Reaction box for liquid chromatography

Abstract

This invention relates to a reaction chamber for liquid chromatography, comprising: a shell; a heating chamber section capable of heating internally disposed within the shell, the heating chamber section being provided with a chamber temperature sensor for measuring chamber temperature; a circuit section disposed within the shell other than the heating chamber section, for controlling the heating of the heating chamber section; and a cooling fan disposed within the shell for dissipating heat from the circuit section. The heating chamber is characterized in that the circuit temperature is calculated based on the ambient temperature outside the heating chamber, the chamber temperature, and a first correspondence between the ambient temperature, the chamber temperature, and the circuit temperature of the circuit section, and the rotational speed of the cooling fan is controlled based on the calculated circuit temperature.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the following application.

[0002] The original application was filed on February 27, 2018.

[0003] The original application number was 201810164056.9.

[0004] The original invention application was titled: Heating Box. Technical Field

[0005] This invention relates to a heating chamber, and more particularly to a heating chamber used in liquid chromatography analysis. Background Technology

[0006] Heating chambers are commonly used devices in physical and chemical reactions. For example, the derivatization reaction chamber used in liquid chromatography analysis systems is a type of heating chamber.

[0007] The structure of existing heating boxes is as follows Figure 1 As shown, the heating chamber 100 includes: a shell 101, a heating chamber section 102, a circuit section 103, a cooling fan 104, and a chamber temperature sensor 105. The heating chamber section 102 and the circuit section 103 are disposed within the shell 101. The heating chamber section 102 heats the components disposed within it. During liquid chromatography analysis, the sample to be analyzed is placed in the tubing or flow path assembly within the heating chamber section 102. The chamber temperature sensor 105 is disposed within the heating chamber section 102 and is used to measure the chamber temperature within the heating chamber section 102. The circuit section 103 controls the heating of the heating chamber section 102, for example, to bring it to a set temperature value.

[0008] In addition, heating chambers are typically used in places such as laboratories, so a room temperature sensor 106 for measuring room temperature is usually installed on the outside of the heating chamber 100 in the laboratory.

[0009] When the heating chamber 102 is heating, its own heat dissipation affects the circuit section 103, which is also inside the outer casing 101, causing the temperature of the circuit section 103 to rise. When the circuit temperature exceeds a certain threshold, the reliability, performance, and lifespan of the circuit will decrease, and in extreme cases, it may even cause a short circuit. Therefore, a cooling fan 104 needs to be installed inside the outer casing 101 to dissipate heat from the circuit section 103.

[0010] At the same time, the temperature of the outer casing 101 will also rise due to the influence of the heating chamber 102. Excessive temperature may cause burns to the operator if accidentally touched. While the cooling fan 104 dissipates heat from the circuit section 103, it will also reduce the temperature of the outer casing 101 to prevent the outer casing temperature from becoming too high. Summary of the Invention

[0011] Technical problems to be solved

[0012] Regarding the use of cooling fan 104, there are three main types in the existing technology.

[0013] (1) A fan with an adjustable speed is used as the cooling fan 104 so that it always runs at a constant speed.

[0014] In this case, heating chambers that use fans with excessively high speeds often have insufficient heat dissipation capacity; while heating chambers that use fans with excessively low speeds will have consistently high levels of fan noise, and continuous high-speed rotation will also reduce the lifespan of the fan.

[0015] (2) An adjustable-speed fan is used as the cooling fan 104, and a temperature sensor or other temperature measuring component is added to the circuit section 103 to measure the circuit temperature of the circuit section 103. During operation, the speed of the cooling fan is controlled according to the measured circuit temperature. For example, when the circuit temperature is higher than a certain set temperature value, the cooling fan 104 is turned on or its speed is increased; when the circuit temperature is lower than a certain set temperature value, the cooling fan 104 is turned off or its speed is decreased.

[0016] However, this method requires the addition of a temperature sensor, which increases the number of components and raises the cost.

[0017] (3) An adjustable fan is used as the cooling fan 104. The speed of the cooling fan 104 is controlled according to the temperature of the box body measured by the box body temperature sensor 105 installed in the heating box body 102. Similar to the previous technology, when the box body temperature is higher than a certain set temperature value, the cooling fan 104 is turned on or its speed is increased. When the box body temperature is lower than a certain set temperature value, the cooling fan 104 is turned off or its speed is reduced.

