Experimental Capabilities
EDA's core experience and capabilities lie in the intersections of space technology, plasmas, and the electrodynamic interactions between plasmas and spacecraft.
In-House Facilities
EDA has 1,700 sq. ft. of secure modern laboratory space equipped with the following:
- EDA Vacuum Chamber 1
- UHV chamber
- Dimensions: 0.3 m diameter sphere
- Pumping Capabilities: 10-10 Torr at 210 L/s
- EDA Vacuum Chamber 2
- Thermovac capable
- Dimensions: 1.4 m long x 1 m diameter
- Pumping capabilities: 10-6 Torr
- Regulated DC power supplies ranging from 30kV to 580 Amps
- Dedicated 208 and 480 3φ power buses for industrial applications
- DoD Facility Clearance (FCL)
Contract Facilities
EDA leases laboratory time at the University of Michigan's Plasmadynamics and Electric Propulsion Laboratory (PEPL).
PEPL offers several vacuum facilities:
- Large Vacuum Test Facility (LVTF)
- Click here for animation
- Dimensions: 9 m long x 6 m diameter
- Pumping capabilities: 10-7 Torr at 500,000 L/s
- Small Chamber (Junior)
- Dimensions: 2 m long x 1 m diameter
- Pumping capabilities: 4 x 10-6 Torr at 1,400 L/s
- Cathode Test Facility (CTF)
- Dimensions: 2.4 m long x 0.6 m diameter
- Pumping capabilities: 2 x 10-8 Torr at 1,500 L/s
Expertise
EDA's staff has SECRET clearance and has 90+ years of combined experience, with diverse backgrounds spanning:
- Plasma propulsion
- RF plasmas
- Atmospheric plasmas
- Communications
- Metallurgy
- Plasma chemistry
- Magnetic & electric field modeling
- Laser induced fluorescence
- Contamination analysis
Diagnostic Overview
- Typical plasma probes
- Faraday
- Langmuir
- Retarding Potential Analyzer
- Emissive
- Residual Gas Analysis (RGA)
- High performance network analyzers
- Interferometric infrastructure
- Resonance probe
- Optical emission spectrometer
- Electron microscope operator on staff
Testing Services
- Vacuum, space, and other high-altitude testing
- LabVIEW™ and MATLAB™ automation of experimentation, data collection, and analysis using Keithley™, Agilent™, and National Instruments™ test and measurement equipment
- Particle and plasma simulation and modeling
- MEMS development and microscopic analysis
- Thermovac Testing – testing of equipment over a wide range of temperatures
- Flight pre-qualification and lifetime testing of spacecraft components
- Assistance in flight qualification programs
Modeling Services
- 3-D magnetic field modeling
- 3-D electric field modeling
- Space charge modeling