290 nm or less, it becomes possible to easily obtain test results that reproduce tests under real environments. In addition, if the light irradiated to the sample contains infrared rays, the sample will be heated by the infrared rays. However, by using an optical filter that removes infrared rays, such as when a separate temperature regulator 21 that is easy to control is provided, it becomes possible to perform tests with reduced effects of infrared rays, and it becomes possible to perform weather resistance tests under more desired test conditions.

[0076] The weathering test apparatus 1 according to this embodiment further includes a gas introduction pipe 13 for introducing a gas containing oxygen gas into the pressurized container 11, a pressure regulator 16 for adjusting the air pressure in the pressurized container 11, a humidity regulator 14 for adjusting the humidity of the gas, a water spray pipe 17 for spraying a liquid on the sample S in the pressurized container 11, a temperature regulator 21 for adjusting the temperature of the sample S, various sensors and a liquid level gauge 22 for detecting the amount of gas introduced, the air pressure, the humidity of the gas, the temperature of the sample, and the like, and a control unit 4 for controlling the gas introduction pipe 13, the pressure regulator 16, the humidity regulator 14, the water spray pipe 17, and the temperature regulator 21 based on the detection values ​​of these sensors. This makes it possible to carry out a weathering test for evaluating the deterioration of the sample S due to heat, water (rain), and oxygen more specifically, and also makes it possible to accelerate the weathering test by applying pressure. In other words, the above-mentioned configuration accelerates the deterioration of the sample S due to oxygen, and allows the deterioration due to light irradiation and the deterioration due to oxygen, water (rain), temperature, etc. to progress in a balanced manner, making it possible to reproduce in a shorter time test results similar to those of a weather resistance test conducted over a long period of time in an actual environment.

[0077] Furthermore, in the weather resistance test apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the control unit 4 may control the mass flow controller of the gas inlet pipe 13 so that the concentration of oxygen gas introduced from the gas inlet pipe 13 relative to the total gas is 20% or more. In this case, it is possible to obtain weather resistance test results that are closer to those under actual conditions. Furthermore, in the weather resistance test apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the control unit 4 may control the mass flow controller and pressure regulator 16 of the gas inlet pipe 13 so that the oxygen partial pressure of the oxygen gas introduced from the gas inlet pipe 13 is 0.2 MPa or more and 0.9 MPa or less. In this case, it is possible to further promote deterioration due to oxygen, and further promote weather resistance testing that is closer to an actual environment. Note that the "oxygen partial pressure" used here is the value of the oxygen partial pressure inside the apparatus when the atmospheric pressure is set to 0 MPa.

[0078] [Modifications] In the weather resistance test apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the gas in the drainage tank 20a is discharged from the pressure regulator 16 via the drainage tank exhaust pipe 20g, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, a pressure regulator 16a having the same function as the pressure regulator 16 may be provided separately, and the drain tank 20a and the pressure regulator 16a may be directly connected by a drain tank exhaust pipe 20g, so that the amount of gas discharged from the drain tank 20a may be controlled by the pressure regulator 16a. In this case, the air pressure in the drain tank 20a may be controlled by the drain tank pressure regulator 20e and the pressure regulator 16a, or the air pressure in the drain tank 20a may be controlled by controlling the amount of gas discharged only by the pressure regulator 16a without providing the drain tank pressure regulator 20e.

[0079] In addition, in the weather resistance test apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, a case has been described in which the weather resistance test apparatus 1 is configured to reproduce deterioration due to sunlight. However, as shown in FIG. 4, it is also possible to use the weather resistance test apparatus 1 as a pressurizing device 2 that reproduces deterioration of the sample S due to heat, water (rain), and oxygen without providing the light irradiation device 3 and without reproducing deterioration due to sunlight. 4, a pressurizing device 2, a control unit 4, and an input unit 5 are provided. Since the pressurizing device 2 does not have a light irradiation device 3, the quartz glass plate 11d does not have to be provided on the lid 11b' of the pressurizing container 11 in the pressurizing device 2. In addition, the pressurizing device 2 does not have to be housed in a housing or the like for preventing leakage of ultraviolet light.

[0080] In this way, even with the pressurizing device 2 that does not reproduce deterioration due to sunlight, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those of this embodiment. Although the weathering test apparatus according to the present embodiment has been described above, the weathering test apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be applied. As described above, the weathering test apparatus 1 according to the present invention is designed to eliminate changes in the pressurized container 11 caused by draining the water accumulated in the pressurized container 11, so it is preferable to shorten the time required to drain the water in the pressurized container 11.

