Climatic chamber having thermal regulation for motion simulator, and method for thermal regulation, and installation kit

Abstract

In a thermally regulated climate chamber for testing equipment, a thermoelectric unit is arranged through the wall of the climate chamber, each thermoelectric unit having two faces, an internal face inside the climate chamber and an external face outside the climate chamber, wherein a heat exchange end for an external face of a thermoelectric unit of a secondary thermal regulation circuit is placed in thermal contact with each external face of thermoelectric unit, the secondary thermal regulation circuit being external to the climate chamber and including a heat-transfer fluid circuit, a cold source, a hot source, a mixing device, a circulation pump and sensors. A chamber temperature regulation system controls the electric current of the thermoelectric unit and to control at least the mixing device and the circulation pump of the secondary thermal regulation circuit as a function of a chamber temperature setpoint and of sensor measurements.

1 . A thermally regulated climate chamber intended to test at least one piece of equipment, the climate chamber having a wall defining an internal space containing a gas and able to receive and contain said at least one piece of equipment to be tested, the internal space being thermally insulated from the environment outside the climate chamber,
 wherein at least one thermoelectric unit is arranged through the wall of the climate chamber, each thermoelectric unit having two faces, an internal face located inside the climate chamber and an external face located outside the climate chamber, and wherein one of both faces, called the cold face, is intended to absorb caloric energy and the other one, called the hot face, is intended to reject caloric energy as a function of the electric current passing through said at least one thermoelectric unit,   wherein a heat exchange end for an external face of a thermoelectric unit of a secondary thermal regulation circuit is placed in thermal contact with each external face of thermoelectric unit in order to exchange caloric energy between said at least one thermoelectric unit and said secondary thermal regulation circuit, the secondary thermal regulation circuit being external to the climate chamber and including a heat-transfer fluid circuit, a cold source, a hot source, a mixing device, a circulation pump and sensors, and   wherein a chamber temperature regulation system is configured to control the electric current of said at least one thermoelectric unit and to control at least the mixing device and the circulation pump of the secondary thermal regulation circuit as a function of a chamber temperature setpoint and of sensor measurements.   
     
     
         2 . The climate chamber according to  claim 1 , wherein the climate chamber is attached to a movable support of a motion simulator and the movable support can be set in motion by means of joints of said motion simulator. 
     
     
         3 . The climate chamber according to  claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the hot source is adjustable and the chamber temperature regulation system further adjusts the temperature of the hot source. 
     
     
         4 . The climate chamber according to  claim 1 , wherein the chamber temperature regulation system is configured to regulate the temperature of the external face as a function of the chamber temperature setpoint and in such a way that the polarity of the current circulating in said at least one thermoelectric unit is constant, the internal face being a cold face absorbing caloric energy coming from the inside of the climate chamber. 
     
     
         5 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The climate chamber according to  claim 3 , wherein the chamber temperature regulation system is configured to regulate the temperature of the external face as a function of the chamber temperature setpoint and in such a way that the polarity of the current circulating in said at least one thermoelectric unit is constant, the internal face being a cold face absorbing caloric energy coming from the inside of the climate chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The climate chamber according to  claim 1 , wherein the chamber temperature regulation system is configured to ensure a continuous flow of the heat-transfer fluid in the heat exchange end for an external face of a thermoelectric unit of the secondary thermal regulation circuit. 
     
     
         14 . The climate chamber according to  claim 3 , wherein the chamber temperature regulation system is configured to ensure a continuous flow of the heat-transfer fluid in the heat exchange end for an external face of a thermoelectric unit of the secondary thermal regulation circuit. 
     
     
         15 . The climate chamber according to  claim 4 , wherein the chamber temperature regulation system is configured to ensure a continuous flow of the heat-transfer fluid in the heat exchange end for an external face of a thermoelectric unit of the secondary thermal regulation circuit. 
     
     
         16 . The climate chamber according to  claim 12 , wherein the chamber temperature regulation system is configured to ensure a continuous flow of the heat-transfer fluid in the heat exchange end for an external face of a thermoelectric unit of the secondary thermal regulation circuit. 
     
     
         17 . The climate chamber according to  claim 1 , wherein the chamber temperature regulation system is configured to control the heat-transfer fluid flow while avoiding a high-temperature cavitation of the heat-transfer fluid that would be due to a too high speed of the heat-transfer fluid. 
     