[0018] Although this method does not add an extra temperature sensor, it only considers the influence of the enclosure temperature on the circuit temperature of the circuit section 103 and ignores the influence of room temperature on heat dissipation, so the control is not accurate.

[0019] Technical methods for solving technical problems

[0020] The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a heating box that can accurately control the speed of the cooling fan according to the temperature of the circuit section without adding an additional temperature sensor.

[0021] The heating box of the present invention includes: an outer shell; a heating box body capable of heating internally disposed components, the heating box body being disposed within the outer shell, and a box temperature sensor for measuring the box temperature being disposed within the heating box body; a circuit part disposed within the outer shell at a location other than the heating box body, for controlling the heating of the heating box body; and a cooling fan disposed within the outer shell for dissipating heat from the circuit part. The heating box is characterized in that the circuit temperature is calculated based on the ambient temperature outside the heating box, the box temperature, and a first correspondence between the ambient temperature, the box temperature, and the circuit temperature of the circuit part, and the rotational speed of the cooling fan is controlled based on the calculated circuit temperature.

[0022] In the heating chamber described above, the first correspondence can also be determined in advance by temporarily installing a circuit temperature sensor in the circuit section.

[0023] In the aforementioned heating chamber, the first correspondence can also be calculated in advance through computer software simulation.

[0024] In the heating chamber described above, the circuit section may also include a storage section, which stores the first correspondence and a second correspondence between the circuit temperature and the set value of the rotation speed. The circuit section controls the rotation speed based on the calculated circuit temperature and the second correspondence.

[0025] In the aforementioned heating chamber, the room temperature can also be obtained by a room temperature sensor located outside the heating chamber.

[0026] In the aforementioned heating chamber, heating of the heating chamber body can also be stopped if the circuit temperature exceeds a preset threshold.

[0027] The heating chamber described above may also include a display unit that displays the calculated circuit temperature.

[0028] In the aforementioned heating chamber, an alarm message may be displayed on the display unit if the calculated circuit temperature exceeds a preset threshold.

[0029] In the heating box described above, the cooling fan can also be located inside the housing near the circuit section.

[0030] In the heating chamber described above, the cooling fan can also dissipate heat from the outer casing.

[0031] Invention Effects

[0032] Based on the heating box described above, the speed of the cooling fan can be accurately controlled according to the temperature of the circuit section without adding an additional temperature sensor, thereby preventing the temperature of the circuit section from getting too high and avoiding unnecessary noise from the cooling fan. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the heating box in the prior art and the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 This is a functional block diagram of the circuit section 103 in the first embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0035] (First Implementation)

[0036] The following reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The heating box according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0037] The heating box in this embodiment has the same basic structure as the prior art, therefore it uses the same technology as the prior art. Figure 1 Please provide an explanation.

[0038] The configuration of the outer casing 101, the heating chamber 102, the chamber temperature sensor 105, and the room temperature sensor 106 is the same as that of the prior art. The following description focuses only on the differences.

[0039] The inventors of this invention recognized that the circuit temperature of the circuit section 103 is affected by both the temperature of the heating chamber section 102 and the room temperature. Therefore, in this embodiment, the circuit temperature is calculated based on the temperature of the heating chamber measured by the chamber temperature sensor 105 and the room temperature measured by the room temperature sensor 106 outside the heating chamber 100. Then, the on / off state and speed of the cooling fan 104 are controlled based on the calculated circuit temperature. Since the room temperature sensor 106 is a component that is usually installed in laboratories or similar places, or is built into the heating chamber to achieve the heating function, no additional temperature sensor is required.

[0040] The cooling fan 104 is an adjustable and controllable fan, located inside the housing 101 near the circuit section 103, to dissipate heat from the circuit section 103.

[0041] The functional block diagram of circuit section 103 is as follows: Figure 2 As shown, it includes a heating control unit 310 and a speed control unit 320. The heating control unit 310 controls the heating of the heating chamber 102, for example, to bring it to a set temperature value.

[0042] The speed control unit 320 includes a data receiving unit 321, a storage unit 322, a calculation unit 323, and a data output unit 324. As mentioned above, the circuit temperature of the circuit unit 103 is affected by both the chamber temperature of the heating chamber 102 and the room temperature. For the same chamber, the correspondence between the room temperature, the chamber temperature, and the circuit temperature of the circuit unit 103 is constant. In this embodiment, this correspondence is referred to as the first correspondence. Before heating using the heating chamber 100, this first correspondence is determined in advance through experimental methods and stored in the storage unit 322.

