Liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor, comprising a light source, a reaction cavity, a heating assembly, a flow control assembly, a temperature probe and a power supply; the reaction cavity has a sidewall and / or a bottom formed of light-transmitting material; the light source is arranged outside the reaction cavity, and the light emitted by the light source can irradiate into the reaction cavity through the sidewall and / or the bottom formed of light-transmitting material; the heating assembly comprises a heating element for heating the liquid in the reaction cavity; the flow control assembly comprises a water inlet pipe, a proportional valve and a water outlet pipe; the water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe are both connected to the reaction cavity for respectively inputting and discharging the liquid; the overflow port of the reaction cavity is located at the highest water level line of the reaction cavity and is connected to the water outlet pipe; the proportional valve is arranged on the water inlet pipe and is used for controlling the water volume in response to the temperature monitored by the temperature probe in the reaction cavity. The present disclosure gets rid of the constraint of external TCU and eliminates the risk of circulating liquid leakage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the fields of photochemistry and temperature control, specifically to a liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor. Background Technology

[0002] In conventional photoreaction equipment, the reaction components (coils providing the reaction space) are placed inside the reaction chamber, and the temperature control of the reaction chamber relies on an external temperature control unit (TCU, a type of high and low temperature circulating bath). This mode requires excellent sealing performance of the reaction chamber; otherwise, leakage / spraying of the circulating fluid can occur, posing a risk of environmental pollution and even burns / frostbite. The power of the external TCU directly affects the temperature control capability, making it unsuitable for large-volume reaction chambers. Using a high-power TCU would significantly increase the overall experimental cost. Furthermore, conventional photoreaction equipment also suffers from the following problems: the external TCU increases the complexity, size, and cost of the entire apparatus; the consumption of TCU circulating fluid increases experimental costs; replacing reaction components is very complex, requiring the sealing of the reaction chamber before replacement; and it is inconvenient for installation and relocation. Utility Model Content

[0003] To address at least one of the above problems, this disclosure provides a liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor, comprising a light source, a reaction chamber, a heating assembly, a flow control assembly, a temperature probe, and a power supply; the reaction chamber has sidewalls and / or a bottom formed of a light-transmitting material; the light source is disposed outside the reaction chamber, and the light emitted by it can penetrate the reaction chamber through the sidewalls and / or the bottom formed of the light-transmitting material; the heating assembly includes a heating element for heating the liquid in the reaction chamber; the flow control assembly includes an inlet pipe, a proportional valve, and an outlet pipe; both the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are connected to the reaction chamber for respectively inputting and discharging liquid into and out of the reaction chamber; the overflow port of the reaction chamber is located at the highest water level line of the reaction chamber and is connected to the outlet pipe; The proportional valve is installed on the water inlet pipe and is used to control the water flow in response to the temperature monitored by the temperature probe in the reaction chamber: when the liquid temperature in the reaction chamber is too high, the proportional valve opens more, and more liquid flows in to cool it down; when the liquid temperature in the reaction chamber is too low, the proportional valve opens less or closes, and at the same time triggers the heating element to heat up. The power supply is electrically connected to the light source, heating element, flow control element, and temperature probe. The light-transmitting material can be any existing material with a light transmittance of over 90%, such as quartz, various types of transparent glass, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and polycarbonate (PC). The liquid used for temperature control is a known thermally conductive liquid, preferably water, such as tap water.

[0004] In some implementations, the liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor further includes a liquid circulation assembly; the liquid circulation assembly includes a circulation pump; the circulation pump is connected to the reaction chamber via a pipe to form a circulation path; the circulation pump is electrically connected to a power source.

[0005] In some implementations, the circulation pump is a centrifugal pump; the horizontal position of the pipe connecting the circulation pump and the reaction chamber is not lower than the lowest level of the water required for priming of the circulation pump.

[0006] In some implementations, the liquid circulation assembly also includes a flow meter; the flow meter is located on the pipe connecting the circulation pump and the reaction chamber.

[0007] In some implementations, the temperature probes include a first temperature probe, a second temperature probe, and a third temperature probe, which are respectively located in the upper, middle, and lower layers of the reaction chamber to monitor the liquid temperature at different horizontal heights within the reaction chamber; the proportional valve controls the water flow based on the average temperature monitored by the first, second, and third temperature probes or the temperature monitored by the second temperature probe; the interfaces of the two pipes connecting the circulation pump and the reaction chamber in the circulation path are located within the monitoring range of the first and third temperature probes, respectively, so as to monitor the liquid temperature flowing into and out of the reaction chamber in the circulation path.

