Gas chromatograph support device and gas chromatograph support method

Abstract

To provide a gas chromatograph support device and a gas chromatograph support method which can reduce a consumption amount of a resource in a gas chromatograph.SOLUTION: A GC support device 100 includes a saving amount evaluation unit 18, a consumption amount evaluation unit 19 and an output unit 21 and is used together with a gas chromatograph. The saving amount evaluation unit 18 evaluates a saving amount of a resource due to stop of the gas chromatograph. The consumption amount evaluation unit 19 evaluates a consumption amount of the resource due to return from the stop state of the gas chromatograph. The output unit 21 presents an evaluation value about the saving amount and the consumption amount to a user. The output unit 21 also controls the operation state of the gas chromatograph on the basis of the evaluation value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gas chromatograph support device and a gas chromatograph support method. [Background technology]

[0002] Gas chromatographs are known as analytical instruments that separate substances contained in a sample into different components. In a gas chromatograph, the sample to be analyzed, vaporized in a sample vaporizer, is introduced into a separation column together with a carrier gas. The sample introduced into the separation column is separated into individual compounds and detected by a detector. A gas chromatogram is generated based on the detection signal from the detector.

[0003] A gas chromatograph may be provided with a function for reducing the consumption of resources such as gas or electricity. For example, the gas chromatograph described in Patent Document 1 is provided with an energy saving mode. After the end of an analysis, a user instructs the execution of the energy saving mode during the waiting period until the next analysis is performed. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of carrier gas used and the amount of electricity consumed without causing damage to the gas chromatograph. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-95072 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, there has been a demand for further reduction in the amount of resources consumed by gas chromatographs. Here, it is possible to reduce the amount of resources consumed by turning off the power when the gas chromatograph is not in use. However, since a large amount of resources is consumed during start-up of the gas chromatograph after the power is turned on, turning off the power may actually increase the amount of resources consumed. Therefore, it is not easy for a user to decide whether or not to turn off the power.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a gas chromatograph support device and a gas chromatograph support method that can reduce the amount of resources consumed in a gas chromatograph. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention relates to a gas chromatograph support device for use together with a gas chromatograph, the gas chromatograph support device comprising: a savings evaluation unit that evaluates an amount of resources saved by stopping the gas chromatograph; a consumption evaluation unit that evaluates an amount of resources consumed by restarting the gas chromatograph from a stopped state; and an output unit that presents an evaluation value relating to the amount of savings and the consumption to a user or controls an operating state of the gas chromatograph based on the evaluation value.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a gas chromatograph support method for supporting use of a gas chromatograph, the gas chromatograph support method being executed by a computer, which evaluates an amount of resource savings resulting from stopping the gas chromatograph, evaluates an amount of resource consumption resulting from restarting the gas chromatograph from a stopped state, and presents an evaluation value relating to the amount of savings and the amount of consumption to a user, or controls an operating state of the gas chromatograph based on the evaluation value. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the amount of resources consumed in a gas chromatograph. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an analysis system including a GC support device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of schedule information. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of specification information. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of specification information. [Diagram 5] 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a functional part of the GC support device of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an expected stop time and an expected return time. [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of an algorithm of a GC assistance process executed by a GC assistance device based on a GC assistance program. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a functional unit of a GC support device according to a modified example. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a GC support device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of an algorithm for a GC support process according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a GC support device according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] 1. First embodiment (1) Analysis system configuration Hereinafter, a GC (gas chromatograph) support device and a GC support method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an analysis system including a GC support device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, an analysis system 300 includes a GC support device 100 and a GC 200. The analysis system 300 may include a plurality of GCs 200.

[0012] The GC support device 100 includes a CPU (central processing unit) 110, a RAM (random access memory) 120, a ROM (read only memory) 130, a storage unit 140, an operation unit 150, a display unit 160, an input / output I / F (interface) 170, and a bus 180. The CPU 110, the RAM 120, the ROM 130, the storage unit 140, the operation unit 150, the display unit 160, and the input / output I / F 170 are connected to the bus 180. The GC support device 100 may be realized by, for example, a personal computer.

[0013] The RAM 120 is used as a working area for the CPU 110. The ROM 130 stores a system program. The storage unit 140 includes a storage medium such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory, and stores various information used in the GC assistance processing described below. The storage unit 140 also stores a GC assistance program. The CPU 110 executes the GC assistance program stored in the storage unit 140 on the RAM 120, thereby performing the GC assistance processing.

[0014] The GC assistance program may be stored in an external storage medium 141, such as a computer-readable CD (Compact Disc)-ROM or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, instead of the storage unit 140. Alternatively, the GC assistance program may be provided in a form stored in the external storage medium 141 and installed in the storage unit 140.

[0015] The operation unit 150 is an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch panel. The display unit 160 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display device. A user can use the operation unit 150 to give various instructions to the CPU 110. The display unit 160 can display the results of processing by the CPU 110. The input / output I / F 170 is connected to a processing device 260 of the GC 200, which will be described later.