[0043] In this embodiment, the experimental method specifically involves temporarily installing a circuit temperature sensor in the circuit section 103 to measure the circuit temperature at various values ​​for room temperature and chamber temperature, and then creating a table or formulating a first correspondence stored in the storage section 322. Once the first correspondence is obtained, the circuit temperature sensor is no longer installed.

[0044] Furthermore, the storage unit 322 also stores a correspondence between the circuit temperature and the set value of the rotation speed of the cooling fan 104, which is referred to as the second correspondence in this embodiment. As an example of this second correspondence, when the circuit temperature is high, the cooling fan 104 is turned on or its rotation speed is increased to increase heat dissipation; when the circuit temperature is low, the cooling fan 104 is turned off or its rotation speed is reduced to reduce noise. There can be various specific correspondence methods, such as dividing the rotation speed into multiple levels.

[0045] During the heating process of the heating chamber 102, the data receiving unit 321 obtains the current chamber temperature from the chamber temperature sensor 105 and the current room temperature from the room temperature sensor 106. The calculation unit 323 calculates the current circuit temperature based on these two temperature values ​​and a first correspondence stored in the storage unit 322, and then calculates the set value of the speed of the cooling fan 104 based on the calculated circuit temperature and a second correspondence stored in the storage unit 322. The data output unit 324 outputs this set value to the cooling fan 104 to control its on / off state and speed.

[0046] According to the heating box of this embodiment, the speed of the cooling fan can be accurately controlled based on the temperature of the circuit section without adding an additional temperature sensor. This increases heat dissipation when the temperature is high, reduces unnecessary noise when the temperature is low, and slows down the aging of the cooling fan.

[0047] (Second Implementation)

[0048] This embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except for the method of obtaining the first correspondence relationship, and repeated descriptions are omitted here.

[0049] In this embodiment, the first correspondence is calculated in advance by simulation using computer software and stored in the storage unit 322.

[0050] For a heating chamber 100 with known material and shape, various existing thermodynamic analysis software can be used to simulate the temperature conditions at different locations inside the heating chamber when one or more heat sources are present, such as JMatPro. Based on different values ​​of room temperature and chamber temperature, the corresponding circuit temperature is calculated, and the correspondence between them is stored in the storage unit 322 as a first correspondence, which is used to calculate the current circuit temperature when heating the heating chamber 102.

[0051] (Third Implementation)

[0052] The difference between this embodiment and the first and second embodiments is that the opening / closing and speed control of the cooling fan 104 are not automatically performed by the circuit section 103, but are performed by the operator.

[0053] Specifically, the operator obtains the current cabinet temperature from the cabinet temperature sensor 105 and the current room temperature from the room temperature sensor 106. Based on these two temperature values ​​and a pre-obtained first correspondence, the operator calculates the current circuit temperature. Then, based on the calculated circuit temperature and a pre-obtained second correspondence, the operator determines the set value of the cooling fan 104's speed, thereby controlling the opening / closing and the speed of the cooling fan 104.

[0054] In this embodiment, the measured value of the chamber temperature sensor 105 can be displayed to the operator by various existing means, such as display screen or audio broadcast.

[0055] For situations where the speed control of the cooling fan is not complicated, this implementation method is preferred, thereby eliminating the need for modifications to the circuitry and saving manpower and resources.

[0056] The other parts of this embodiment are the same as those in the above embodiment, and repeated descriptions are omitted here.

[0057] (Fourth Implementation)

[0058] In this embodiment, a threshold temperature is preset for the circuit, which is, for example, the highest temperature that a typical circuit component can withstand. When the currently calculated circuit temperature reaches or exceeds this threshold, heating of the heating chamber 102 is stopped. This stopping action can be either automatic shut-off of heating by the circuit or manual stopping by the operator.

[0059] The other parts of this embodiment are the same as those in the above embodiment, and repeated descriptions are omitted here.

[0060] (Fifth Implementation)

[0061] In this embodiment, the heating chamber 100 also has a display unit that displays the calculated circuit temperature, allowing the operator to monitor the situation inside the heating chamber.

[0062] Alternatively, if the calculated circuit temperature reaches or exceeds the threshold mentioned above, an alarm message can be displayed on the display unit to alert the operator. This alarm message may simultaneously inform the operator that heating will be automatically stopped, or urge the operator to manually stop the heating of the heating chamber 102.

