JP3191627U - Chromatograph - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a chromatograph capable of suppressing wasteful consumption of electric power. SOLUTION: In a chromatograph in which a plurality of columns 2 can be arranged in a column arrangement area A1 in a column oven 3, when at least one column 2 is not attached, a heat insulating material 9 is placed in the column arrangement area A1. It is provided in the column oven 3 so as to enter a part of the oven. As a result, the column 2 can be heated in a state where the unnecessary space in the column arrangement region A1 is reduced, so that wasteful consumption of electric power can be suppressed. [Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a chromatograph capable of accommodating a plurality of columns in a column oven.

  In gas chromatographs and liquid chromatographs, samples are introduced into the column from the sample introduction section, and each component in the sample separated in the process of passing through the column is detected by a detector to analyze the sample. be able to. The column is housed in a column oven, and analysis can be performed while heating the column in the column oven.

  Some of such chromatographs can accommodate a plurality of columns in a column oven (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below). In the column oven in this type of chromatograph, an inlet side connecting part for connecting the inlet side of the column to the sample introduction part, and an outlet side connecting part for connecting the outlet side of the column to the detector, A plurality is provided in association with each column.

  In the column oven, an area (column arrangement area) for arranging the column is provided. If a plurality of columns are respectively connected to the corresponding inlet side connecting portions and outlet side connecting portions, these columns are arranged side by side in the column arrangement region. A heater is provided in the column oven, and the heater is driven with power sufficient to sufficiently heat the columns even in a state where a plurality of columns are arranged in the column arrangement region.

JP 2000-131303 A

  However, even in the case of a chromatograph in which a plurality of columns can be arranged in a column oven as described above, in practice, the analysis is often performed with only one column attached. In this case, the heater is driven in a state where there is an unnecessary space in the column arrangement region, and there is a problem that power is wasted.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said situation, and it aims at providing the chromatograph which can suppress the useless consumption of electric power.

  The chromatograph according to the present invention includes a column oven, a column mounting portion, and a heat insulating material. The column oven houses and heats the column. The column attachment portion is provided in the column oven and attached so that a plurality of columns are arranged in a column arrangement region. The heat insulating material is provided in the column oven so as to enter a part of the column arrangement region in a state where at least one column is not attached to the column attaching portion.

  According to such a configuration, when at least one column is not attached to the column attachment portion, an unnecessary space is provided by providing the heat insulating material in the column oven so as to enter a part of the column arrangement region. Can be filled with insulation. Thereby, since the column can be heated in a state where unnecessary space in the column arrangement region is reduced, wasteful consumption of power can be suppressed.

  The said heat insulating material may be provided so that attachment or detachment with respect to the said column oven is possible.

  According to such a configuration, the heat insulating material can be attached to the column oven only when necessary. Therefore, even if the configuration of the conventional chromatograph is not changed, wasteful power consumption can be suppressed with an inexpensive configuration in which the heat insulating material is simply attached to and detached from the column oven as necessary.

  The column oven may include a main body having an opening, and an opening / closing door attached to the main body and capable of opening and closing the opening. In this case, the heat insulating material may be detachable from the door.

  According to such a configuration, after the heat insulating material is attached to the open / close door with the open / close door open, the heat insulating material can be arranged from the opening to the column arrangement region in the main body by closing the open / close door. it can. Therefore, the heat insulating material can be easily attached and detached outside the main body, and the heat insulating material can be easily arranged in the column arrangement region by opening and closing the door.

  Further, when the column is attached to or detached from the column attachment portion, the opening / closing door is opened and the work is performed through the opening. Accordingly, the column can be attached and detached and the heat insulating material can be attached and detached at a time with the open / close door open, so that the efficiency of the work can be improved.

  The chromatograph may further include a heater for heating the inside of the column oven. In this case, the heater may be provided in a heater arrangement region located on the side opposite to the opening side with respect to the column arrangement region in the column oven. The plurality of columns attached to the column attachment portion may be arranged so as to be aligned from the heater arrangement region side to the opening side in the column arrangement region.

