Development of Dynamic Wall-based Large Scale Double Structure Chamber for Cloud Physics Experiment and Its preliminary results

Cloud physics experiment chambers are useful facilities designed to mimic the conditions found in the Earth's atmosphere to study cloud formation and dynamics. In Korea, National Institute of Meteorological Sciences (NIMS) has recently developed the Korea Cloud Physics Experimental Chamber (K-CPEC) with the purpose of studying the fundamental mechanisms behind cloud formation and exploring techniques for enhancing rainfall. The K-CPEC is designed for adiabatic expansion and covers a wide range of temperatures from -70°C to 60°C, pressures from 1,013 hPa to 30 hPa, and relative humidity spanning 10% to 95%. This facility consists of two chambers: an outer chamber (5m x 5m) for pressure control and an inner chamber (3m x 3m) for temperature control. The inner chamber's construction is noteworthy as it utilizes a combination of copper and stainless steel, an innovation that enhances thermal efficiency through copper and ensures structural integrity with stainless steel.
Equipped with an array of observation tools including pressure, temperature, and humidity sensors, as well as an optical particle counter, a cloud condensation nuclei counter, an ice nuclei counter, and a cloud particles imager, the K-CPEC allows researchers to replicate cloud formation processes through precise control of temperature and pressure. This setup enables the measurement of various characteristics related to aerosol particles, cloud particles, and ice crystals. The facility's effectiveness has been confirmed through performance testing, establishing the K-CPEC as a valuable resource for activating diverse types of aerosol particles and validating processes linked to cloud particle and ice crystal formation.

*This research has been supported by the "Research on Weather Modification and Cloud Physics"(KMA2018-00224) project of NIMS/KMA.