A low-pressure chamber used to test aviation students under high altitude conditions
Item
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Title (Dublin Core)
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A low-pressure chamber used to test aviation students under high altitude conditions
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Article Title and/or Image Caption (Dublin Core)
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Reaching High Altitudes in the Laboratory
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extracted text (Extract Text)
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STUDENTS of aviation soon learned
S from experience that the condi-
tions existing in high altitudes exert a
powerful influence on the eflicacy of
the engine of the airplane rising rom
some point near the sea-level. They
realized that the diminished pressure
of the rarehed air
at great heights is
the cause. Obser-
vation also taught
that the sudden
change from the
comparatively high
atmospheric pres-
sure at sea-level to
the low pressure in
high altitudes
causes certain dis-
turbances in the
functions of the
human mechanism
which may seri-
ously endanger the
aviator.
The necessity of
making a careful
study of the effects
of diminished air-
pressure on engines
and human beings
was recognized by
the military au-
thorities carly in
the war, and pro-
vision was made for making it possible
to test airplane engines and aviators in
the laboratory under artificial condi-
tions closely resembling those which
they would have to meet in high
altitudes during flight.
The accompanying picture gives a
view of the low-pressure chamber
‘which is used at the Mineola labora-
tory to test aviation students under
high altitude conditions. It is a
cylindrical steel tank, eight feet in
diameter and ten feet high, large
enough to accommodate five or six in-
vestigators at the
same time. A full-
sized door is pro-
vided, which may
be hermetically
closed, also several
observation win-
dows of thick glass.
The chamber is il-
luminated by elec-
tric light.
A motor-driven
vacuum-pump ex-
hausts the air of
the chamber
through a 3-inch
pipe at the top and
in about five min-
utes a rarefieation
of the air may be
obtained, equal to
that existing at an
altitude of 35,000
feet abovesea-level.
While the air is
withdrawn at the
top fresh air comes
in at tae bottom.
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Language (Dublin Core)
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eng
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Date Issued (Dublin Core)
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1919-12
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pages (Bibliographic Ontology)
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74
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Rights (Dublin Core)
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Public domain (Google digitized)
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Archived by (Dublin Core)
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Davide Donà
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Alberto Bordignon (Supervisor)
Popular Science Monthly, v. 95, n. 5, 1919
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