System and method for controlling temperature of a rheometer of viscometer
AssigneeThermo Electron (Karlsruhe) GmbH
InventorPhilippe Sierro
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to methods and systems for temperature control, more specifically, a temperature control system for controlling sample temperature of a rheometer or viscosimeter. The temperature control system for a rheometer or a viscometer comprises a heater sub-unit comprising at least an electrical resistor heating element, a Peltier element sub-unit comprising at least a Peltier element; and a displacement system arranged to bring the Peltier element sub-unit into and out of contact with the heater sub-unit.
Claims19
A temperature control system for a rheometer or a viscometer, the temperature control system comprising:
- a heater sub-unit comprising at least an electrical resistor heating element;
- a Peltier element sub-unit comprising at least a Peltier element and a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of at least a part of the Peltier element sub-unit;
- and
- a displacement system arranged to bring the Peltier element sub-unit into and out of contact with the heater sub-unit.
A method of controlling a temperature of a sample analysed by a rheometer or viscometer, comprising:
- loading the sample to the rheometer or viscometer;
- adjusting the temperature of the sample with one or both of:
- a heater sub-unit comprising at least an electrical resistor heating element;
- and
- a Peltier element sub-unit including at least a Peltier element;
- and
- responsive to a temperature of the heater sub-unit, operating a displacement system to bring the Peltier element sub-unit into and out of contact with the heater sub-unit, wherein the method further comprises a first operating mode in which:
- at the temperature of the sample below a first threshold temperature, the displacement system is operated to bring the Peltier element sub-unit in contact with the heater sub-unit and heat the sample with the Peltier element sub-unit;
- and
- responsive to the temperature of the sample is increased from below the first threshold temperature to above the first threshold temperature, the displacement system is operated to bring the Peltier element sub-unit out of contact with the heater sub-unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.