[0008] In some implementations, the circulation pump is configured to control the circulation flow rate in response to the temperature difference monitored by the first and third temperature probes: when the temperature difference is too large, the circulation flow rate is increased.

[0009] In some implementations, an opening is provided at the top of the reaction chamber for placing or removing the reaction element; the photoreaction occurs within the reaction element.

[0010] In some implementations, the top of the reaction chamber is provided with a cover that matches the opening.

[0011] In some embodiments, the heating element is a heating plate, attached to the sidewall and / or bottom of the reaction chamber, through which heat is transferred; the reaction chamber has sidewalls and / or a bottom made of metallic material, allowing heat from the heating element to be transferred into the reaction chamber. The sidewalls and / or bottom made of metallic material have excellent heat transfer performance and are not easily damaged.

[0012] In some implementations, the heating element is disposed inside the reaction chamber to heat the liquid in direct contact with the liquid inside the reaction chamber.

[0013] In some implementations, the bottom of the liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor is equipped with wheels for easy movement.

[0014] In some implementations, components are connected using a combination of flexible hoses and rigid tubing to deliver the temperature-controlled liquid.

[0015] In some implementations, the power supply includes a first power supply and a second power supply; the first power supply is electrically connected to the light source, providing independent power to the light source; the second power supply is electrically connected to the heating assembly, flow control assembly, and temperature probe. The light source includes a first light source and a second light source. The second light source serves as a backup light source. The light source is placed in a separate chamber from the reaction chamber and is independently powered, allowing it to be replaced at any time without interrupting the experiment.

[0016] In some implementations, a control system is also included; the control system is signal-connected to the light source, heating assembly, flow control assembly, and temperature probe, and is used to control the switching and / or intensity of the light source, and to control the operation of the heating assembly and flow control assembly based on the liquid temperature monitored by the temperature probe.

[0017] In some implementations, a control system is also included; the control system is signal-connected to the light source, heating component, flow control component, temperature probe, and liquid circulation component, and is used to control the switching and / or intensity of the light source, and to control the operation of the heating component, flow control component, and liquid circulation component based on the liquid temperature monitored by the temperature probe.

[0018] The control system controls the operation of the heating and flow control components as follows: the temperature probe transmits the liquid temperature signal in the reaction chamber to the control system; the control system compares the liquid temperature with the target temperature, and if it is higher than the upper limit of the target temperature, it sends a command to the proportional valve to increase the opening of the proportional valve and allow more liquid to flow in to cool down; if it is lower than the lower limit of the target temperature, it sends a command to the proportional valve and the heating element to reduce or close the proportional valve and allow the heating element to heat up.

[0019] In some implementations, the control system controls the operation of the liquid circulation component as follows: the first temperature probe and the third temperature probe transmit the monitored liquid temperature signals of the upper and lower layers of the reaction chamber to the control system, respectively; the control system compares the liquid temperature difference between the upper and lower layers of the reaction chamber with the target temperature difference; if it is higher than the target temperature difference, it sends a command to the circulation pump to increase the circulation flow rate, and the flow meter feeds back the monitored flow rate signal to the control system; otherwise, it reduces or maintains the circulation flow rate, and the flow meter also feeds back the monitored flow rate signal to the control system.

[0020] In some implementations, there are no first and second temperature probes, no temperature difference signal between the upper and lower layers of the reaction chamber, and the control system controls the circulation flow rate according to user instructions.

[0021] In some implementations, the control system includes an operator panel for user command input.

[0022] In some implementations, the control system also includes a display panel for displaying temperature, flow rate, and / or heating power of the heating element.

[0023] This invention eliminates the need for an external TCU, removes the risk of circulating fluid leakage, and designs a convenient, low-cost photoreactor with temperature control accuracy approaching that of a TCU. Specific benefits are as follows: 1. Only requires an external tap water connection, is quick to install, cools down rapidly, and has a cooling capacity far exceeding that of a TCU; 2. Eliminating the TCU significantly reduces costs; 3. Temperature control accuracy is close to that of a TCU, and the addition of a circulation system results in better temperature uniformity; 4. The open reaction chamber greatly reduces personnel operation time and facilitates easy loading and unloading; 5. Low learning curve, one-click start, and simple operation logic; 6. Eliminate the risk of contamination from circulating fluid leaks; 7. While meeting the requirements of large liquid holding capacity, the overall size of the machine is compact, improving the utilization rate of laboratory space; 8. Low operating cost, with tap water as the consumable.