[0016] The GC 200 includes a plurality of components. Each of the components of the GC 200 is assigned a unique identifier for identifying the component. In the example of Fig. 1, the components of the GC 200 are a gas supply unit 210, a sample supply unit 220, a sample vaporization chamber 230, a column thermostatic chamber 240, a detector 250, and a processing device 260.

[0017] The gas supply unit 210 is composed of, for example, a gas cylinder, a pump, a flow rate control valve, and a flow path switching valve. The gas supply unit 210 supplies a carrier gas to the sample vaporization chamber 230 or the detector 250. The carrier gas may be, for example, an inert gas such as helium gas, or may be hydrogen gas.

[0018] The sample supply unit 220 includes, for example, an autosampler or an autoinjector. A predetermined amount of the liquid sample to be analyzed is aspirated from a container containing the sample, and the aspirated sample is supplied to the sample vaporization chamber 230. The sample to be analyzed may have been subjected to a predetermined pretreatment. The sample supplied by the sample supply unit 220 is vaporized in the sample vaporization chamber 230. The vaporized sample is introduced into the separation column 241 of the column thermostatic chamber 240 together with the carrier gas supplied by the gas supply unit 210.

[0019] The column thermostatic chamber 240 houses the separation column 241 and maintains the separation column 241 at a predetermined constant temperature. The separation column 241 separates the sample introduced from the sample vaporization chamber 230 into components based on differences in chemical properties or composition. The detector 250 detects the components of the sample separated by the separation column 241, and outputs a detection signal corresponding to the detection intensity to the processing device 260.

[0020] The processing device 260 is composed of, for example, a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and a memory. The processing device 260 controls the operation of each component of the GC 200. The processing device 260 also processes the detection signal output by the detector 250 to generate a gas chromatogram showing the relationship between the retention time of each component in the separation column 241 and the detection intensity. The GC support device 100 may be composed of a part of the processing device 260.

[0021] (2) Schedule information and specification information The GC200 has three operating states: an analysis state, a standby state, and a stopped state. In the analysis state, the above-mentioned sample is analyzed. In the standby state, the power is on, but the consumption of resources (carrier gas or electricity in this example) is kept lower than in the analysis state. In the stopped state, the power is off. Therefore, almost no resources are consumed.

[0022] In this embodiment, the GC support device 100 supports the use of the GC 200 so as to reduce resources consumed by the GC 200 by executing a GC support process. Schedule information and specification information are stored in the storage unit 140 of the GC support device 100 as information used in the GC support process. The schedule information and specification information may be stored in another storage device instead of the storage unit 140.

[0023] The schedule information indicates the work schedule of the user of the GC 200. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the schedule information. As shown in Fig. 2, on weekdays, the user's work start time is 9:00 and the user's work end time is 18:00. On the other hand, on holidays, the user does not work.

[0024] The specification information indicates the specifications of various devices that can be used as components of the GC 200. The specifications mainly include the recovery time and the resource consumption per unit time. The specifications may further include other information such as the device's identifier, dimensions, or operating temperature. The recovery time is the time from when the device is started until the device can operate with a certain degree of stability.

[0025] The resource consumption is the amount of resources consumed by the device. The resource consumption includes the resource consumption per unit time during standby and the resource consumption per unit time during recovery. The resource consumption per unit time during standby is the amount of resources consumed by the device per unit time when the GC 200 is in a standby state. The resource consumption per unit time during recovery is the amount of resources consumed by the device per unit time during the recovery time.

[0026] The resource consumption may further include the resource consumption per unit time during analysis. The resource consumption per unit time during analysis is the amount of resources consumed per unit time in the device when the GC 200 is in an analysis state. Basically, the resource consumption per unit time during recovery and the resource consumption per unit time during analysis are greater than the resource consumption per unit time during standby.

[0027] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of specification information. In the example of Fig. 3, specification information of various detectors that can be used as the detector 250 of the GC 200 is shown. The specification information indicates the recovery time, gas consumption per unit time, and power consumption per unit time of the detector.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the recovery time of an FID (Flame Ionization Detector) or TCD (Thermal Conductivity Detector) is relatively short. The recovery time of an FPD (Flame Photometric Detector) or ECD (Electron Capture Detector) is relatively long. The recovery time of a BID (Barrier Discharge Ionization Detector), FTD (Alkaline Thermal Ionization Detector) or PDD (Pulsed Discharge Photoionization Detector) is very long.

[0029] The recovery time shown in FIG. 3 is an example, and the recovery time differs depending on the stability or maintenance state required for the detector. For example, when high stability is required for the detector, the recovery time is long. On the other hand, when high stability is not required for the detector, the recovery time is short. Therefore, the specification information may indicate multiple recovery times corresponding to multiple stabilities of the detector. Also, the specification information may indicate multiple recovery times corresponding to multiple maintenance states.

[0030] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing another example of the specification information. In the example of Fig. 4, specification information of various column thermostatic baths that can be used as the column thermostatic bath 240 of the GC 200 is shown. The specification information indicates the recovery time and power consumption per unit time of the column thermostatic bath. In a column thermostatic bath, the recovery time becomes longer and the power consumption becomes larger as the volume becomes larger.