  According to such a configuration, by attaching a plurality of columns to the column attachment portion as necessary, these columns can be arranged side by side from the heater arrangement region side to the opening side in the column arrangement region. In consideration of the heating efficiency of the column, it is preferable that the column is arranged in order from the heater arrangement region side where the heater is provided. Therefore, when at least one column is not attached, an unnecessary space is generated on the opening side in the column arrangement region, but the unnecessary space can be filled with a heat insulating material attached to the door. Thereby, wasteful consumption of power can be effectively suppressed while heating the column efficiently.

  The chromatograph may further include a fan that stirs the air in the column oven by rotating about a rotation axis. In this case, the said heat insulating material may be provided in the surface facing the rotation surface of the said fan orthogonal to the said rotating shaft.

  According to such a configuration, since the heat insulating material is provided on the surface facing the rotation surface of the fan, compared with the configuration in which the heat insulating material is provided on the other surface, the inside of the column oven stirred by the fan It is possible to prevent the air flow from being obstructed by the heat insulating material. Thereby, wasteful consumption of electric power can be effectively suppressed while the column is stably heated.

  The heat insulating material may be arranged symmetrically with respect to the rotation axis.

  According to such a configuration, since the heat insulating material is symmetrically arranged with respect to the rotation axis of the fan, the flow of air in the column oven agitated by the fan is compared with a configuration in which the heat insulating material is not symmetrically arranged. It is possible to suppress obstruction by the heat insulating material. Thereby, wasteful consumption of power can be effectively suppressed while heating the column more stably.

  According to the present invention, since the inside of the column can be heated in a state where unnecessary space in the column arrangement region is reduced, wasteful consumption of power can be suppressed.

It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the internal structure of the chromatograph which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the state which opened the door of the chromatograph of FIG.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the internal configuration of a chromatograph 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The chromatograph 1 is a gas chromatograph that performs analysis by introducing a sample into the column 2 using a carrier gas. FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the chromatograph 1 as viewed from above, with the lower direction being the front and the upper direction being the rear.

  The chromatograph 1 is provided with a column oven 3 that houses and heats the column 2. The column oven 3 includes a hollow main body 31 and an opening / closing door 32 attached to the main body 31. An opening 311 is formed on the front surface of the main body 31, and the opening 311 can be opened and closed by the opening / closing door 32. The wall surfaces of the main body 31 and the open / close door 32 are provided with a heat insulating material (not shown). When the open / close door 32 is closed, the column 2 is heated in the heat insulating space formed in the main body 31. Can do.

  In the present embodiment, a plurality of columns 2 are accommodated in a column oven 3 and can be analyzed. A sample introduction unit 4 for introducing a sample into the column 2 and a detector 5 for detecting a sample component in the sample that has passed through the column 2 are provided in the main body 31 in association with each column 2. It has been. Between each sample introduction part 4 and each detector 5 in the column oven 3, a column arrangement region A1 for arranging a plurality of columns 2 is formed.

  Each sample introduction part 4 is provided with an inlet side connection part 41 for connecting the inlet side of the column 2. On the other hand, each detector 5 is provided with an outlet side connection portion 51 for connecting the outlet side of the column 2. Each inlet side connection part 41 and each outlet side connection part 51 constitute a column attachment part for attaching the plurality of columns 2 so as to be arranged in the column arrangement region A1.

  Each inlet side connection part 41 is arranged side by side in the front-rear direction. Similarly, the outlet side connection parts 51 are also arranged in the front-rear direction. Thereby, the plurality of columns 2 attached to each inlet side connection portion 41 and each outlet side connection portion 51 are arranged in the column arrangement region A1 in the front-rear direction.

  A heater arrangement area A2 is formed on the rear side in the main body 31, that is, on the side opposite to the opening 311 with respect to the column arrangement area A1. A heater 6 for heating the inside of the main body 31 is provided in the heater arrangement area A2. In this example, the heater placement area A <b> 2 is partitioned by a partition plate 312 provided in the main body 31, and the heater 6 is attached to the back surface of the partition plate 312. In the partition plate 312, for example, a plurality of openings are formed.

  In addition to the heater 6, a temperature sensor 7 and a fan 8 are provided in the heater arrangement area A2. By providing the heater 6, the temperature sensor 7, and the fan 8 in the heater arrangement area A2 partitioned by the partition plate 312, it is possible to prevent the operator from touching these components.