[0024] The following will further explain the concept, specific structure and technical effects of this utility model in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, so as to fully understand the purpose, features and effects of this utility model. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor of Embodiment 1 of this disclosure.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor from another perspective of Embodiment 1 of this disclosure.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor of Embodiment 1 of this disclosure.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor of Embodiment 2 of this disclosure.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor of Embodiment 2 of this disclosure from another perspective.

[0031] Reference numerals: 1-Inlet pipe, 2-Proportional valve, 3-First pipe, 4-Circulation pump, 5-Second pipe, 6-Wheel, 7-Outlet pipe, 8-Overflow port, 9-Temperature probe, 10-Reaction chamber, 11-Heating element, 41-Flow meter, 91-First temperature probe, 92-Second temperature probe, 93-Third temperature probe, 100-Control system, 101-Cover, 102-Drain pipe, 103-Drain valve, 200-Light source, 300-Chassis shell, 400-Power supply. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art, some terms appearing in this document are explained and clarified.

[0033] In this document, the singular forms “an,” “a,” and “the” include their plural forms, unless the context otherwise requires.

[0034] In this document, unless otherwise stated, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” or “containing” mean that the listed technical features are included, but do not exclude the inclusion of other technical features.

[0035] In this article, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" added before a component are used to distinguish these components, not to sort them according to the order of the ordinal numbers.

[0036] In this paper, the term "and / or" refers to any one of three cases, for example, the three cases of A and / or B are: either A, or B, or A and B.

[0037] Example 1 Figure 1 and Figure 2 This embodiment illustrates a liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor. Figure 3The diagram shows some of the main components of the liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor. The liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor includes a light source 200, a reaction chamber 10, a heating assembly, a flow control assembly, a temperature probe 9, a liquid circulation assembly, a power supply 400, and a housing 300. The reaction chamber 10 has sidewalls formed of a light-transmitting material. Light emitted from the light source 200 can penetrate the sidewalls and illuminate the reaction chamber 10. The heating assembly includes a heating element 11 for heating the liquid within the reaction chamber 10. The flow control assembly includes an inlet pipe 1, a proportional valve 2, and an outlet pipe 7. Both the inlet pipe 1 and the outlet pipe 7 are connected to the reaction chamber 10, used for feeding and discharging liquid into and out of the reaction chamber 10, respectively. The overflow port 8 of the reaction chamber 10 is located at the highest water level line of the reaction chamber 10 and is connected to the outlet pipe 7 via a flexible hose. A proportional valve 2 is installed on the water inlet pipe 1 via a flexible hose. It controls the water flow in response to the temperature monitored by the temperature probe 9 inside the reaction chamber 10: when the liquid temperature inside the reaction chamber 10 is too high, the proportional valve 2 opens wider, increasing the amount of liquid flowing in and thus cooling the liquid; when the liquid temperature inside the reaction chamber 10 is too low, the proportional valve 2 closes or shuts off, simultaneously triggering the heating element 11 to heat up. The heating element 11 is a heating plate, attached to the side wall of the reaction chamber 10 opposite to the light source 200, and heat is transferred through its attachment point. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As can be seen, the liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor is enclosed by a casing 300, has a compact structure, and is equipped with wheels 6 at the bottom for easy movement. The light source 200 is located on one of the two sides with the larger surface area of ​​the reaction chamber, and the heating element 11 is located on the other side with the larger surface area. Both the light source 200 and the heating element 11 are located outside the reaction chamber 10.

[0038] The light-transmitting material is quartz, and the reaction chamber 10 is a quartz tank. The opening at the top of the reaction chamber 10 is fitted with a cover 101 that matches the opening. The opening is used to place and remove the reaction components (here, a coil). The photoreaction occurs within the reaction components. The liquid used for temperature control is tap water.