[0081] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the inside bottom surface of the storage section 11a may be made spherical, and a drain pipe 19 may be attached to the lowest position of the inner bottom surface of the sphere. With this configuration, by opening the inlet valve 20b attached to the drain pipe 19, the water accumulated in the spherical portion of the pressurized vessel 11 can be quickly transferred to the drain tank 20a.

[0082] When the drain pipe 19 is provided at the bottom of the sphere, the position of the sample holder 12 may be shifted as shown in Fig. 5(b), and in that case, the inclination angle of the plate-shaped member 12a with respect to the quartz glass plate 11d may be adjusted so that the plate-shaped member 12a and the quartz glass plate 11d are closer to parallel to each other, so that the light L is sufficiently irradiated onto the sample S. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 5(c), the angle of the plate-shaped member 12a with respect to the quartz glass plate 11d may be maintained, and the support member 12b may be tilted to allow the light L to be sufficiently irradiated onto the sample S.

[0083] Also, as shown in Figures 5(a) to (c), the inside of the storage section 11a may be spherical, and as shown in Figure 5(d), the inside of the lid 11b may also be spherical with a convex shape on the outside. By doing so, pressure is dispersed, so the thickness of the lid 11b can be made thinner, and the weight can be reduced. This improves the operability of the lid 11b. Also, the inside of the storage section 11a may be formed to have a slope that is inclined in one direction, as shown in the cross-sectional view of Fig. 6(a). In this case, a drain pipe 19 may be provided at the lowest part of the slope inside the storage section 11a.

[0084] Furthermore, the inside of the storage section 11a may be formed in a mortar shape as shown in Fig. 6(b), and a drain pipe 19 may be provided at the bottom of the mortar, and in this case, the position of the sample holder 12 may be shifted as shown in Fig. 6(c). Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 6(d), the bottom of the mortar may be shifted from the center of the storage section 11a when viewed from above. Furthermore, the inclination of the plate-like member 12a may be left as it is, and the main body of the pressurized vessel 11 may be tilted to improve the drainage performance.

[0085] 6(a) to (d), the inside of the lid 11b may be formed into an outwardly convex spherical shape as shown in FIG. 5(d). Although the weather resistance test apparatus according to the present embodiment has been described above, the weather resistance test apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be applied. EXAMPLES

[0086] The following describes an embodiment of the present invention. 1, the pressure vessel 11 and the drainage tank 20a were connected via the inlet valve 20b. When the inlet valve 20b was closed and water was being sprayed, the drainage mechanism 20 was operated to observe the state of the drop in air pressure in the pressure vessel 11 when the water in the pressure vessel 11 was drained. The volume of the pressure vessel 11 was 60 (L), the pressure in the pressure vessel 11 was at an absolute pressure of 0.4 (MPa) and gas was introduced into the pressure vessel 11 at 0.4 L / min, and the drainage tank 20a was at an absolute pressure of 0.4 (MPa) by introducing dry air into it. The exhaust bypass valve 20h was controlled to a closed state to spray water. During the water spraying, the inlet valve 20b and the exhaust bypass valve 20h were opened, the gas exhaust regulator 31 was throttled, and the force of the gas flow from the pressurized container 11 to the drainage tank 20a and the gas flow from the drainage tank 20a to the pressure regulator 16 was used to move the sprayed water from the pressurized container 11 to the drainage tank 20a. After the water spraying was stopped, the inlet valve 20b and the exhaust bypass valve 20h were closed, the throttled state of the gas exhaust regulator 31 was released, and the exhaust valve 20c was opened to discharge the water in the drainage tank 20a to the outside. After it was detected that all the water in the drainage tank 20a had been discharged, the exhaust valve 20c was closed, the drainage tank gas supply valve 20f was opened, and the drainage tank pressure regulator 20e was used to pressurize the air pressure in the drainage tank 20a to an absolute pressure of 0.5 (MPa), and an operation was performed to prepare for the next drainage.

[0087] During the series of operations related to water spraying and drainage, the air pressure inside the pressurized container 11 was maintained at an absolute pressure of 0.5 (MPa), and even during drainage, the water inside the pressurized container 11 could be discharged without a drop in air pressure. Table 1 compares the equilibrium pressure 1 in the pressurized container when the drainage operation is performed using the weather resistance test apparatus described in Patent Documents 3 and 4, and the equilibrium pressure 2 in the pressurized container when the drainage operation is performed using the weather resistance test apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. From Table 1, it can be seen that even when the capacity of the drainage tank is different, the equilibrium pressure 2 is able to drain without causing a drop in pressure from the initial pressure P0 of the pressurized container. The initial pressure P0 of the pressurized container is 0.4 MPa (absolute pressure). Gas was introduced into the pressurized container 11 at 0.4 L / min.