  The temperature in the main body 31 is detected by the temperature sensor 7. By controlling the driving of the heater 6 while detecting the temperature in the main body 31 with the temperature sensor 7, the constant temperature analysis for performing analysis with the column 2 kept at a constant temperature, or increasing the temperature of the column 2 A temperature rise analysis for performing analysis can be performed. The fan 8 rotates about a rotating shaft 81 extending in the front-rear direction, thereby stirring the air in the main body 31 and keeping the temperature distribution in the main body 31 uniform.

  In the present embodiment, the heat insulating material 9 can be attached to and detached from the back surface of the opening / closing door 32, that is, the surface facing the inside of the main body 31 when the opening / closing door 32 is closed. The heat insulating material 9 is formed of a material having a low heat capacity, and can be formed of, for example, glass wool (silica wool), rock wool, ceramic fiber, alumina fiber, calcium silicate board, or the like.

  In the state where the column 2 is attached to all the inlet side connection parts 41 and the outlet side connection parts 51, even if the heat insulating material 9 is attached to the opening / closing door 32, the heat insulating material 9 is not removed when trying to close the opening / closing door 32. The open / close door 32 cannot be closed by contacting the front column 2. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, in the state where the frontmost column 2 is not attached, the opening / closing door 32 can be closed so that the heat insulating material 9 enters a part of the column arrangement region A1.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where the open / close door 32 of the chromatograph 1 of FIG. 1 is opened. As shown in FIG. 2, the heat insulating material 9 can be attached to and detached from the rear surface of the door 32 with the door 32 opened. About the attachment of the heat insulating material 9, it is preferable to employ | adopt the structure which can be attached without using a tool like the structure etc. which are hooked and attached to a latching | locking part, for example. However, it is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, a configuration in which the heat insulating material 9 is attached using a fixing tool such as a screw may be used.

  Also, the column 2 can be attached and detached through the opening 311 with the open / close door 32 open as shown in FIG. Accordingly, when the door 32 is opened from the state of FIG. 1 and the frontmost column 2 is attached as shown in FIG. 2 and the heat insulating material 9 is removed, the heat insulating material 9 is attached to the column 2 when the door 32 is closed. There is no contact.

  In this example, the configuration has been described in which the open / close door 32 to which the heat insulating material 9 is attached can be closed if at least the frontmost column 2 is not attached. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and a configuration in which the open / close door 32 to which the heat insulating material 9 is attached cannot be closed unless N or more (N ≧ 2) columns 2 are not attached. Good. In this case, the larger the value of N, the larger the amount of the heat insulating material 9 entering the column arrangement region A1.

  As described above, when at least one column 2 is not attached to the inlet side connection portion 41 and the outlet side connection portion 51, the heat insulating material 9 is placed in the column placement region A 1 so as to enter a part of the column arrangement region A 1. It is possible to fill an unnecessary space with the heat insulating material 9. Thereby, since the column 2 can be heated in a state where unnecessary space in the column arrangement region A1 is reduced, wasteful consumption of power can be suppressed.

  Moreover, since the heat insulating material 9 is detachably provided to the column oven 3, the heat insulating material 9 can be attached to the column oven 3 only when necessary. Therefore, even if the configuration of the conventional chromatograph is not changed, wasteful consumption of electric power can be suppressed with an inexpensive configuration in which the heat insulating material 9 is simply attached to and detached from the column oven 3 as necessary.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, after the heat insulating material 9 is attached to the open / close door 32 in a state where the open / close door 32 is open, the heat insulating material 9 is arranged from the opening 311 to the column arrangement in the main body 31 by closing the open / close door 32. It can arrange | position to area | region A1. Therefore, the heat insulating material 9 can be easily attached and detached outside the main body 31, and the heat insulating material 9 can be easily arranged in the column arrangement region A1 by opening and closing the door 32.

  In addition, when the column 2 is attached to and detached from each of the inlet side connection portions 41 and each of the outlet side connection portions 51, the opening / closing door 32 is opened and work is performed through the opening 311. Therefore, the column 2 can be attached and detached and the heat insulating material 9 can be attached and detached at a time with the open / close door 32 open, so that the efficiency of the work can be improved.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, by attaching a plurality of columns 2 to the respective inlet side connection portions 41 and the respective outlet side connection portions 51 as necessary, these columns 2 are connected to the heater arrangement region A2 side in the column arrangement region A1. To the opening 311 side. Considering the heating efficiency of the column, it is preferable that the column 2 is arranged in order from the heater arrangement region A2 side where the heater 6 is provided. Therefore, when at least one column 2 is not attached, an unnecessary space is generated on the opening 311 side in the column arrangement region A1, but the unnecessary space is formed by the heat insulating material 9 attached to the open / close door 32. Can be filled. Thereby, wasteful consumption of electric power can be effectively suppressed while heating the column 2 efficiently.