[0031] In addition, in the column thermostatic bath, the higher the set temperature is, the longer the recovery time is and the greater the power consumption is. Therefore, the specification information may indicate a plurality of recovery times and a plurality of power consumptions corresponding to a plurality of set temperatures of the column thermostatic bath, respectively.

[0032] (3)GC support device Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the functional units of the GC support device 100 in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 5, the GC support device 100 includes, as the functional unit 10, a schedule information acquisition unit 11, a specification information acquisition unit 12, an identification unit 13, a stop time determination unit 14, a unit saved amount determination unit 15, a return time determination unit 16, a unit consumption determination unit 17, a saved amount evaluation unit 18, a consumption evaluation unit 19, a calculation unit 20, and an output unit 21. The functional unit 10 is realized by the CPU 110 in Fig. 1 executing a GC support program stored in the storage unit 140 or the like. A part or all of the functional unit 10 may be realized by hardware such as an electronic circuit.

[0033] The schedule information acquisition unit 11 acquires schedule information stored in the storage unit 140, etc. The specification information acquisition unit 12 acquires specification information stored in the storage unit 140, etc. The identification unit 13 acquires identifiers assigned to each component from the GC 200 through the input / output I / F 170. The identification unit 13 identifies the components included in the GC 200 based on the acquired identifiers.

[0034] The stop time determination unit 14 determines the time when it is predicted that the GC 200 can be stopped as the expected stop time. In this example, the expected stop time is determined based on the schedule information acquired by the schedule information acquisition unit 11. For example, a time later than the end of work of the user may be determined as the start point of the expected stop time, and a time earlier than the start of work of the user on the next workday may be determined as the end point of the expected stop time.

[0035] The unit saving amount determination unit 15 determines the amount of resources saved per unit time in the GC 200 as the unit saving amount. When the GC 200 is in a standby state, the amount of resources shown in the Y column in Fig. 3 or 4 is consumed per unit time in each component included in the GC 200. Therefore, by stopping the GC 200, the same amount of resources can be saved.

[0036] Therefore, in this example, the unit saving amount is determined based on the specification information acquired by the specification information acquiring unit 12 and the components identified by the identifying unit 13. Specifically, in the specification information acquired by the specification information acquiring unit 12, a value in the Y column corresponding to the components identified by the identifying unit 13 is determined. The sum of the values ​​in the Y column determined for all the components included in GC 200 becomes the unit saving amount.

[0037] The recovery time determination unit 16 determines the time that is predicted to be required from when the GC 200 is started until it becomes operable with a certain degree of stability as the predicted recovery time. In this example, the predicted downtime is determined based on the specification information acquired by the specification information acquisition unit 12 and the components identified by the identification unit 13. Specifically, in the specification information acquired by the specification information acquisition unit 12, the value of the X column (see FIG. 3 or FIG. 4) corresponding to the components identified by the identification unit 13 is determined. The largest value among the values ​​of the X column determined for all the components included in the GC 200 becomes the predicted recovery time.

[0038] The unit consumption amount determination unit 17 determines the consumption amount of resources per unit time in the GC 200 as the unit consumption amount. In this example, the unit consumption amount is determined based on the specification information acquired by the specification information acquisition unit 12 and the components identified by the identification unit 13. Specifically, in the specification information acquired by the specification information acquisition unit 12, a value in the Z column corresponding to the components identified by the identification unit 13 is determined. The sum of the values ​​in the Z column determined for all the components included in the GC 200 becomes the unit consumption amount.

[0039] The saving amount evaluation unit 18 evaluates the amount of resource saving by putting the GC 200 into a stopped state. The saving amount is evaluated by multiplying the expected stop time determined by the stop time determination unit 14 by the unit saving amount determined by the unit saving amount determination unit 15. The consumption amount evaluation unit 19 evaluates the amount of resource consumption by returning the GC 200 from the stopped state. The consumption amount is evaluated by multiplying the expected recovery time determined by the recovery time determination unit 16 by the unit consumption amount determined by the unit consumption amount determination unit 17.

[0040] The calculation unit 20 calculates an evaluation value as a result of comparing the amount of savings evaluated by the savings evaluation unit 18 with the amount of consumption evaluated by the consumption evaluation unit 19. The comparison result may be subtraction of the amount of consumption from the amount of savings, or division of the amount of consumption from the amount of savings. The evaluation value is calculated for each of gas and electricity. A predetermined threshold value is set for the evaluation value for each of gas and electricity. If the evaluation value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, resources can be saved by stopping the GC 200. On the other hand, if the evaluation value is less than the threshold value, resources can be saved by not stopping the GC 200.

[0041] The output unit 21 presents the evaluation value calculated by the calculation unit 20 to the user. In this example, the output unit 21 presents the evaluation value to the user by displaying the evaluation value on the display unit 160. By recognizing the evaluation value presented by the output unit 21, the user can easily determine whether or not resources will be saved by putting the GC 200 into a stopped state.

[0042] (4) Estimated downtime and expected recovery time Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the expected downtime and expected recovery time. In this example, the expected downtime is determined based on schedule information. According to the schedule information in Fig. 2, the user's work start time on weekdays is 9:00 and the work end time is 18:00. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 6, 23:00, which is five hours after 18:00, which is the user's work end time, is determined as the start point of the expected downtime on weekdays.

