Apparatus equipped with sample temperature control function
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dew condensation occurs in the temperature control space of air temperature control systems for liquid chromatographs when switching from cooling to heating, leading to malfunctions such as rusting and short-circuiting due to the rapid increase in air temperature and dew point.
Innovation Solution
An air temperature control system with a first temperature control element for cooling and a second temperature control element for heating, which performs dehumidification and heating simultaneously to lower the dew point temperature, and a temperature control part that executes dehumidifying heating until the temperature exceeds the dew point, preventing dew condensation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If air temperature control system is used to cool or heat the temperature control space entirely, then uniform cooling or heating of the sample plate is achieved, but dew condensation occurs when switching from cooling to heating temperature control
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature control system is segmented into two independent temperature control elements: a first temperature control element for cooling and a second temperature control element for heating. This segmentation allows independent control of cooling and heating functions, enabling the system to perform dehumidification and heating simultaneously without the dew condensation problems that occur in single-element systems when switching between cooling and heating modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The first temperature control element is designed to perform multiple functions: it can cool air during cooling temperature control and can also dehumidify air during heating temperature control. This multi-functionality allows the same component to serve different purposes at different times, resolving the contradiction by enabling dew condensation prevention through dehumidification while maintaining uniform temperature distribution.
2Speed
If direct temperature control system is used with Peltier element attached to metal plate, then fast response speed of temperature control is achieved, but difficult to uniformly cool or heat the sample plate
Solution Approach 1:
Air serves as an intermediary medium between the temperature control elements and the sample plate. The temperature control elements heat or cool the air, and the air then uniformly distributes the thermal energy throughout the temperature control space, ensuring uniform temperature distribution across the sample plate while maintaining fast response speed through direct air-to-sample heat transfer.
3Temperature
If heating temperature control is performed after cooling temperature control, then temperature of sample is increased, but dew condensation occurs on component surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
Before performing heating temperature control, the system performs preliminary dehumidification of the air in the temperature control space using the first temperature control element. This preliminary action removes excess moisture from the air, lowering the dew point temperature, and prevents dew condensation from occurring when heating subsequently raises the temperature of components in the temperature control space.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively suppresses dew condensation during heating temperature control by dehumidifying and heating the air simultaneously, improving heating efficiency and preventing malfunctions in the temperature control space.
Implementation Method 1
a first temperature control element provided for performing at least cooling of air taken in from the air intake portion on a path of the air
Implementation Method 2
a second temperature control element that is driven independently of the first temperature control element and provided to perform at least heating of air taken in from the air intake portion downstream of the first temperature control element on a path of the air
Implementation Method 3
a fan for blowing air taken in from the air intake portion toward the sample contained in the temperature control space
Data Source
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AI summary
To suppress generation of dew condensation in temperature control space when heating temperature control is performed. In an apparatus, an air temperature control part for cooling or heating air in temperature control space has a first temperature control element for performing at least cooling of air, and a second temperature control element for performing at least heating of air downstream of the first temperature control element. In this manner, when heating temperature control is performed, cooling and dehumidification of air taken in from an air intake portion can be performed by the first temperature control element, and then heating of the dehumidified air can be performed by the second temperature control element.