  As shown in FIG. 1, when the open / close door 32 is closed, the back surface of the open / close door 32 constitutes a surface that faces a rotation surface 82 orthogonal to the rotation shaft 81 of the fan 8. Since the heat insulating material 9 is provided on this surface (the back surface of the open / close door 32), the air in the column oven 3 stirred by the fan 8 is compared with the configuration in which the heat insulating material 9 is provided on the other surface. It is possible to suppress the flow from being obstructed by the heat insulating material 9. Thereby, wasteful consumption of electric power can be effectively suppressed while the column 2 is stably heated.

  More specifically, the heat insulating material 9 is symmetrically arranged with respect to the rotation shaft 81 of the fan 8 (for example, left-right symmetry or vertical symmetry). Therefore, compared with the structure which is not symmetrically arranged, it can suppress that the heat flow in the column oven 3 stirred by the fan 8 is obstructed by the heat insulating material 9. Thereby, wasteful consumption of electric power can be effectively suppressed while heating the column 2 more stably.

  In the above embodiment, the structure which can attach or detach the heat insulating material 9 with respect to the opening / closing door 32 was demonstrated. However, the configuration is not limited to such a configuration, and a configuration in which the heat insulating material 9 can be attached to and detached from the column oven 3 other than the opening / closing door 32 may be employed. Further, the heat insulating material 9 is not limited to a configuration that can be attached to and detached from the column oven 3, and the heat insulating material 9 is inserted into a part of the column arrangement region A <b> 1 in other manners such as displace the heat insulating material 9. It may be.

  The column 2 is not limited to a configuration in which the column 2 is arranged side by side from the heater arrangement region A2 side to the opening 311 side in the column arrangement region A1. For example, the column 2 may be arranged in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction (including the orthogonal direction), or the column 2 may be arranged in the vertical direction. May be.

  The sample introduction unit 4 and the detector 5 are not limited to a plurality of configurations, and may be a configuration in which at least one is provided. In this case, for example, the configuration may be a configuration in which one sample introduction unit 4 is branched and connected to a plurality of columns 2, or a plurality of columns 2 are joined and connected to one detector 5. May be.

  Moreover, although the above embodiment demonstrated the case where this invention was applied to the gas chromatograph as an example of the chromatograph 1, this invention can be applied not only to a gas chromatograph but to a liquid chromatograph.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Chromatograph 2 Column 3 Column oven 4 Sample introduction part 5 Detector 6 Heater 7 Temperature sensor 8 Fan 9 Heat insulating material 31 Main body 32 Opening / closing door 41 Inlet side connection part 51 Outlet side connection part 81 Rotating shaft 82 Rotating surface 311 Opening part 312 Partition plate A1 Column arrangement area A2 Heater arrangement area

Claims (6)

A column oven that houses and heats the column;
A column attachment portion provided in the column oven and attached so that a plurality of columns are arranged in a column arrangement region;
A chromatograph, comprising: a heat insulating material provided in the column oven so as to enter a part of the column arrangement region in a state where at least one column is not attached to the column attaching portion.   The chromatograph according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulating material is detachably attached to the column oven. The column oven
A body having an opening;
An opening / closing door attached to the main body and capable of opening and closing the opening;
The chromatograph according to claim 2, wherein the heat insulating material is detachable from the door. A heater for heating the inside of the column oven;
The heater is provided in a heater arrangement region located on the side opposite to the opening side with respect to the column arrangement region in the column oven,
4. The chromatograph according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of columns attached to the column attachment portion are arranged so as to be aligned from the heater arrangement region side to the opening side in the column arrangement region. A fan that stirs the air in the column oven by rotating about a rotation axis;
The chromatograph according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the heat insulating material is provided on a surface facing a rotation surface of the fan orthogonal to the rotation axis.   The chromatograph according to claim 5, wherein the heat insulating material is arranged symmetrically with respect to the rotation axis.

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