[0043] In this way, the start of the expected downtime may be a time that is sufficiently later than the end of the user's shift. In this case, the GC 200 remains operable for a certain period of time after the end of the user's shift. This allows the user to end their shift with the GC 200 in a state where an analysis that requires a relatively long time (e.g., continuous batch analysis) is started.

[0044] The end point of the expected downtime is determined to be a time before 9:00, which is the start time of the user's next workday. Therefore, if the start point of the expected downtime is Friday, the end point of the expected downtime is Monday of the following week. The end point of the expected downtime may be determined further based on the specification information acquired by the specification information acquisition unit 12 and the components identified by the identification unit 13.

[0045] For example, as described above, the expected recovery time of the GC 200 is determined by the recovery time determination unit 16 based on the specification information and components. Therefore, the end point of the expected downtime may be determined to be a time point that is earlier than the start time of the user's work on the next business day by the expected recovery time. In this case, the expected downtime can be determined more accurately. In this example, as described later, the expected recovery time is determined to be four hours. Therefore, 5:00, which is four hours before 9:00, which is the start time of the user's work, is determined to be the end point of the expected downtime.

[0046] The expected recovery time is determined based on the specification information and the components. As described above, the components of the GC 200 in Fig. 1 are the gas supply unit 210, the sample supply unit 220, the sample vaporizer 230, the column thermostatic chamber 240, the detector 250, and the processing device 260. Based on the specification information of each component, the longest recovery time among the recovery times of these components is determined as the expected recovery time of the GC 200.

[0047] In this example, an ECD is used as the detector 250 of the GC 200. In this case, among the recovery times of the components of the GC 200, the recovery time of the detector 250 is the longest. As shown in Fig. 3, the recovery time of the ECD is 4 hours. Therefore, the expected recovery time of the GC 200 is determined to be 4 hours.

[0048] If the user determines that stopping the GC200 will reduce resource consumption, the user selects to stop the GC200. In this case, the GC200 is stopped at 11:00 p.m., the start time of the expected stop time, for example, by a timer function. The GC200 also starts at 5:00 a.m., four hours before the user's start time of 9:00 a.m., and returns to normal by the user's start time. This makes it possible to reduce resource consumption even in cases where the resource consumption at the time of return is large.

[0049] On the other hand, if the user determines that stopping the GC 200 would increase resource consumption, the user selects to put the GC 200 into standby rather than stopping it. In this case, the GC 200 goes into standby at 11:00 p.m., which is the start time of the expected stop time, using a timer function, for example. This makes it possible to reduce resource consumption.

[0050] (5)GC Support Processing 7 is a flowchart showing an example of an algorithm of a GC support process executed based on a GC support program by the GC support device 100. The GC support process will be described below with reference to the GC support device 100 in FIG. 5 and the flowchart in FIG.

[0051] First, the schedule information acquisition unit 11 acquires schedule information (step S1). The specification information acquisition unit 12 acquires specification information (step S2). The identification unit 13 identifies components of the GC 200 (step S3). Steps S1 to S3 may be executed either first or simultaneously.

[0052] Next, the downtime determination unit 14 determines an expected downtime of the GC 200 based on the schedule information acquired in step S1 (step S4). The unit savings determination unit 15 determines a unit savings of resources in the GC 200 based on the specification information acquired in step S2 and the components identified in step S3 (step S5).

[0053] The recovery time determination unit 16 determines an expected recovery time of the GC 200 based on the schedule information acquired in step S1 (step S6). The unit consumption amount determination unit 17 determines a unit consumption amount of the resource in the GC 200 based on the schedule information acquired in step S1 (step S7).

[0054] Steps S4 to S7 may be executed either first or simultaneously. In particular, step S4 may be executed before steps S2 and S3, provided that it is executed after step S1. Meanwhile, steps S5 to S7 may be executed before step S1, provided that it is executed after steps S2 and S3.

[0055] Next, the saving amount evaluation unit 18 evaluates the saving amount of the resource based on the expected stop time of the GC 200 determined in step S4 and the unit saving amount of the resource determined in step S5 (step S8). The consumption amount evaluation unit 19 evaluates the consumption amount of the resource based on the expected recovery time of the GC 200 determined in step S6 and the unit consumption amount of the resource determined in step S7 (step S9).

[0056] Steps S8 and S9 may be executed either first or simultaneously. In particular, step S8 may be executed before steps S6 and S7, provided that it is executed after steps S4 and S5. Meanwhile, step S9 may be executed before steps S4 and S5, provided that it is executed after steps S6 and S7.

[0057] After that, the calculation unit 20 calculates an evaluation value relating to the resource saving amount evaluated in step S8 and the resource consumption amount evaluated in step S9 (step S10). In this example, the evaluation value is a comparison result between the resource saving amount and the resource consumption amount. Finally, the output unit 21 presents the evaluation value calculated in step S10 to the user (step S11), and the GC support process ends.

[0058] (6) Effects In the GC assistance device 100 according to this embodiment, the amount of resources saved by stopping the GC 200 is evaluated by a saving amount evaluation unit 18. The amount of resources consumed by restarting the GC 200 from a stopped state is evaluated by a consumption amount evaluation unit 19. Evaluation values ​​relating to the amount of savings and the amount of consumption are presented to the user by an output unit 21.

