Temperature varying in vacuum chamber during pressure adjust

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around temperature variations observed in a vacuum chamber during pressure adjustments, specifically when air is introduced or extracted. Participants explore the implications of these temperature changes on material testing and the behavior of gases in a vacuum environment.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes a significant temperature rise in the vacuum chamber when air is let in, followed by a drop back to equilibrium values, and questions whether this could be related to Joule-Thompson expansion.
  • Another participant inquires about the location and type of temperature sensors used in the experiment.
  • A participant clarifies that the sensors are attached to a thin metallized foil and mentions that temperature variations are more pronounced on the foil due to the high thermal inertia of the chamber itself.
  • Another participant suggests that a high-low arrangement of sensors could help identify temperature gradients and expresses suspicion that the venting valve may be hotter than the chamber's interior, potentially affecting temperature readings.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants have not reached a consensus on the cause of the temperature variations, and multiple viewpoints regarding the interpretation of the data and the role of the sensors remain present.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not clarify the assumptions regarding the behavior of gases during pressure changes or the specific conditions under which the temperature measurements were taken.

Soho
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Hello everybody, I am working on some tests on materials and structures in a vacuum chamber.
I noted that during the final moments of the pressure rising (when I open the valve to let the air in), temperature sensors installed in the chamber record the temperature rising more than ten degrees celsius above the previous constant temperature, before dropping to the previous equilibrium values.
The same, but reverse, applies when the pump is activated to extract the air inside, and it happens in the first minutes of operations, while the pump is extracting the major part of the molecules inside the chamber.
I found a thread here about the Joule-Thompson expansion for real gas. Is this the case?
Can the air extraction from a vacuum chamber be thought as a free expansion of the real gas inside?
 
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Where are the sensors located? And what temperatures are being measured?
 
Oops, the late hour made me forget some useful details about the test:
The temp sensors are fixed to a thin metallized foil that is similar to an aluminum foil.
There are two sensor on each face of the foil sample, plus there are two other sensors which are fixed to a shroud located inside the chamber.
The temperature variation is especially visible for the sensors on the foil, because the chamber itself has an high thermic inertia, so you would need a lot more heat to have the same temperature difference.
 
I was hoping for a high-low arrangement of sensors to establish existence or absence of temperature gradients. The foil is obviously giving you air T as it circulates in the oven/to the vacuum line. No sensor on the valve for venting? My suspicion is that it runs hotter than the interior of the oven, and you get to see how much hotter when you return the oven to atmospheric P.
 

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