Tongzhou Weipu AC1600 Circulating Chiller for PerkinElmer & Puxi Atomic Absorption Spectrometers

Overview

The Tongzhou Weipu AC1600 is an integrated circulating chiller engineered specifically for thermal management of atomic absorption spectrometers (AAS), including Puxi (Beijing Purkinje General Instrument Co., Ltd.) and compatible platforms such as PerkinElmer AAnalyst and PinAAcle series. Designed around a phase-change refrigeration cycle with R410A or R134a refrigerant (model-dependent), the unit delivers precise, stable coolant delivery under variable thermal loads typical of graphite furnace atomizers, hollow cathode lamps, and high-power nebulizer systems. Its operational envelope—5–35 °C temperature control range with ±0.1 °C stability—is calibrated to meet the stringent thermal requirements of flame and electrothermal AAS modules, where even transient fluctuations can impact baseline drift, signal-to-noise ratio, and long-term calibration reproducibility. The chiller operates as a closed-loop secondary cooling system, decoupling instrument heat rejection from ambient lab HVAC infrastructure and eliminating reliance on municipal tap water—thereby mitigating risks of scale formation, microbial growth, and corrosion in sensitive optical and detector assemblies.

Key Features

• Stainless-steel open-bath reservoir with transparent side panel for real-time visual inspection of coolant clarity and particulate accumulation
• Integrated pre-filter housing with sight glass enabling direct assessment of cartridge contamination; standard 5-µm polypropylene or optional activated carbon/resin dual-stage filtration
• Full stainless-steel fluid path—including pump head, impeller, tubing, and heat exchanger—to ensure compatibility with deionized water, 10% ethanol/water mixtures, and low-conductivity coolants required by AAS manufacturers
• Dual-sensor safety architecture: factory-installed liquid level sensor + optional flow switch and dual-point (high/low) temperature alarm outputs via dry-contact relays
• Rear-mounted axial fan array with acoustic damping and vibration-isolated mounting, achieving ≤58 dB(A) at 1 m under full-load operation
• Modular control interface supporting TTL-level ON/OFF triggering and alarm status feedback via DB9 parallel port—compatible with AAS instrument I/O protocols per IEC 61000-4-5

Sample Compatibility & Compliance

The AC1600 is validated for continuous-duty operation with Puxi AA-7000, AA-8000, and TAS-990 series spectrometers, as well as PerkinElmer AAnalyst 200/800 and PinAAcle 900F/T systems. It meets CE electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) Directive 2014/30/EU and Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU. While not certified to UL 61010-1, its electrical design adheres to Class I protection principles with reinforced insulation and earth-leakage current <0.75 mA. For regulated environments, the chiller supports audit-ready documentation packages—including factory calibration certificates traceable to NIM (National Institute of Metrology, China) and IQ/OQ protocols aligned with ISO/IEC 17025:2017 laboratory accreditation requirements.

Software & Data Management

The AC1600 operates via embedded microcontroller-based logic without proprietary software dependency. All setpoints, sensor readings, and alarm logs are accessible through a backlit LCD interface with three-button navigation. Optional RS485 Modbus RTU communication module (AC1600-MB) enables integration into LabVantage, STARLIMS, or custom SCADA systems for centralized thermal monitoring. Event logs—including compressor cycle count, cumulative runtime, and alarm history—are stored non-volatile memory with timestamping compliant with ALCOA+ data integrity principles. No cloud connectivity or remote access firmware is included, preserving network security boundaries required under FDA 21 CFR Part 11 Annex 11 for GxP laboratories.

Applications

Beyond atomic absorption spectroscopy, the AC1600 serves as a thermally stable coolant source for ICP-OES (e.g., Thermo iCAP 7000), SEM cooling stages (FEI/Thermo Fisher Quanta series), RF plasma etchers (Oxford Instruments Plasmalab), and Kjeldahl digestion units (BUCHI K-446). Its wide refrigeration capacity range (600–4600 W) accommodates both low-heat-flux applications (e.g., CCD detector cooling) and high-dissipation systems (e.g., 4 kW RF generators). The 8–40 L reservoir scalability allows configuration matching for single-instrument benchtop use or multi-device manifold distribution with pressure-compensated flow balancing.

FAQ

Is the AC1600 compatible with PerkinElmer AAS instruments?
Yes—the AC1600’s flow-pressure profile (10–58 L/min at 13–19 m H₂O) and temperature stability (±0.1 °C) align with PerkinElmer’s published cooling specifications for AAnalyst and PinAAcle platforms.
Can the chiller operate continuously at 5 °C ambient temperature?
Yes—its condenser design includes low-ambient compensation circuitry enabling stable operation down to 5 °C ambient, verified per ISO 5151 test conditions.
Does it support ASTM D445 or ISO 3104 viscosity bath compliance?
No—the AC1600 is not configured as a precision bath for kinematic viscosity testing; it lacks the immersion depth, temperature uniformity (±0.02 °C), and bath geometry required by those standards.
What maintenance intervals are recommended for the pre-filter cartridge?
Under DI water operation with resin filtration, replace every 6 months; with tap water feed and carbon pre-filter, inspect monthly and replace when pressure drop exceeds 0.15 bar across the housing.
Is GMP/GLP-compliant calibration documentation available?
Yes—NIST-traceable temperature and flow calibration reports, along with IQ/OQ validation templates, are provided upon request for regulated laboratory deployment.