[0039] The liquid circulation assembly includes a circulation pump 4. The circulation pump 4 is connected to the reaction chamber 10 via pipes (first pipe 3 and second pipe 5) to form a circulation path. The circulation pump 4 is a centrifugal pump. The horizontal positions of both the first pipe 3 and the second pipe 5 are not lower than the lowest level of the water required for priming the circulation pump 4, thus allowing priming water to be added to the circulation pump 4 simultaneously with the introduction of tap water into the reaction chamber 10 from the inlet pipe 1, avoiding the problem of adding priming water separately to the circulation pump 4 during initial use.

[0040] The power supply 400 includes a first power supply and a second power supply. The first power supply is electrically connected to the light source 200, providing independent power to the light source 200; the second power supply is electrically connected to the heating assembly, flow control assembly, temperature probe 9, and liquid circulation assembly. The light source 200 is placed in a separate chamber from the reaction chamber 10 and is independently powered. Because of its independent power supply, the light source 200 can be quickly replaced without interrupting the chemical reaction experiment. The power supply 400 has an external AC power connector.

[0041] The liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor in this embodiment also includes a control system 100. The control system 100 is signal-connected to the light source 200, heating assembly, flow control assembly, temperature probe 9, and liquid circulation assembly. It controls the switching and / or intensity of the light source 200, and controls the operation of the heating assembly, flow control assembly, and liquid circulation assembly based on the liquid temperature monitored by the temperature probe 9. Specifically: the temperature probe 9 transmits the liquid temperature signal within the reaction chamber 10 to the control system 100; the control system 100 compares this liquid temperature with a target temperature. If the liquid temperature is higher than the upper limit of the target temperature, it sends a command to the proportional valve 2 to increase its opening, allowing more liquid to flow in and cool the liquid; if the liquid temperature is lower than the lower limit of the target temperature, it sends a command to the proportional valve 2 and the heating element 11 to decrease or close the proportional valve 2 and cause the heating element 11 to heat up. The control system 100 controls the circulation flow rate according to user commands.

[0042] The control system 100 includes an operation panel and a display panel. The operation panel is used for user command input. The display panel is used for displaying temperature, flow rate, and heating power of the heating element.

[0043] Example 2 Figure 4 and Figure 5 The liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor of this embodiment is shown. The liquid circulation assembly also includes a flow meter 41. The flow meter 41 is installed on the first pipe 3 connecting the circulation pump 4 and the reaction chamber 10, and is used to monitor the flow rate of the first pipe 3. Temperature probes 9 include a first temperature probe 91, a second temperature probe 92, and a third temperature probe 93, respectively installed in the upper, middle, and lower layers of the reaction chamber 10, to monitor the liquid temperature at different horizontal heights within the reaction chamber 10. A proportional valve 2 controls the water flow rate based on the temperature monitored by the second temperature probe 92. The interfaces of the two pipes (first pipe 3 and second pipe 5) connecting the circulation pump 4 and the reaction chamber 10 in the circulation path are located within the monitoring range of the first temperature probe 91 and the third temperature probe 93, respectively, to monitor the liquid temperature flowing into and out of the reaction chamber 10 in the circulation path.

[0044] The circulation pump 4 is configured to control the circulation flow rate in response to the temperature difference monitored by the first temperature probe 91 and the third temperature probe 93: when the temperature difference is too large, the circulation flow rate is increased; when the temperature difference is close to zero or less than the set value, the circulation flow rate is decreased.

[0045] The reaction chamber 10 has sidewalls (excluding the sidewall directly facing the light source) and a bottom made of metallic material, which allows the heat from the heating element 11 to be better transferred into the reaction chamber 10. The sidewalls and bottom made of metallic material have excellent heat transfer performance and are not easily damaged.

[0046] The first temperature probe 91 and the third temperature probe 93 transmit the monitored liquid temperature signals of the upper and lower layers of the reaction chamber 10 to the control system 100, respectively. The control system 100 compares the liquid temperature difference between the upper and lower layers of the reaction chamber 10 with the target temperature difference. If the difference is higher than the target temperature difference, the control system 100 sends a command to the circulating pump 4 to increase the circulation flow rate, and the flow meter 41 feeds back the monitored flow rate signal to the control system 100. Conversely, if the difference is lower than the target temperature difference, the control system 100 reduces or maintains the circulation flow rate, and the flow meter 41 also feeds back the monitored flow rate signal to the control system 100.

