Thermoelectric Cooling for Gas Sorption Measuring Cells

The patent implements a nested insulation structure where an inner vacuum insulation vessel is placed inside an outer vacuum insulation vessel, creating multiple insulation layers. This nested configuration significantly reduces heat flow into the cooling medium compared to conventional single-layer insulation, thereby reducing cryogenic liquid consumption without requiring a complete redesign of the device structure.

The patent introduces an intermediary active cooling system (Peltier element) between the measuring cell and the cryogenic cooling medium. This active cooling intermediary compensates for heat ingress by actively pumping heat away from the measuring cell, reducing the thermal load on the cryogenic liquid and minimizing its consumption.

The patent replaces complex mechanical cooling systems (such as moving parts, compressors, or complex thermal management mechanisms) with a solid-state Peltier element. This substitution maintains excellent temperature stability and control precision while significantly reducing mechanical complexity, moving parts, and maintenance requirements.

The patent utilizes the Peltier element's ability to change thermal parameters (heat flow direction and magnitude) by simply changing the electrical current parameters. By controlling the electrical current through the Peltier element, the system can precisely adjust the cooling power to maintain stable temperature across a wide range (70 K to 325 K) without adding complex mechanical temperature adjustment mechanisms.

The patent implements a continuous cooling system where the nested vacuum insulation maintains low thermal ingress and the Peltier element continuously actively cools the measuring cell. This continuous cooling approach ensures stable temperature maintenance over extended periods without interruption, enabling longer measuring times and eliminating frequent pauses for refilling cryogenic liquids.

The patent creates a self-regulating cooling system where the Peltier element automatically adjusts its cooling output based on temperature feedback (through thermal coupling and control circuits) to maintain the desired temperature. This self-service capability reduces the need for manual intervention and monitoring, allowing the system to operate autonomously for extended periods without operator involvement for refilling or adjustment.

The patent applies local quality optimization by using nitrogen (the cheaper cooling medium) in the outer vacuum insulation space where thermal insulation is the primary function, while using argon (the more expensive but measurement-optimized probe molecule) only in the immediate vicinity of the measuring cell where measurement quality is critical. This localized approach maintains high measurement precision while minimizing the quantity and cost of expensive argon required.

The patent changes the thermal parameters of the cooling system through the Peltier element to enable precise temperature control using nitrogen as the primary cooling medium. By actively controlling the temperature of the measuring cell through the Peltier element, the system can achieve the temperature stability previously only attainable with argon, thereby allowing the use of cheaper nitrogen without compromising measurement quality.