Recently a small laboratory became vacant and we were given permission and two grant to turn it into a reverberation chamber. Here is a picture of the cleaned out laboratory
Facilities has kindly installed much of the carpentry work. This is a frame from which hangs the aluminum sheeting that forms the chamber (4 walls, the ceiling and the floor).
We do not have a sheet metal break, so we bent the metal on the classroom laboratory benches.
Where ever the aluminum sheet metal has seems the sheets were overlapped for at least 3 inches (4 inches in many places). Here you can see the ceiling has been installed. The metal surface on the walls is foam insulation. This closet has 3 exterior walls and it does get cold in East Stroudsburg during the winter.
Here we are inside the reverberation chamber looking outside after all the metal walls have been installed, but before the taping and all the mounting surfaces for the openings have been installed.
Here you can see how we mount the metal plates that seal the three opening. The large access door is to the left. The door is bolted onto the metal angle bracket giving a three inch overlapped seam. The small installed plate gives access for connectors etc. This plate has the seams sealed with conductive tape on the inside. The open access door to the right is for some future applications that are being developed. The metal plate in this access area is also sealed with conductive tape on the inside.
There is initial data taken on the chamber without the paddle which should be posted shortly.
Currently we are building the mode stirrer system. This will consist of a pole that runs the length of the chamber on the right hand side. The lower part of the pole terminates in a rotating plate with copper bearings. This bottom bearing is almost finished construction. The top bearing is designed and is being constructed. The shaft that rotates this will be operated by a stepper motor mounted outside the chamber on the top of the chamber. We will post the details when they become available.
Stay tuned for more results!