Walk-in for emission testing: ACS chamber for ICAT, India
Discover the main features of the ACS large walk-in chamber for emission testing used by ICAT, India.
One of India's largest walk-in chambers is ACS branded: it is an Emission Test chamber equipped with solar light and wind simulation systems used by ICAT, India's leading Automotive Test and Certification Centre developed under the NATRIP Government Institution.
Main features of NATRIP Emission Test chamber:
• Internal useful volume of dyno chamber: approx 450m3
• Internal useful volume of Soak chamber: approx. 750m3
• Temperature range for dyno chamber and Soak room: from -30°C to +55°C
• Sun Simulation: max. irradiation power of 1200 W/m2, with height adjustment and tilting.
• Wind Simulation: VFD controlled, max speed 200kmph and max. flow 160,000m3/h.
• The chamber is equipped with secured inbuilt safety features, for example state of the start firefighting and gas detection system.
• The software is included in scope of supply and fully integrable with other components of the system, in order to monitor the whole chamber performances and parameters inside only one control room
The ACS chamber for emission testing designed for ICAT has been integrated with third party chassis dyno and Emission system allowing the following combined tests to be performed:
• Mass emission test (for vehicles up to 3.5 tonne GVW) at extreme temperatures, with humidity control and solar loading
• Emission testing as per Euro-V (Petrol – Cold Emission), BS, ECE, EPA, Japan & Indian regulations
• Vehicle performance tests-Cold startability, heater performance, Cabin HVAC performance, etc.
• Customer defined R&D Tests.
What is a walk-in chamber?
A walk-in chamber - or drive-in - is a large chamber, i.e. with a useful volume such that the operator - or a vehicle in the case of drive-in chambers - can enter the test room.
They are usually made up of prefabricated modular panels, which make them easy to be transported and assembled, also simplifying subsequent modification and maintenance. This is a great advantage of walk-in chambers: they are extremely flexible and can be tailored to specific customer needs not only in terms of tests but also in terms of volumes.
Walk-in chambers can be climatic or thermostatic and can be equipped with various systems to reproduce other climatic conditions such as sunlight, rain, ice, wind, etc. They are mainly used in the Automotive, Aerospace and Aeronautic industries.
It might be thought that this type of chamber should be used only when the specimen is large. Indeed, their useful volume makes it possible to fit several test benches inside the test chamber, thus offering the possibility of subjecting several specimens or several types of specimens to the same test cycle simultaneously.