Standards Development

Scope

This document provides methodologies intended to establish variations and uncertainties of the climatic conditions within environmental test chambers. The information derived using these methodologies is intended to be used to substantiate, in a uniform and reproducible manner, whether the climatic test specification requirements have been met.

Additionally, this document provides guidance and examples on the determination of uncertainties arising in the measurement of temperature and humidity within climatic chambers. The analysis of these uncertainties exploits information derived from the measurement procedures also set out within this document.

The methodologies also provide information to allow the selection of a suitable chamber for a specific combination of test procedure and specimens. The methodologies can also be used to verify the performance of climatic chambers following installation, modification, or maintenance.

This document is applicable to temperature chambers as well as temperature/humidity chambers. The methodologies are intended to be used with an empty climatic test chamber, a chamber containing a test load, or a chamber contain a test specimen undergoing testing. Guidance is provided on which of these options is applicable in different circumstances.