[0047] The water inlet pipe 1 is connected to the reaction chamber 10 at its lowest point on the side wall via a three-way pipe 104. The third end of the three-way pipe 104 is connected to the drain pipe 102, which is equipped with a drain valve 103. When it is necessary to drain the water from the reaction chamber 10, the drain valve 103 is opened to drain the water. The horizontal position of the water inlet pipe 1 and the proportional valve 2 is higher than or not lower than the third end of the three-way pipe 104.

[0048] The rest is the same as in Example 1.

[0049] Example 3 In this embodiment, the heating element is disposed inside the reaction chamber to heat the liquid in direct contact with it. The rest is the same as in Embodiment 1.

[0050] This document uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this utility model. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this utility model. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, based on the ideas of this utility model, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. Modifications and improvements to this utility model are possible without exceeding the concept and scope defined by the claims. Therefore, the content of the embodiments in this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

Claims

1. A liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor, characterized in that, The system includes a light source, a reaction chamber, a heating assembly, a flow control assembly, a temperature probe, and a power supply. The reaction chamber has sidewalls and / or a bottom formed of a light-transmitting material. The light source is located outside the reaction chamber, and the light emitted by it can penetrate the reaction chamber through the sidewalls and / or bottom formed of the light-transmitting material. The heating assembly includes a heating element for heating the liquid inside the reaction chamber. The flow control assembly includes an inlet pipe, a proportional valve, and an outlet pipe. Both the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are connected to the reaction chamber for respectively inputting and discharging liquid into and out of the reaction chamber. The overflow port of the reaction chamber is located at the highest water level line of the reaction chamber and is connected to the outlet pipe. The proportional valve is installed on the water inlet pipe and is used to control the water flow in response to the temperature monitored by the temperature probe in the reaction chamber: when the liquid temperature in the reaction chamber is too high, the opening of the proportional valve increases, and more liquid flows in to cool the water; when the liquid temperature in the reaction chamber is too low, the opening of the proportional valve decreases or closes, and at the same time, the heating element is triggered to heat up. The power supply is electrically connected to the light source, the heating component, the flow control component, and the temperature probe.

2. The liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a liquid circulation assembly; the liquid circulation assembly includes a circulation pump; the circulation pump is connected to the reaction chamber through a pipeline to form a circulation path; the circulation pump is electrically connected to the power source.

3. The liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The circulating pump is a centrifugal pump; the horizontal position of the pipe connecting the circulating pump and the reaction chamber is not lower than the lowest horizontal level required for the circulating pump to draw water.

4. The liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The liquid circulation assembly also includes a flow meter; the flow meter is installed on the pipe connecting the circulation pump and the reaction chamber.

5. The liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The temperature probes include a first temperature probe, a second temperature probe, and a third temperature probe, which are respectively installed in the upper, middle, and lower layers of the reaction chamber to monitor the liquid temperature at different horizontal heights within the reaction chamber. The proportional valve controls the water flow based on the average value of the temperatures monitored by the first, second, and third temperature probes, or the temperature monitored by the second temperature probe. The interfaces of the two pipes connecting the circulation pump and the reaction chamber in the circulation path are located within the monitoring range of the first and third temperature probes, respectively, to monitor the liquid temperature flowing into and out of the reaction chamber in the circulation path.

6. The liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The circulation pump is configured to control the circulation flow rate in response to the temperature difference monitored by the first temperature probe and the third temperature probe: when the temperature difference is too large, the circulation flow rate is increased.

7. The liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the reaction chamber is provided with an opening for placing and removing the reaction component; the top of the reaction chamber is provided with a cover that matches the opening; the photoreaction occurs within the reaction component.

8. The liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The heating element is a heating plate, which is attached to the side wall and / or bottom of the reaction chamber, and heat is transferred through its attachment portion; the reaction chamber has side walls and / or bottom made of metal material, so that the heat from the heating element can be transferred into the reaction chamber.

9. The liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The power supply includes a first power supply and a second power supply; the first power supply is electrically connected to the light source and provides independent power to the light source; the second power supply is electrically connected to the heating component, the flow control component, and the temperature probe.

10. The liquid temperature-controlled photoreactor according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, It also includes a control system; the control system is signal-connected to the light source, the heating component, the flow control component, and the temperature probe, and is used to control the switching and / or intensity of the light source, and to control the operation of the heating component and the flow control component according to the liquid temperature monitored by the temperature probe.

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