Each requirement was tested based on their attributes of success. For example, minimum temperatue of the oven was measured at the heating location of the carbon fiber. Additionally, each test will be carried out with other requirements being controlled. This means that no two tests will be run simultaneously, and if possible, certain systems were disabled while testing other ones. Tolerances for success vary depending on the requirement, but in general the requirements show a minimum the system must meet.
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A small note to add regarding results for the testing: After testing the pyrolysis process and measuring the weight of carbon fiber, the heat of the oven in the shroud was too great for the internal mechanisms of the oven, and following the testing process the oven was made inoperable.
Temperature Testing
Beside are two videos showing the process of taking the temperature measurements of the oven. The tests were run on different days, and one test has the shroud around the oven and the other does not. The test with the shroud proved to have a higher general temperature than without but could still be lower that practical operating conditions were the shroud is entirely sealed off, restricting access.
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The temperatures gathered at the conveyor plates was about 475C, which is about 25C lower than the desired temperature of 500C, but still over the minimum of 450C. At the heating coils the temperature was about 550C resulting in about an 86% heat exchange efficiency.
Pyrolysis Testing
The final test that was able to be conducted before the destruction of the Oven was testing the pyrolysis capabilities. The test was measured by attempting the whole pyrolysis process and measuring the weight of the carbon fiber before and after to obtain a mass loss number. In addition to quantitative results the carbon fiber was touch tested to gauge how much of the resin was vaporized if any.
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The pictures to the left show the carbon fiber pieces before (top) and after (bottom) the pyrolysis process. The process shaved off about 3.1g from a 10g sample which amounts to a 31% decrease in mass. Additionally, the Carbon fiber pieces were touch-tested and the texture went from a hard flake substance to a feather-like consistency which shows that the pyrolysis worked.