[0059] According to this configuration, the user can easily determine whether or not resources will be saved by stopping the GC 200 by recognizing the evaluation value presented by the output unit 21. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of resources consumed by the GC 200.

[0060] The evaluation value is calculated by the calculation unit 20 as a result of comparing the amount saved with the amount consumed. In this case, the evaluation value indicates an increase or decrease in the amount of resource consumption caused by stopping the GC 200. This makes it easier to determine whether or not resources are saved by stopping the GC 200.

[0061] The amount of resource saved by stopping the GC 200 is evaluated based on the expected stop time determined by the stop time determination unit 14 and the unit saving amount determined by the unit saving amount determination unit 15. The amount of resource consumed by returning the GC 200 from the stopped state is evaluated based on the expected recovery time determined by the recovery time determination unit 16 and the unit consumption amount determined by the unit consumption amount determination unit 17. In these cases, the amount of resource saved and the amount of resource consumed can be easily evaluated.

[0062] The expected downtime is determined based on the schedule information acquired by the schedule information acquisition unit 11. In this case, the expected downtime can be easily determined based on the user's schedule. The expected downtime may also be determined based on the components included in the GC 200 identified by the identification unit 13 and specification information indicating the specifications of the components acquired by the specification information acquisition unit 12. In this case, the expected downtime can be determined more accurately based on the specifications of the components included in the GC 200.

[0063] The expected recovery time, the unit amount saved, and the unit amount consumed are determined based on the components included in GC 200 identified by the identification unit 13 and the specification information indicating the specifications of the components acquired by the specification information acquisition unit 12. In this case, the unit amount saved, the unit amount consumed, and the expected recovery time can be easily determined based on the specifications of the components included in GC 200.

[0064] (7) Variations In this embodiment, the resource saving amount and consumption amount are evaluated for each of gas and electricity. Therefore, an evaluation value is calculated for each of gas and electricity, and the calculated evaluation value is presented to a user. Here, the evaluation value for gas and the evaluation value for electricity may not match.

[0065] For example, the evaluation value for gas may be equal to or greater than the threshold value, but the evaluation value for power may be less than the threshold value. In this case, when the GC 200 is stopped, the amount of gas consumption is reduced, but the amount of power consumption is increased. Alternatively, the evaluation value for power may be equal to or greater than the threshold value, but the evaluation value for gas may be less than the threshold value. In this case, when the GC 200 is stopped, the amount of power consumption is reduced, but the amount of gas consumption is increased.

[0066] Therefore, the following modifications may be made to the GC support device 100. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of the functional unit 10 of the GC support device 100 according to the modified example. Below, the GC support device 100 in FIG. 8 will be described with respect to the differences from the GC support device 100 in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 8, the functional unit 10 of the GC support device 100 further includes a weight setting unit 22.

[0067] The weight setting unit 22 sets a weight on the evaluation value for either gas or electricity based on the user's designation. Here, the supply costs of gas and electricity change depending on social conditions. Therefore, the user can designate a resource that the user wishes to save more on, taking into account the supply cost, as the target for weight setting. The designation is performed, for example, by operating the operation unit 150. The calculation unit 20 calculates the evaluation value for the resource by multiplying the comparison result between the amount saved and the amount consumed for the resource for which the weight setting unit 22 has set a weight by a predetermined weight coefficient.

[0068] That is, in the GC support process in the modified example, a process is added in which the weight setting unit 22 sets a weight on the evaluation value for either gas or electricity at a point in time prior to step S10. For a resource for which no weighting is set, the calculation unit 20 calculates in step S10 the comparison result between the amount saved determined in step S8 and the amount consumed determined in step S9 as the evaluation value for that resource.

[0069] On the other hand, for a resource for which weighting has been set, the calculation unit 20 calculates an evaluation value for the resource in step S10 by multiplying a comparison result between the amount saved determined in step S8 and the amount consumed determined in step S9 by a predetermined weighting coefficient. This GC support process allows the user to easily make a decision to give priority to saving a desired resource when the evaluation value for gas and the evaluation value for electricity do not match.

[0070] 2. Second embodiment (1) Analysis system configuration Regarding the GC support device 100 and the GC support method according to the second embodiment, differences from the GC support device 100 and the GC support method according to the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration of the GC support device 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Note that, in this embodiment as well, the GC support device 100 may include a weight setting unit 22, similar to Fig. 8.

[0071] As shown in Fig. 9, the output unit 21 is connected to the GC 200 in Fig. 1 via the input / output I / F 170. The output unit 21 also controls the operation state of the GC 200 based on the evaluation value calculated by the calculation unit 20. Specifically, when the evaluation value calculated by the calculation unit 20 satisfies a predetermined condition, the output unit 21 stops the GC 200 at the start of the predicted stop time. In this control, the user does not need to determine whether to stop the GC 200. Therefore, the evaluation value calculated by the calculation unit 20 does not need to be presented to the user.

