High-Temperature Inert-Environment Thermomechanical Testing Furnace

Abstract

High-temperature materials testing is critical for frontier technologies, especially in the aerospace and power generation sectors. The objective of this senior design project is to research and develop an inert-environment sealed furnace for a lab mechanical tester to reach 2000°C for the Santa Clara University Materials Science Lab. Two groups of project members were created to address engineering design and manufacturing issues in various subsystems of the final vision: Team A focuses on structural analysis and fabrication, instrumentation, and electrical design, while Team B focuses on thermal, busbar, and fluid cooling design. Financial and logistical aspects of the project have been taken into consideration, and the design, analysis and verification of various components of the system without direct testing of a final product will inform future teams on the next steps