Calorimeter with stabilized temperature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10139292-B2
Application number	US-201415033012-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2014
Priority date	Nov 7, 2013
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a calorimeter including at least one measurement sensor ( 4 ) for receiving at least one sample, and at least three stages ( 1, 2, 3 ) for controlling the temperature, with decreasing size, each including a mounting ( 10, 20, 30 ) and means for controlling the temperature, the smallest stage being associated with said at least one sensor ( 4 ), in which: a first stage ( 1 ) also includes a screen ( 11 ) forming a first enclosure with the mounting ( 10 ) of said first stage; a second stage ( 2 ) is placed inside ( 12 ) said first enclosure and the mounting ( 20 ) thereof is thermally coupled with the mounting ( 10 ) of the first stage by first thermal conductances ( 23 ) comprising Peltier elements; and a third stage ( 3 ) is placed inside the second enclosure defined by the second stage and is thermally coupled with said second stage ( 2 ) by second passive thermal conductances ( 33 ) defining an adapted time-constant value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A calorimeter comprising at least one measurement sensor, intended to receive at least one sample, and at least three stages for regulating temperature, of decreasing size, each comprising a support and temperature regulation means, the stage of smaller size being associated with said at least one measurement sensor, wherein:
a first stage comprising a support and a screen, the first stage defining a first chamber and isolating an inside of the first chamber from temperature variations of an outer environment of the calorimeter, and the temperature regulation means of the first stage allowing isolation of an inside of the first chamber from temperature variations of said outer environment,
a second stage is placed inside said first chamber and its support is thermally coupled with the support of the first stage by first thermal conductances, said first thermal conductances consisting of Peltier effect elements,
a third stage is placed inside a second chamber defined by the second stage and is thermally coupled with said second stage by second passive thermal conductances defining a time constant of between 10 seconds and several hundred seconds, the temperature regulation means of the third stage providing values of temperature required for obtaining measurements by said at least one measurement sensor.

2. The calorimeter according to claim 1 , wherein the first thermal conductances are Peltier effect elements having a cold power for absorbing heat which comes from stages nested in the first stage and form means for regulating the temperature of the second stage.

3. The calorimeter according to claim 1 , wherein, between the support of the first stage and the support of the second stage, is placed a first other stage, thermally decoupled from said first stage.

4. The calorimeter according to claim 3 , wherein said first other stage comprises a support associated with a screen, forming a chamber in which are placed the second stage and the third stage.

5. The calorimeter according to claim 3 , wherein the temperature regulation means of the first other stage are formed by a bath with circulation of a circulation fluid.

6. The calorimeter of claim 5 , wherein the circulation fluid is a silicon oil.

7. The calorimeter according to claim 1 , wherein between the second and third stages is placed a second other stage.

8. The calorimeter according to claim 7 , wherein the second thermal conductances are placed between the support of the second stage and the support of the second other stage, third thermal conductances being provided between the support of the second other stage and the support of the third stage.

9. The calorimeter according to claim 8 , wherein the third thermal conductances define a constant power, the value of which is selected depending on the type of samples to be analyzed.

10. The calorimeter according to claim 9 , wherein said third thermal conductances are Peltier effect elements defining a cold source for the support or the support.

11. The calorimeter according to claim 7 , wherein the second thermal conductances are placed between the support of the second other stage and the support of the third stage, third thermal conductances being provided between the support of the second stage and the support of the second other stage.

12. The calorimeter according to claim 7 , wherein said second other stage is associated with a screen forming a third chamber in the inside of which is placed said third stage.

13. The calorimeter of claim 7 , wherein the second stage also comprises a screen forming a second chamber with the support of this second stage, inside of which is placed said second other stage.

14. The calorimeter of claim 7 , wherein between the second and third stages is placed a second other stage, and wherein said first other stage comprises a support associated with a screen, forming a chamber in which is placed the second other stage.

15. The calorimeter according to claim 1 , wherein the second stage also comprises a screen forming a second chamber with the support of this second stage, inside of which is placed said third stage.

16. The calorimeter according to claim 1 , wherein said third stage also comprises a screen forming another chamber with the support of this third stage, in the inside of which is placed said at least one measurement sensor.

17. The calorimeter according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature regulation means of said first stage are formed by a bath with circulation of a circulation fluid.

18. The calorimeter of claim 17 , wherein the circulation fluid is water.

19. The calorimeter according to claim 1 , wherein all the volume in the inside of the first chamber is in vacuo.

Assignees

• Centre Nat Rech Scient

Inventors

• Garden Jean-Luc
• Brosse-Maron Pierre
• Moiroux Gaël

Classifications

• G01K17/04

  Calorimeters using compensation methods {, i.e. where the absorbed or released quantity of heat to be measured is compensated by a measured quantity of heating or cooling} · CPC title

• G01K17/006

  Microcalorimeters, e.g. using silicon microstructures · CPC title

• G01K17/00 Primary

  Measuring quantity of heat (measuring temperature by calorimetry G01K3/00 - G01K11/00; specially adapted for measuring thermal properties of materials, e.g. specific heat, heat of combustion G01N) · CPC title