[0072] (2)GC Support Processing Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an algorithm of the GC support process in the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10, the GC support process in this embodiment includes steps S12 to S14 instead of step S11 of the GC support process in Fig. 7. Specifically, steps S1 to S10 are executed sequentially, similar to the GC support process in Fig. 7. After step S10, the output unit 21 determines whether the evaluation value calculated in step S10 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value (step S12).

[0073] If the evaluation value is equal to or greater than the threshold, the GC 200 is stopped, thereby reducing resource consumption. In this case, the output unit 21 controls the GC 200 to a stopped state at a predetermined time (step S13), and ends the GC support process. On the other hand, if the evaluation value is less than the threshold, the GC 200 is stopped, thereby increasing resource consumption. In this case, the output unit 21 controls the GC 200 to a standby state at a predetermined time (step S14), and ends the GC support process.

[0074] (3) Effects In the GC assistance device 100 according to this embodiment, the amount of resources saved by stopping the GC 200 is evaluated by a saving amount evaluation unit 18. The amount of resources consumed by returning the GC 200 from a stopped state is evaluated by a consumption amount evaluation unit 19. The operating state of the GC 200 is automatically controlled by an output unit 21 based on the evaluation values ​​related to the saving amount and the consumption amount. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of resources consumed by the GC 200.

[0075] Specifically, when the evaluation value calculated by the calculation unit 20 satisfies a predetermined condition, the GC 200 is stopped by the output unit 21. In this case, the amount of resources consumed by the GC 200 can be reduced by simple control.

[0076] 3. Other embodiments (1) In the above embodiment, the expected downtime is determined based on the schedule information acquired by the schedule information acquisition unit 11. Also, the expected recovery time, the unit saving amount, and the unit consumption amount are determined based on the components included in the GC 200 identified by the identification unit 13 and the specification information indicating the specifications of the components acquired by the specification information acquisition unit 12. However, the embodiment is not limited to this.

[0077] At least some of the expected downtime, expected recovery time, unit saving amount, and unit consumption amount may be preset as specified values. Alternatively, the expected downtime may be determined based on a previously recorded downtime of the GC 200 or a statistical value thereof. Similarly, the expected recovery time may be determined based on a previously recorded recovery time of the GC 200 or a statistical value thereof. In these cases, the GC assistance device 100 may not include some or all of the schedule information acquisition unit 11, the specification information acquisition unit 12, and the identification unit 13.

[0078] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a GC support device 100 according to another embodiment. Hereinafter, the GC support device 100 in FIG. 11 will be described with respect to differences from the GC support device 100 in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 11, the GC support device 100 according to this embodiment includes a history information acquisition unit 23 instead of the schedule information acquisition unit 11. Furthermore, the storage unit 140 stores history information indicating the operation history of the GC 200. The operation history includes past stop times and past return times of the GC 200. The history information may be stored in another storage device instead of the storage unit 140.

[0079] The history information acquisition unit 23 acquires history information stored in the storage unit 140 or the like. The stop time determination unit 14 determines the expected stop time based on the past stop time of the GC 200 in the history information acquired by the history information acquisition unit 23. In this case, the expected stop time can be easily determined based on the past stop time of the GC 200. The return time determination unit 16 determines the expected return time based on the past return time of the GC 200 in the history information acquired by the history information acquisition unit 23. In this case, the expected return time can be easily determined based on the past return time of the GC 200.

[0080] Furthermore, when the GC 200 is restored, the stability of the GC 200 (for example, the stability of the signal output by the detector 250) may be measured. The time until the stability of the GC 200 becomes constant may be measured as the restoration time of the GC 200. Furthermore, based on the measured restoration time, the past restoration time of the GC 200 stored in the storage unit 140 or the like may be updated. In this case, the expected restoration time can be determined more accurately based on the most recent restoration time of the GC 200.

[0081] In the GC support device 100 according to this embodiment, the functional unit 10 may include a weight setting unit 22, similar to the GC support device 100 in Fig. 8. Also, similar to the second embodiment, the operating state of the GC 200 may be automatically controlled by the output unit 21 based on the evaluation values ​​related to the saved amount and the consumed amount.

[0082] (2) In the above embodiment, the evaluation values ​​are calculated for both gas and electricity, but the embodiment is not limited to this. If saving on gas is not desired, only the evaluation value for electricity may be calculated, and no evaluation value for gas may be calculated. Alternatively, if saving on electricity is not desired, only the evaluation value for gas may be calculated, and no evaluation value for electricity may be calculated.

[0083] (3) In the first embodiment, the comparison result between the amount of savings evaluated by the savings evaluation unit 18 and the amount of consumption evaluated by the consumption evaluation unit 19 is used as the evaluation value, but the embodiment is not limited to this. Each of the amount of savings and the amount of consumption may be used as the evaluation value. In this case, it is sufficient that the amount of savings and the evaluation value are presented to the user in a comparable manner, and the GC support device 100 does not need to include the calculation unit 20.

[0084] 4. Aspects It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above exemplary embodiments are illustrative of the following aspects.

