Chiller Ramp Module General Information

Description

The Chiller Ramp is a parking location for up to 6 MTUs that is designed to cool the MTUs via conductive heat transfer into the actively cooled aluminum base.

Interfacing Modules

The Distributor inserts and removes MTUs to/from the Chiller Ramp.

Theory/Sequence of Operation

The Chiller Ramp consists of a slotted aluminum base contained within a box-like housing, with an active cooling unit mounted to the bottom of the base and a PCB mounted to the side of the housing.
The slotted base is curved in the bottom of the slots to match the profile of the bottom of the MTUMulti-tube unit—Container used to process tests in the instrument. An MTU contains five separate reaction tubes. The MTU is moved through the instrument by the linear distributor and includes five tiplets for pipettiing to be used in the mag wash station. tubes.
This shape and the close proximity of the MTU surfaces to the slots in the base are intended to maximize heat transfer out of the liquid in the MTU.
There are also small angled channels in the bottom of the slots in the base that drain away condensate that may form on the surfaces of the base.
The top and front of each slot wall are plastic with features that interface with the MTU to allow it to easily slide in and out of the Chiller Ramp.
There are flexible clips in each slot wall that lightly retain and position the MTU while in the Chiller Ramp.
The housing is fabricated from structural foam that thermally insulates the module and covers the tops of the MTUs while in the Chiller Ramp to prevent contamination.
A small reservoir is located in the back of the module to collect condensate runoff.

The base of the Chiller Ramp is cooled by two Peltier thermoelectric heat pumps.
When a voltage is applied to these devices, one side gets hot while the other gets cold, allowing the device to transfer heat. the cold sides of the Peltiers are attached to the base.
The hot sides of the Peltiers are attached to finned heat sinks on the bottom side of the module that are cooled by a fan.
The fan is mounted to the bottom of a shroud that surrounds the heat sinks and directs the air across the fins and toward the back of the system.
The control board (PCB) mounted to the side of the parking slot provides power to the Peltiers and the fan and also monitors the temperature of the base via a temperature sensor that is embedded in the base.
The control board actively maintains the temperature of the base to the values of the temperature parameters in the modules firmware by controlling the Peltiers.