Drive-In Chambers: The Key to Total Vehicle Climate Testing.

WBE's advantage in engineering walk-in environmental chambers comes from our unique combination of focused expertise, in-house manufacturing, and a commitment to customization. Unlike companies that treat walk-ins as a minor part of their business, large-scale projects are a core competency for us. Our engineers have spent decades perfecting the art of designing high-performance conditioning systems and airflow patterns for large volumes. Our 12,000-square-meter factory gives us the critical advantage of controlling the quality and timeline of fabrication, without relying on outside subcontractors for key components. Most importantly, our entire company culture is built around solving non-standard challenges. We don't try to fit you into a standard product; we build the product to fit your unique requirements. This combination of expertise, capability, and philosophy is the WBE advantage that makes us the ideal partner for your next walk-in environmental chambers project.

In a large walk-in environmental chambers, achieving temperature uniformity is far more challenging than in a small chamber, and it is entirely dependent on the airflow system. Without carefully engineered airflow, you will have significant temperature variations—it might be much colder near the air outlet and warmer in a far corner. This would invalidate test results, as different parts of your product would be experiencing different conditions. A high-performance system, like those designed by WBE, uses a powerful conditioning plenum and strategically designed ductwork to create a homogenous, turbulent airflow pattern that blankets the entire workspace. This ensures that the temperature variance within the chamber is kept to a minimum (e.g., ±1.0°C), guaranteeing that your test is accurate, repeatable, and that the data you collect is reliable for your entire product.

The choice between modular and welded construction for your walk-in environmental chambers depends on your specific performance needs and long-term plans. Modular construction uses prefabricated insulated panels that are mechanically locked together. This is the most common and versatile method, offering a good balance of performance and cost. Its key advantage is flexibility; a modular chamber can be expanded, downsized, or even relocated in the future. Welded construction features a continuously welded, vapor-proof stainless steel interior liner. This method provides the highest level of performance and durability, and it is the required choice for extreme conditions such as very high humidity, rapid temperature cycling, or altitude simulation where a perfect seal is critical to prevent moisture intrusion or air leaks. WBE's experts can help you analyze this trade-off to select the right construction for your walk-in environmental chambers.

Testing large, high-voltage electric vehicle (EV) battery packs in a walk-in environmental chambers requires a specialized focus on safety. A catastrophic battery failure could lead to thermal runaway, fire, and the release of hazardous gases. WBE designs our battery testing chambers with a multi-tiered safety protocol to mitigate these risks. This can include an inert gas fire suppression system (using N2 or CO2), rapid ventilation and purging systems, and gas detectors to monitor for electrolytes or hydrogen. The chamber construction can be reinforced to withstand potential energetic events. We also integrate with the battery management system (BMS) and the facility's safety interlocks, allowing for an automatic shutdown of the test and the chamber in an emergency. These specialized safety features are essential for the safe and effective validation of EV battery technology in a walk-in environmental chambers.