[0085] (Item 1) A gas chromatograph support device according to one aspect comprises: 1. A gas chromatograph support apparatus for use with a gas chromatograph, comprising: a saving evaluation unit that evaluates a saving amount of resources by stopping the gas chromatograph; a consumption evaluation unit that evaluates the consumption of the resource due to restarting the gas chromatograph from a stopped state; The gas chromatograph may further include an output unit that presents an evaluation value relating to the amount of savings and the amount of consumption to a user, or controls an operating state of the gas chromatograph based on the evaluation value.

[0086] According to this configuration, the user can easily determine whether or not stopping the gas chromatograph will save resources by recognizing the evaluation value presented by the output unit. Alternatively, the operating state of the gas chromatograph is automatically controlled by the output unit based on the evaluation value. This makes it possible to reduce the consumption of resources in the gas chromatograph.

[0087] (2) The gas chromatograph support device according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises: The energy saving device may further include a calculation unit that calculates a comparison result between the amount saved and the amount consumed as the evaluation value.

[0088] In this case, the increase or decrease in the amount of resource consumption resulting from stopping the gas chromatograph is indicated by the evaluation value, which makes it easier to determine whether or not resources can be saved by stopping the gas chromatograph.

[0089] (Item 3) In the gas chromatograph support device according to item 2, The output unit may stop the gas chromatograph when the evaluation value calculated by the calculation unit satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0090] In this case, the amount of resources consumed in the gas chromatograph can be reduced with simple control.

[0091] (4) In the gas chromatography support device according to the second or third aspect, The system may further include a weight setting unit that sets a weight on the evaluation value for either a first resource or a second resource among the resources based on a user's designation.

[0092] According to this configuration, when the evaluation value for the first resource and the evaluation value for the second resource are not consistent, the user can easily make a decision to prioritize saving of the desired resource.

[0093] (5) The gas chromatograph support device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, a stop time determination unit that determines an expected stop time of the gas chromatograph; a unit savings amount determination unit that determines a saved amount of the resource per unit time in the gas chromatograph as a unit savings amount, The savings assessment unit may assess the savings based on the expected downtime and the unit savings.

[0094] In this case, the amount of resources saved by shutting down the gas chromatograph can be easily evaluated.

[0095] (Item 6) The gas chromatograph support device according to item 5, a schedule information acquisition unit that acquires schedule information indicating a schedule of a user of the gas chromatograph; The downtime determination unit may determine the expected downtime based on the schedule information.

[0096] In this case, expected downtime can be easily determined based on the user's schedule.

[0097] (7) The gas chromatograph support device according to the 6th aspect of the present invention comprises: An identification unit that identifies components included in the gas chromatograph; a specification information acquisition unit that acquires specification information indicating a specification of the component, The downtime determination unit may determine the expected downtime further based on the components and the specification information.

[0098] In this case, the expected outage time can be more accurately determined based on the specifications of the components contained in the gas chromatograph.

[0099] (Item 8) The gas chromatograph support device according to any one of items 5 to 7, A history information acquisition unit that acquires history information indicating an operation history of the gas chromatograph, The downtime determination unit may determine the expected downtime based on past downtimes of the gas chromatograph in the history information.

[0100] In this case, the expected downtime can be readily determined based on the past downtimes of the gas chromatograph.

[0101] (Item 9) The gas chromatograph support device according to any one of items 5 to 8, An identification unit that identifies components included in the gas chromatograph; a specification information acquisition unit that acquires specification information indicating a specification of the component, The unit savings determination unit may determine the unit savings based on the components and the specification information.

[0102] In this case, the unit savings can be easily determined based on the specifications of the components included in the gas chromatograph.

[0103] (Item 10) The gas chromatograph support device according to any one of items 1 to 9, a recovery time determination unit that determines an expected recovery time of the gas chromatograph; a unit consumption amount determination unit that determines a consumption amount of the resource per unit time in the gas chromatograph as a unit consumption amount, The consumption amount evaluation unit may evaluate the consumption amount based on the predicted recovery time and the unit consumption amount.

[0104] In this case, the amount of resources consumed by restarting the gas chromatograph from a stopped state can be easily evaluated.

[0105] (Item 11) The gas chromatograph support device according to item 10, An identification unit that identifies components included in the gas chromatograph; a specification information acquisition unit that acquires specification information indicating a specification of the component, The recovery time determination unit may determine the expected recovery time based on the components and the specification information.

[0106] In this case, the expected recovery time can be readily determined based on the specifications of the components included in the gas chromatograph.

[0107] (Item 12) The gas chromatograph support device according to item 10 or 11, A history information acquisition unit that acquires history information indicating an operation history of the gas chromatograph, The recovery time determination unit may determine the predicted recovery time based on past recovery times of the gas chromatograph in the history information.

[0108] In this case, the expected return time can be readily determined based on the past return times of the gas chromatograph.

[0109] (Item 13) The gas chromatograph support device according to any one of items 10 to 12, An identification unit that identifies components included in the gas chromatograph; a specification information acquisition unit that acquires specification information indicating a specification of the component, The unit consumption amount determination section may determine the unit consumption amount based on the components and the specification information.

[0110] In this case, the unit consumption can be easily determined based on the specifications of the components included in the gas chromatograph.

