Chromatographic system temperature control system

• US 10,481,137 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2019
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valco Instruments Company, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Valco Instruments Company LP
• Inventors: Stearns, Stanley D., Cai, Huamin, Bishop, Chris, Simpson, Robert, Cowles, Chris S., Ashworth, Dale, Dailey, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): West, Paul M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shabman, Mark A
• Application Number:
  US16/460,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20190323999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 140 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/3069 electrical resistance used to determine control temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/3076 using specially adapted T(t) profile
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/3084 ovens
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/30 of temperature

Abstract

A temperature controller for simultaneously controlling the temperatures of a plurality of heating elements for use in chromatographic analysis including columns, detectors, valves, transport lines and other components.

Claims

1. A chromatographic temperature control system, comprising:

a processor, a first electrically-controlled heating element output, a second electrically-controlled heating element output, a first temperature sensor input, and a second temperature sensor input;

the processor adapted to receive a first temperature sensor signal at the first temperature sensor input and to construct a first actual time-temperature profile;

the processor adapted to receive a second temperature sensor signal at the second temperature sensor input and to construct a second actual time-temperature profile;

the processor adapted to receive a first time-temperature profile for a first chromatographic component;

the processor adapted to receive a second time-temperature profile for a second chromatographic component selected from the group of the first time-temperature profile and a first actual time-temperature profile of the first chromatographic component;

the processor having a first power supply control for controlling a first output from a power supply to the first electrically-controlled heating element output;

the processor having a second power supply control for controlling a second output from the power supply to the second electrically-controlled heating element output;

the processor adapted to alter the first output from the power supply so the first actual time-temperature profile approaches the first time-temperature profile; and

the processor adapted to alter the second output from the power supply so the second actual time-temperature profile approaches the second time-temperature profile.

2. The chromatographic temperature control system of claim 1 further comprising:

the first chromatographic component selected from the group consisting of a transport line, a valve, a sample loop, a column, and a detector;

the second chromatographic component selected from the group consisting of a transport line, a valve, a sample loop, a column, and a detector;

a first electrically-controlled heating element associated with the first chromatographic component;

a second electrically-controlled heating element associated with the second chromatographic component;

a first temperature sensor associated with the first chromatographic component, the first temperature sensor generating the first temperature sensor signal;

a second temperature sensor associated with the second chromatographic component, the second temperature sensor generating the second temperature sensor signal; and

the power supply.

3. The chromatographic temperature control system of claim 2 wherein one of the first electrically-controlled heating element and the second electrically-controlled heating element is a wire composed of nickel.

4. The chromatographic temperature control system of claim 2 wherein one of the first electrically-controlled heating element and the second electrically-controlled heating element is a wire composed of a nickel alloy.

5. The chromatographic temperature control system of claim 2 further comprising a fan to induce air flow about one of the first component and the second component, wherein the processor has a third power supply control for controlling a third output from the power supply to the fan.

6. A method for controlling at least two chromatographic components in a chromatographic system, comprising:

determining a power/temperature relationship for a first component;

determining a power/temperature relationship for a second component;

receiving a time/temperature profile for the first component;

receiving an input whether a time/temperature profile for the second component will track an actual time/temperature profile of the first component;

applying power to the first component to alter the temperature of the first component according to the power-temperature relationship for the first component;

obtaining a temperature measurement of the first component;

constructing an actual time-temperature profile of the first component;

adjusting the power supplied to the first component to alter the temperature of the first component according to the power-temperature relationship for the first component as determined by the temperature measurement of the first component;

applying power to the second component to alter the temperature of the second component according to one of the power-temperature relationship for the first component and the actual time-temperature profile of the first component;

obtaining a temperature measurement of the second component; and

adjusting the power supplied to the first component to alter the temperature of the second component according to one of the power-temperature relationship for the first component and the actual time-temperature profile of the first component as determined by the temperature measurement of the second component.