Military equipment needs to be exposed to complex outdoor environments during actual deployment, and solar radiation is one of the key factors affecting its performance and lifespan. The natural sunlight has problems such as unstable intensity, long test cycles, and poor data repeatability, making it difficult to meet the high reliability test requirements of military equipment. The Zidong Measurement and Control Luminbox solar light simulator, with its high reliability, standardization, and high test efficiency, has become the core equipment for radiation tests of military equipment, capable of simulating different solar radiation environments and providing scientific basis for equipment performance verification. The role of solar light simulator in radiation tests luminbox Solar light contains a wide spectral range of electromagnetic radiation from ultraviolet to infrared, which can have various physical and chemical effects on military equipment: High-temperature military equipment 1. Determine the thermal effect of solar radiation on military equipment. Material degradation: Such as polymer, composite material aging, brittleness, deformation. Electronic equipment failure: Components overheat and cause performance degradation or permanent damage. Cabin/Equipment compartment overheating: Affects the comfort of crew members and the operating environment of equipment. Thermal stress: Different materials have different thermal expansion coefficients, leading to structural stress, connection point failure. 2. Determine the photochemical effect of solar radiation on military equipment. Material aging: The high energy of ultraviolet can break the chemical bonds of polymers, causing coating flaking, discoloration, and loss of luster, and hardening and cracking of rubber sealing rings. Performance degradation: Such as optical lenses, windows, radar domes, light transmission rate/transmission rate of radar domes decrease.
Technical requirements of solar light simulator for radiation tests Heyi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

■ Spectral matching degree: The output spectrum must be highly matched with the real solar spectrum (such as ground AM1.5G, space AM0), which is the basis for accurately simulating photochemical effects.

■ Irradiance: It needs to be able to provide at least 1 solar constant (1000 W/m²) or more of irradiance.

 

■ Uniformity and stability: The uniformity of irradiance on the test surface usually requires more than 95% to ensure that the tested equipment is exposed to light consistently; at the same time, the stability during long-term operation is the key to ensuring the reliability and repeatability of test data

 

■ Convergence angle: For applications such as spacecraft that need to simulate parallel solar light, the convergence angle of the light beam is a core indicator, which directly affects the accuracy of heat flow calculation. Application scenarios of solar light simulators in military equipment tests luminbox Solar light simulators are applied throughout the entire process of military equipment research and development, certification, and acceptance, focusing on the performance degradation and functional failure caused by radiation, and the core application scenarios are divided into three categories: 1. Aerospace equipment
Military aircraft operating at high altitudes Military aircraft, satellites, missiles, usw., operating at high altitudes or near the ground orbit, need to cope with high-altitude strong radiation. The solar light simulator can simulate radiation environments at an altitude of 8,000 meters or above (ultraviolet irradiation intensity up to 3.43 W/㎡), verifying the anti-aging performance of equipment surface coatings, such as whether the composite materials of fighter aircraft fuselage crack and fade, and whether the optical lenses, windows, radar domes have decreased optical transmission rate/transmission rate of radar domes, ensuring the stability of equipment structure and function. 2. Ground combat equipment Military tanks, armored vehicles, ground radars, usw., deployed in deserts and highlands, the surface of equipment is prone to exceed 60°C in summer, causing electronic components to overheat and rubber parts to age. The solar light simulator can adjust the irradiation intensity (bis zu 1.2 times the standard solar constant, that is, 1366 W/㎡), simulating extreme high-temperature radiation scenarios, testing the cooling of the tank cockpit and the stability of radar antenna signal accuracy, avoiding equipment failure caused by insufficient environmental adaptability. 3. Shipborne Equipment: Shipborne radar, communication equipment, usw. have long been exposed to high salt fog, high humidity and strong radiation environments at sea. Radiation accelerates the corrosion of metal components by salt fog. The solar simulator can be linked with the salt fog test chamber to simulate a combined environment, verifying the anti-corrosion coating of the equipment shell and the sealing performance of electronic interfaces, and avoiding the corrosion exacerbated by radiation leading to short circuits or structural damage. In conclusion, the solar simulator can effectively overcome many limitations of natural sunlight. By simulating the real solar radiation environment, it provides indispensable technical support for the testing and verification of various military equipment in terms of material tolerance, electronic performance and structural integrity. Its application runs through the entire process of military equipment research, development, type approval and acceptance, significantly improving the reliability and comparability of test data, and providing a solid guarantee for enhancing the environmental adaptability and service reliability of military equipment.