[0111] (Item 14) A gas chromatograph support method according to another aspect includes the steps of: 1. A method for assisting in the use of a gas chromatograph, comprising: assessing the resource savings of shutting down the gas chromatograph; Evaluating the consumption of the resource by reviving the gas chromatograph from a shutdown state; presenting an evaluation value relating to the amount of saving and the amount of consumption to a user, or controlling an operating state of the gas chromatograph based on the evaluation value; It may be implemented by a computer.

[0112] According to this configuration, the user can easily determine whether stopping the gas chromatograph will save resources by recognizing the presented evaluation value. Alternatively, the operating state of the gas chromatograph is automatically controlled based on the evaluation value. This makes it possible to reduce the consumption of resources in the gas chromatograph. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 10...functional section, 11...schedule information acquisition section, 12...specification information acquisition section, 13...identification section, 14...stop time determination section, 15...unit saving amount determination section, 16...return time determination section, 17...unit consumption amount determination section, 18...saving amount evaluation section, 19...consumption amount evaluation section, 20...calculation section, 21...output section, 22...weight setting section, 23...history information acquisition section, 100...GC support device, 110...CPU, 120...RAM, 130...ROM, 140...storage section, 141...external storage medium, 150...operation section, 160...display section, 170...input / output I / F, 180...bus, 200...GC, 210...gas supply section, 220...sample supply section, 230...sample vaporization chamber, 240...column thermostatic chamber, 250...detector, 260...processing device, 300...analysis system

Claims

1. 1. A gas chromatograph support apparatus for use with a gas chromatograph, comprising: a saving evaluation unit that evaluates a saving amount of resources by stopping the gas chromatograph; a consumption evaluation unit that evaluates the consumption of the resource due to restarting the gas chromatograph from a stopped state; and an output unit that presents an evaluation value relating to the amount of savings and the amount of consumption to a user, or controls an operating state of the gas chromatograph based on the evaluation value.

2. The gas chromatograph support device according to claim 1 , further comprising a calculation unit that calculates a comparison result between the amount of savings and the amount of consumption as the evaluation value.

3. The gas chromatograph support device according to claim 2 , wherein the output unit stops the gas chromatograph when the evaluation value calculated by the calculation unit satisfies a predetermined condition.

4. 4. The gas chromatograph support device according to claim 2, further comprising a weight setting unit that sets a weight on the evaluation value for either a first resource or a second resource among the resources based on a user's designation.

5. a stop time determination unit that determines an expected stop time of the gas chromatograph; a unit savings amount determination unit that determines a saved amount of the resource per unit time in the gas chromatograph as a unit savings amount, 4. The gas chromatograph support device according to claim 1, wherein the savings evaluation unit evaluates the savings based on the expected downtime and the unit savings.

6. a schedule information acquisition unit that acquires schedule information indicating a schedule of a user of the gas chromatograph; The gas chromatograph support device according to claim 5 , wherein the downtime determination unit determines the expected downtime based on the schedule information.

7. An identification unit that identifies components included in the gas chromatograph; a specification information acquisition unit that acquires specification information indicating a specification of the component, The gas chromatograph support device according to claim 6 , wherein the downtime determination unit determines the expected downtime further based on the components and the specification information.

8. A history information acquisition unit that acquires history information indicating an operation history of the gas chromatograph, The gas chromatograph support device according to claim 5 , wherein the downtime determination unit determines the expected downtime based on past downtimes of the gas chromatograph in the history information.

9. An identification unit that identifies components included in the gas chromatograph; a specification information acquisition unit that acquires specification information indicating a specification of the component, The gas chromatograph support device according to claim 5 , wherein the unit savings determination unit determines the unit savings based on the components and the specification information.

10. a recovery time determination unit that determines an expected recovery time of the gas chromatograph; a unit consumption amount determination unit that determines a consumption amount of the resource per unit time in the gas chromatograph as a unit consumption amount, 4. The gas chromatograph support device according to claim 1, wherein the consumption evaluation unit evaluates the consumption based on the predicted recovery time and the unit consumption.

11. An identification unit that identifies components included in the gas chromatograph; a specification information acquisition unit that acquires specification information indicating a specification of the component, The gas chromatograph support device according to claim 10 , wherein the recovery time determination unit determines the expected recovery time based on the components and the specification information.

12. A history information acquisition unit that acquires history information indicating an operation history of the gas chromatograph, The gas chromatograph support device according to claim 10 , wherein the recovery time determination unit determines the predicted recovery time based on past recovery times of the gas chromatograph in the history information.

13. An identification unit that identifies components included in the gas chromatograph; a specification information acquisition unit that acquires specification information indicating a specification of the component, The gas chromatograph support device according to claim 10 , wherein the unit consumption amount determining section determines the unit consumption amount based on the components and the specification information.

14. 1. A method for assisting in the use of a gas chromatograph, comprising: Evaluating the resource savings of shutting down the gas chromatograph; Evaluating the consumption of the resource by reviving the gas chromatograph from a shutdown state; presenting an evaluation value relating to the amount of saving and the amount of consumption to a user, or controlling an operating state of the gas chromatograph based on the evaluation value; A computer implemented gas chromatograph assisted method.

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