     
         18 . The climate chamber according to  claim 13 , wherein the chamber temperature regulation system is configured to control the heat-transfer fluid flow while avoiding a high-temperature cavitation of the heat-transfer fluid that would be due to a too high speed of the heat-transfer fluid. 
     
     
         19 . The climate chamber according to  claim 16 , wherein the chamber temperature regulation system is configured to control the heat-transfer fluid flow while avoiding a high-temperature cavitation of the heat-transfer fluid that would be due to a too high speed of the heat-transfer fluid. 
     
     
         20 . The climate chamber according to  claim 1 , including at least two thermoelectric units through the climate chamber and the thermoelectric units are electrically connected in parallel. 
     
     
         21 . The climate chamber according to  claim 1 , wherein the chamber temperature regulation system includes at least two regulation loops, said at least two regulation loops being a main regulation loop controlling the electric current of said at least one thermoelectric unit and at least one secondary regulation loop controlling the secondary thermal regulation circuit. 
     
     
         22 . The climate chamber according to  claim 12 , wherein the chamber temperature regulation system includes at least two regulation loops, said at least two regulation loops being a main regulation loop controlling the electric current of said at least one thermoelectric unit and at least one secondary regulation loop controlling the secondary thermal regulation circuit. 
     
     
         23 . The climate chamber according to  claim 19 , wherein the chamber temperature regulation system includes at least two regulation loops, said at least two regulation loops being a main regulation loop controlling the electric current of said at least one thermoelectric unit and at least one secondary regulation loop controlling the secondary thermal regulation circuit. 
     
     
         24 . The climate chamber according to  claim 21 , wherein the secondary regulation loop controlling the secondary thermal regulation circuit includes a hot and cold sharing regulation loop and a flow rate regulation loop. 
     
     
         25 . The climate chamber according to  claim 23 , wherein the secondary regulation loop controlling the secondary thermal regulation circuit includes a hot and cold sharing regulation loop and a flow rate regulation loop. 
     
     
         26 . A method for thermal regulation of a climate chamber intended to test at least one piece of equipment, wherein a climate chamber with thermoelectric unit according to  claim 1  is implemented, the climate chamber being attached to a movable support of a motion simulator and the movable support being able to be set in motion by means of joints of said motion simulator, and wherein a secondary thermal regulation circuit including a heat exchange end for an external face of a thermoelectric unit is further implemented, the heat exchange end is arranged against the external face of the thermoelectric unit, the rest of the secondary thermal regulation circuit being arranged out of movable parts of the motion simulator and being connected to the heat exchange end by movable fluid seals passing through the joints of the motion simulator. 
     
     
         27 . A kit for installing a thermally regulated climate chamber in a motion simulator, the climate chamber being intended to test at least one piece of equipment, the motion simulator including a movable support set in motion by means of joints of said motion simulator, said kit including:
 a climate chamber including a wall defining an internal space able to receive and contain said at least one piece of equipment to be tested, the internal space being able to contain a gas and being thermally insulated from the environment outside the climate chamber, the climate chamber including means for attachment to the movable support, the chamber further including at least one thermoelectric unit, said at least one thermoelectric unit being arranged through the wall of the climate chamber, each thermoelectric unit having two faces, an internal face located inside the climate chamber and an external face outside the climate chamber, and wherein one of both faces, called the cold face, is intended to absorb caloric energy and the other one, called the hot face, is intended to reject caloric energy as a function of the electric current passing through said at least one thermoelectric unit,   a secondary thermal regulation circuit including a heat-transfer fluid circuit, means for connection to a cold source, a hot source, a mixing device, a circulation pump and sensors, the heat-transfer fluid circuit having a heat exchange end for an external face of a thermoelectric unit intended to come into thermal contact with an external face of thermoelectric unit in order to exchange caloric energy between said at least one thermoelectric unit and said secondary thermal regulation circuit,   movable fluid seals intended to be installed in joints of the motion simulator to allow the circulation of the heat-transfer fluid of the secondary thermal regulation circuit between the heat exchange end that is intended to be installed in the motion simulator against the external face of the thermoelectric unit and the rest of the secondary thermal regulation circuit that is intended to be installed out of the movable parts of the motion simulator,   movable electrical connections intended to be installed in joints of the motion simulator to allow a circulation of electrical current,   a chamber temperature regulation system intended to control the electric current of said at least one thermoelectric unit and to control at least the mixing device and the circulation pump of the secondary thermal regulation circuit as a function of a chamber temperature setpoint and of sensor measurements.