1. Design
2. Hardware Design Outline
3. Software Design Outline
4. Method of Operation
5. Method to Measure the Drying Time
As shown in Table 1, in the case of ethanol washing, the average drying time in natural drying was 426.4 s, and the average drying time in the optical-cell dryer was 106 s. In the case of water washing, the average drying time in natural drying was 1481.4 s, and the average drying time in the optical-cell dryer was 371.6 s. In both cases, the drying time was reduced to approximately one-fourth. The drying time distribution of the optical-cell dryer is shown in Figure 4. The average drying time at 30 locations was 106 s. The number in the upper row represents the position of the cell. The number in the lower row represents the average value of the drying time.
The air volume of the blower was 31 m3/h per one unit, and the total of the four units was 124 m3/h. The air temperature was room temperature, and the temperature control was not performed.
Figure 1: Development drawing. Attach the net on the top of the acrylic case and mount a plastic grid for fixing the optical cells that are attached on top of it. The size of the case is 210 mm in width x 60 mm in height x 104 mm in depth, and 30 optical cells of 12.5 x 12.5 mm can be mounted at the same time. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 2: External view. The material of the casing is acrylic, which is easy to process. The material of the net is nylon. It is fixed to the frame and attached to the upper part of the case. The material of the lattice for the optical cell installation is acrylic, and it is attached to the top of the net. Number description: 1 = the plastic lattice, 2 = the net, 3 = the blower selection button (right side), 4 = the blower selection button (left side), 5 = the blower-operating lamp (right side), 6 = the blower-operating lamp (left side), 7 = the blower start button, 8 = the blower-operating lamp, 9 = the timer, 10 = the power supply switch, 11 = the power supply lamp, 12 = the OLED display, and 13 = the blowers. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 3: Circuit diagram. The power supply is 12 V. The operating voltage of the blowers is 12 V. Control the rotation speed of the blower by pulse width modulation (PWM) operation of the output pin. Connect the blower operation time setting volume to the analog input pin to change the voltage according to the rotational position. Connect the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) for the operation time display to the two digital output pins with an I2C. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 4: Drying time distribution using ethanol. The drying time at 30 locations was measured three times using ethanol to obtain the distribution. The average drying time at 30 locations was 106 s. The number in the upper row represents the position of the cell. The number in the lower row represents the average value of the drying time. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Table 1: Comparison of the drying time for optical cells. The average drying time of natural drying after washing with ethanol was 426.4 s, and the average drying time using the optical-cell dryer was 106 s. The average drying time of natural drying after washing with water was 1481.4 s, and the average drying time using the optical-cell dryer was 371.6 s. Please click here to download this file.
blower | ebm-papst | 422JN | Mulfingen, Germany |
Microcomputer | Atmel Corporation | ATmega 328 P | CA, USA |
Blower selection button | Sengoku Densyo Co., Ltd. | MS-358 (red) | Tokyo, Japan |
Blower operationg lamp | Akizuki Denshi Tsusho Co., Ltd. | DB-15-T-OR | Tokyo, Japan |
Blower start button | Sengoku Densyo Co., Ltd. | MS-350M (white) | Tokyo, Japan |
Timer | Akizuki Denshi Tsusho Co., Ltd. | SH16K4A105L20KC | Tokyo, Japan |
Power supply switch | Marutsuelec Co., Ltd. | 3010-P3C1T1G2C01B02BKBK-EI | Tokyo, Japan |
Power supply lamp | Akizuki Denshi Tsusho Co., Ltd. | DB-15-T-G | Tokyo, Japan |
OLED module | Akihabara Co., Ltd. | M096P4W | Tokyo, Japan |
Optical cells, which are experimental instruments, are small, square tubes sealed on one side. A sample is placed in this tube, and a measurement is performed with a spectroscope. The materials used for optical cells generally include quartz glass or plastic, but expensive quartz glass is reused by removing substances, other than liquids, to be analyzed that adhere to the interior of the container. In such a case, the optical cells are washed with water or ethanol and dried. Then, the next sample is added and measured. Optical cells are dried naturally or with a manual hairdryer. However, drying takes time, which makes it one of the factors that increase the experiment time. In this study, the objective is to drastically reduce the drying time with a dedicated automatic dryer that can dry multiple optical cells at once. To realize this, a circuit was designed for a microcomputer, and the hardware using it was independently designed and manufactured.
Optical cells, which are experimental instruments, are small, square tubes sealed on one side. A sample is placed in this tube, and a measurement is performed with a spectroscope. The materials used for optical cells generally include quartz glass or plastic, but expensive quartz glass is reused by removing substances, other than liquids, to be analyzed that adhere to the interior of the container. In such a case, the optical cells are washed with water or ethanol and dried. Then, the next sample is added and measured. Optical cells are dried naturally or with a manual hairdryer. However, drying takes time, which makes it one of the factors that increase the experiment time. In this study, the objective is to drastically reduce the drying time with a dedicated automatic dryer that can dry multiple optical cells at once. To realize this, a circuit was designed for a microcomputer, and the hardware using it was independently designed and manufactured.
Optical cells, which are experimental instruments, are small, square tubes sealed on one side. A sample is placed in this tube, and a measurement is performed with a spectroscope. The materials used for optical cells generally include quartz glass or plastic, but expensive quartz glass is reused by removing substances, other than liquids, to be analyzed that adhere to the interior of the container. In such a case, the optical cells are washed with water or ethanol and dried. Then, the next sample is added and measured. Optical cells are dried naturally or with a manual hairdryer. However, drying takes time, which makes it one of the factors that increase the experiment time. In this study, the objective is to drastically reduce the drying time with a dedicated automatic dryer that can dry multiple optical cells at once. To realize this, a circuit was designed for a microcomputer, and the hardware using it was independently designed and manufactured.