TITUS
Tubular Furnace with Integrated Thermal Analysis under Space Conditions
Facility Parameters
| DIMENSIONS | 1255 x 320 x 260 mm |
| OVERALL MASS | 43.7 kg + 13 kg (auxiliary equipment) |
| VOLTAGE / MAX POWER | 27+7/-4 V DC / 670 W |
| DATA INTERFACE | RS 232, max. 19.2 kbits/second |
- Tubular Furnace with Integrated Thermal Analysis under Space Conditions for material science experiments.
- Operational on board MIR Station from 1995 to 2001.
- Crystal growth, solidification, diffusion, physical chemistry.
- CSK4/TITUS is the further development in series of BBT furnaces starting with CSK-1, CSK-1C and has been used for the first time during the EuroMIR’95 mission (in co-operation with DLR-MUSC, ESA, DARA, Humboldt Univ., Kayser-Threde, Energija/MIR).
- The facility was last used during the MIR’99 – PERSEUS mission (ESA, CNES – 1999)
Crew Interface Computer
| Type | IBM ThinkPad 755 C with docking station |
| Processor | 486 DX/4, 75 MHz, 20 MB |
| Storage capacity hard disk | 500 MB |
| Storage capacity PCMCIA | 350 MB (exchangeable) |
| Max. power | 115 W |
| Interfaces | 3 RS 232 serial interfaces |
Space missions using the TITUS facility
| Space station | Period | Programme |
| MIR | 1995-1996 | EUROMIR 95 (ESA) |
| MIR | 1996-1999 | MIR 97 (DLR MUSC) |
| MIR | 1999-2001 | MIR99-PERSEUS (CNES) |
The Experimental and Diagnostic Features:
- 2 operation modes
- Bridgman type / gradient-freezing method
- isothermal profile
- positioning of thermocouple inside a sample capillary (Capsule Mode)
- up to 10 thermocouples NiCrSi-NiSi or Pt-PtRh type (Probe Mode)
- Temperature measurement resolution
- absolute temperature 0.3 K
- temperature difference 10mK
- Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA)
- Calorimetry
- Temperature distribution measurements
- Dedicated 3-axis acceleration measuring package
Measurement electronics (TEGRA)
| Interface | 2x RS 232 serial | |
| Measuring frequency | temperature | 0.01 to 1 Hz |
| gravitation | 50/100/200 Hz | |
| Measuring range | temperature | 0 to 1400 °C |
| gravitation | ± 50 mg | |
| Resolution | temperature | 10 mK |
| gravitation | 25 µg | |
Furnace (CSK-4)
| Heaters | 6 (4 narrow, 2 wide zones) |
| Temperature | 100 to 1250 °C |
| Temperature setting accuracy | ± 2.5 K |
| Temperature control | ± 0.3 K |
| Max. axial temperature gradient | 5 to 30 K/cm (sample material dependent) |
| Heated length | 200 mm |
| Translation | Gradient freezing, cartridge movement |
| Feeding length | 480 mm |
| Feeding speed | 0.01 to 20.8 mm/h |
| Accuracy of positioning | ± 0.01 mm |
| Atmosphere | Ambient |
