Rapid cooling device and method for a calibration bath

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10656031-B2
Application number	US-201715465055-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2017
Priority date	Mar 21, 2017
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A device includes a chamber having an interior surface formed from a material that reflects infrared energy. A tank is disposed within the chamber. A bottom wall of the tank is spaced apart from a bottom wall of the chamber, and side walls of the tank are spaced apart from side walls of the chamber. A conduit is formed between the bottom wall of the tank and the bottom wall of the chamber and between the side walls of the tank and the side walls of the chamber. A fan or pump moves air into the conduit past the bottom and side walls of the tank to cool a fluid disposed within the tank. A processor controls a speed at which a motor of the fan or pump rotates based on input received from one or more temperature sensors.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a chamber including a bottom wall and a plurality of side walls;
a tank disposed within the chamber, the tank including a bottom wall and a plurality of side walls, the bottom wall of the tank being spaced apart from the bottom wall of the chamber, the side walls of the tank being spaced apart from the side walls of the chamber;
a first motor which, in operation, rotates a propeller disposed within the tank, wherein the propeller includes a plurality of blades which, in operation, moves a fluid disposed within the tank toward at least one of the side walls while the propeller rotates in a predetermined direction;
a conduit formed by the bottom wall of the tank, the bottom wall of the chamber, the side walls of the tank, and the side walls of the chamber;
a second motor which, in operation, rotates a fluid propulsion device, wherein the fluid propulsion device, in operation, moves air into the conduit past the bottom wall and side walls of the tank, the air moving in the conduit contacting an exterior surface of the tank; and
a processor coupled to the first motor and the second motor, wherein the processor, in operation, controls a plurality of speeds at which the first motor rotates and controls a plurality of speeds at which the second motor rotates.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor, in operation, controls the plurality of speeds at which the second motor rotates by causing a control signal to be supplied to the second motor, the control signal being a pulse-width modulated signal having a maximum duty cycle that is less than one-hundred percent.

3. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to:
obtain a first indication of a current temperature of a fluid disposed within the tank;
obtain an indication of a desired temperature of the fluid disposed within the tank;
obtain a first power level value, based on the first indication of the current temperature of the fluid and the indication of the desired temperature of the fluid; and
generate a first control signal based on the first power level value, the first control signal causing the second motor to rotate at a first speed.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the instructions stored by the memory, when executed by the processor, cause the device to:
obtain a second indication of the current temperature of the fluid disposed within the tank;
obtain a second power level value, based on the second indication of the current temperature of the fluid and the indication of the desired temperature of the fluid; and
generate a second control signal based on the second power level value, the second control signal causing the second motor to rotate at a second speed, the second speed being different from the first speed.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the first speed is greater than the second speed, and the instructions stored by the memory, when executed by the processor, cause the device to generate the first control signal before generating the second control signal.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to:
obtain an indication of an ambient temperature;
obtain an indication of a current temperature of a fluid disposed within the tank;
obtain an indication of a desired temperature of the fluid disposed within the tank;
obtain a power level value, based on the indication of the ambient temperature, the indication of the current temperature of the fluid, and the indication of the desired temperature of the fluid;
generate a control signal based on the power level value; and
provide the control signal to the second motor.

7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a heater circuit which, in operation, generates heat within the tank.

8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more temperature sensors; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to control the speed at which the second motor rotates based on input from the one or more temperature sensors.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein an interior surface of the chamber reflects thermal energy incident thereon.

10. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first valve disposed adjacent to an inlet of the conduit, wherein the first valve, in operation, enables air moved by the fluid propulsion device to flow through the first valve into the conduit and prevents air within the conduit from flowing through the first valve out of the conduit.

11. The device of claim 10 , further comprising:
a second valve disposed adjacent to an outlet of the conduit, wherein the second valve, in operation, enables the air within the conduit to flow through the second valve out of the conduit and prevents air outside of the conduit from flowing through the second valve into the conduit.

12. A method, comprising:
providing a chamber including a bottom wall and a plurality of side walls;
providing a tank within the chamber, the tank including a bottom wall and a plurality of side walls, the bottom wall of the tank being spaced apart from the bottom wall of the chamber, the side walls of the tank being spaced apart from the side walls of the chamber, and a conduit being formed by the bottom wall of the tank, the bottom wall of the chamber, the side walls of the tank, and the side walls of the chamber;
providing a first motor which, in operation, rotates a propeller disposed within the tank, wherein the propeller includes a plurality of blades which, in operation, moves a fluid disposed within the tank toward at least one of the side walls while the propeller rotates in a predetermined direction;
providing a second motor which, in operation, rotates a fluid propulsion device, wherein the fluid propulsion device, in operation, moves air into the conduit and past the bottom wall and side walls of the tank, the air moving in the conduit contacting an exterior surface of the tank; and
coupling a processor to the first motor;
controlling a plurality of speeds at which the first motor rotates using the processor,
coupling the processor to a second motor; and
controlling a plurality of speeds at which the second motor rotates using the processor.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
reflecting thermal energy incident on an interior surface of the chamber toward the tank.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
obtaining a first indication of a current temperature of a fluid disposed within the tank;
obtaining an indication of a desired temperature of the fluid disposed within the tank;
obtaining a first power level value, based on the first indication of the current temperature of the fluid and the indication of the desired temperature of the fluid;
generating a first control signal based on the first power level value; and
providing the first control signal to the second motor, the first control signal causing the second motor to rotate at a first speed.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
obtaining a second indication of the current temperature of the fluid disposed within the tank;
obtaining a second power level value based on the second indication of the current temperature of the fluid and the indication of the desired temperature of the fluid;
generating a second control signal based on the second power level value; and
providing the second control signal to the second motor, the second control signal causing the motor to rotate at a

Assignees

• Fluke Corp

Inventors

• Farley David W
• Hirst Michael W

Classifications

• G01K15/005 Primary

  Calibration · CPC title

• G01K15/002 Primary

  Calibrated temperature sources, temperature standards therefor (arrangements with respect to the cold junction of thermo-electric elements G01K7/12) · CPC title