Vacuum Outgassing Test Stand

A test stand that measured the outgassing rate of various materials.

I designed the test stand structure and put together the vacuum pump system (valves, piping, flanges, etc). The test stand was designed to have a separate chamber where the material being tested was placed. The system was also designed to complete tests using a Raspberry Pi.

A project completed while working in the Vacuum Group at TRIUMF, Canada's Particle Accelerator Centre.

The main chamber was pumped down to high vacuum and a base gas measurement was taken. The valve to the separate smaller chamber, where the material sits, was then opened and the entire system is pumped down again. The measurement after the second pump down is used to compare with the base reading (plus compensation values obtained earlier for the second chamber volume).

Using this basic method and test stand set-up, the vacuum outgassing rates for aluminum, rubber, and certain ceramics was found. The outgassing values could then be used in calculations for future vacuum design considerations.