[0088] [Table 1] [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1 Weather resistance test equipment 2. Pressure device 3 Light irradiation device 3a light source 3b Optical Filter 4. Control Unit 5 Input section 11 Pressurized vessels 11a Storage area 11b Lid 11c aperture 11d Quartz glass plate 12 Sample holder 13 Gas inlet pipe 14 Humidity regulator 15 Gas exhaust pipe 16 Pressure Regulator 17 Water spray pipe (liquid supply part) 17a Spray nozzle 18 Water flow regulator 19 Drain pipe 20 Drainage mechanism 20a Drainage tank 20b Inlet valve 20c Exhaust valve 20da check valve 20db check valve 20e Drain tank pressure regulator 20f Drain tank gas supply valve 20g Drain tank exhaust pipe 20h Exhaust bypass valve 20i Gas introduction pipe 21 Temperature regulator 22, 22a, 22b Level gauge 23, 23a, 23b Barometric pressure sensor 24 Hygrometer 26 Monitor section 30 Gas supply section 31 Gas exhaust regulator 32 Gas exhaust junction pipe

Claims

1. a pressurized vessel within which the sample is placed; a gas introduction pipe for introducing a gas into the pressurized container; a gas exhaust pipe for exhausting the gas in the pressurized container; a pressure adjusting unit for adjusting the pressure in the pressure container to a predetermined pressure; a gas exhaust regulator that is provided in the gas exhaust pipe and that throttles down the amount of gas exhausted from the pressurized container to the gas exhaust pipe; A liquid supply unit that supplies liquid into the pressurized container; a drainage tank connected to the pressurized container; an inlet valve that is provided in a flow path connecting the pressurized container and the drainage tank and that can be opened and closed; an openable and closable drain valve for draining liquid from the drain tank; a drainage tank introduction pipe for introducing gas into the drainage tank; a drainage tank exhaust pipe for discharging gas from within the drainage tank; a drainage tank exhaust valve that is provided in the drainage tank exhaust pipe and can be opened and closed; a drainage tank pressure adjustment unit that adjusts the air pressure in the drainage tank to an air pressure during drainage that is equal to or lower than the air pressure in the pressurized container by a predetermined pressure; a drainage control unit that controls the gas exhaust regulator, the inlet valve, the drainage tank exhaust valve, and the drainage tank pressure adjustment unit to form a flow path through which the liquid and the gas in the pressurized container move simultaneously to the drainage tank; A weather resistance testing apparatus comprising:

2. The pressure adjusting unit is provided in the gas exhaust pipe, The drainage tank pressure adjustment unit is a waste liquid tank introduction amount adjustment unit that adjusts an introduction amount of gas introduced from the waste liquid tank introduction pipe into the waste liquid tank to adjust the air pressure in the waste liquid tank to the air pressure at the time of draining, 2. The weather resistance testing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drain tank exhaust pipe is connected to the pressure adjusting section of the pressurized container.

3. A weather resistance testing method comprising: a drain tank connected to a pressurized container; introducing a liquid and a gas into the pressurized container to perform a weather resistance test; placing a sample in the pressurized vessel; a step of closing an inlet valve that is provided in a flow path connecting the pressurized container and the drainage tank and that can be opened and closed before starting the weather resistance test; a step of discharging the gas from a gas exhaust pipe for discharging the gas from the pressurized container while introducing the gas into the pressurized container, thereby adjusting the air pressure in the pressurized container to a predetermined air pressure; providing the liquid into the pressurized vessel; a step of closing a drain valve for draining the liquid in the drain tank and adjusting the air pressure in the drain tank to an air pressure during drainage, which is the same as or lower than the air pressure in the pressurized container by a predetermined pressure; a step of switching the inlet valve to an open state and switching a drain tank exhaust valve for discharging gas from the drain tank to an open state while continuing adjustment so as to maintain the drain pressure after the air pressure in the drain tank has reached the drain pressure, and further throttling the amount of gas discharged from the pressurized container to the gas exhaust pipe, thereby simultaneously moving the liquid and the gas in the pressurized container to the drain tank; switching the inlet valve to a closed state after transferring the liquid in the pressurized container to the drain tank; switching the inlet valve to a closed state and then switching the outlet valve to an open state; A weather resistance testing method comprising the steps of:

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