 The centerpiece of the Plasmadynamics and Electric Propulsion Laboratory (PEPL) at the University of Michigan is the large
vacuum test facility (LVTF) that was built in the early 1960s by the Bendix
corporation and was later donated to the university in 1982. This cylindrical
stainless-steel clad tank, which is 9 m long and 6 m in diameter, is the largest vacuum
facility of its kind at any university in the United States. The chamber is evacuated by two
2,000 cfm blowers and four 400 cfm mechanical pumps to moderate vacuum (30 - 100 mTorr).
To reach high-vacuum (10-7 Torr), the chamber employs seven CVI TM-1200 nude cryopumps, with a combined pumping speed of
500,000 l/s on air, and 240,000 l/s on xenon.
Find out more about the LVTF or follow one of the
links below to learn more about PEPL's diagnostics and facilities.
[Large Chamber (LVTF)] [Small Chamber] [Cathode Test Facility] |