[0063] The other parts of this embodiment are the same as those in the above embodiment, and repeated descriptions are omitted here.

[0064] (Other implementation methods)

[0065] The above describes several embodiments of the heating box of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

[0066] For example, in the above embodiments, the first correspondence is determined by temporarily setting up a circuit temperature sensor and experimentally, or by simulating it using computer software, but is not limited to these methods. For example, it can also be determined by the operator based on experience.

[0067] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the room temperature is measured by the room temperature sensor 106, but it can also be input by the operator without using a room temperature sensor. For example, if a heating chamber is used in a laboratory where the temperature is always kept constant, the operator can directly use the room temperature value since the room temperature is known.

[0068] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the cooling fan 104 is located inside the housing 101 near the circuit section 103, but it is not limited to this. It can be located in other positions as long as it can dissipate heat from the circuit section 103.

[0069] In addition, in the above embodiment, the cooling fan 104 dissipates heat from the circuit section 103, but in order to prevent the outer shell of the heating box 100 from getting too hot and causing burns to the operator, the cooling fan 104 can also dissipate heat from the outer shell 101 at the same time.

[0070] The various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments. Even if there are design changes that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention, they are included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

[0071] Symbol Explanation

[0072] 100 heating box

[0073] 101 Outer Shell

[0074] 102 Heating Box Body

[0075] 103 Circuit Department

[0076] 104 Cooling Fan

[0077] 105 Enclosure Temperature Sensor

[0078] 106 Room Temperature Sensor

[0079] 310 Heating Control Unit

[0080] 320 Speed ​​Control Unit

[0081] 321 Data Receiving Unit

[0082] 322 Storage Unit

[0083] 323 Computational Unit

[0084] 324 Data Output Section.

Claims

1. A reaction chamber for liquid chromatography, used for performing physical or chemical reactions on samples to be analyzed, characterized in that it comprises: shell; The heating chamber is capable of heating the internal components. The heating chamber is disposed inside the outer shell, and a chamber temperature sensor for measuring the chamber temperature is disposed inside the heating chamber. The piping or flow path assembly inside the heating chamber; A circuit section, located within the housing excluding the heating chamber section, controls the heating of the heating chamber section; and A cooling fan, disposed inside the housing, dissipates heat from the circuitry and the housing. The circuit section does not have a temperature sensor for directly measuring its temperature. The circuit section also includes a storage section. The storage unit stores a first correspondence between the room temperature obtained by a room temperature sensor located outside the liquid chromatography reaction chamber and the chamber temperature and the circuit temperature of the circuit section, and a second correspondence between the circuit temperature and the set value of the cooling fan speed. The circuit unit calculates the circuit temperature based on the obtained room temperature, the cabinet temperature, and the first correspondence, and controls the speed of the cooling fan according to the calculated circuit temperature and the second correspondence.

2. The reaction chamber for liquid chromatography according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first correspondence is pre-determined by temporarily installing a circuit temperature sensor in the circuit section and measuring the circuit temperature under multiple different room temperature and enclosure temperature conditions. When the reaction chamber for liquid chromatography is running, the circuit temperature sensor is not located in the circuit section.

3. The reaction chamber for liquid chromatography according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first correspondence is determined in advance through simulation of thermodynamic analysis using computer software.

4. The reaction chamber for liquid chromatography according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The circuit section includes a storage section, which stores the first correspondence and a second correspondence between the circuit temperature and the set value of the cooling fan speed. The circuit section controls the speed of the cooling fan based on the calculated circuit temperature and the second correspondence. The first correspondence is stored in the storage unit in the form of a table or formula.

5. The reaction chamber for liquid chromatography according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second correspondence is set as follows: when the calculated circuit temperature is low, the speed of the cooling fan is stopped or reduced; when the calculated circuit temperature is high, the speed of the cooling fan is increased.

6. The reaction chamber for liquid chromatography according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling fan not only dissipates heat from the circuit section, but also from the outer casing, which heats up due to the heating of the housing section.

7. The reaction chamber for liquid chromatography according to claim 1, characterized in that, If the calculated circuit temperature exceeds a preset threshold, the heating of the housing section is stopped.

8. The reaction chamber for liquid chromatography according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a display unit for showing the calculated circuit temperature. If the calculated circuit temperature exceeds a preset threshold, the display unit will show an alarm message.

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