Incubator Structure

 An overview of the mechanics of incubators supplied

by Research Instruments in the UK & Ireland

 With thanks to Astec Japan

 Co- author Rob Watkins Research Instruments

 Water Jacket

Incubation Area

Heater
Styrene foam

Glass Wool

Water Jacket
Temperature Sensor A

Temperature Sensor B
Sensor A maintains the
water of a water jacket at
fixed temperature.

Sensor B is a temperature
sensor for displaying the
temperature of the
Heater incubation area.
 R1 R2 It is the structure measured by the difference of
the thermal conductivity of damp air and dry air.
Current is passed so that the self-exothermic
temperature of each THREMISTOR might
THERMISTOR become about 200 degrees. The method of
converting the difference of the resistance
ingredient by temperature change of the
THERMISTOR itself into humidity by the heat
conduction by steam is measured. It turns out that
it is influenced by other gases, and only the error
ingredient of the output to CO2 gas is detected.
Dry air Air The output of this absolute humidity converts into
CO2 gas concentration, and is measured and used
as the reference.

Hole
The principle of THERMISTOR formula CO2 sensor

Influence of mixing of gas

10
H2
humidity absolutely (g/m3 )

CH4

0
0.5
0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5

-5
CO2
CCl2F2
-10

Concentration (%)
☞ Requires fixed temperature

☞ Requires fixed humidity

IR SENSOR Graphical Representation
IR light CO2
If the infrared rays from a light
source go into a sample cell,
specific wavelength will be
absorbed by CO2 gas in a cell. The
amount of absorption increases, so
IR light source IR Detector that the concentration of CO2 is
high, and the amount of
penetrations on the Detector
decreases. The result is a method
which measures the

It will be absorbed if there is much CO2.

Thermistors Infrared (IR) formula
Readily available easy to Readily available but costly to
producre produce
Influenced by humidity Not influenced by humidity
Influenced by temperature Not influenced by temperature
Cheap to end user More Expensive
 THERMISTOR A
(for a temperature display)

THERMISTOR B
Water jacket
(for temperature control)

Two temperature sensors are used.

By keeping the water temperature of a water
Incubation area jacket constant with THERMISTOR B, it
uses that the temperature and turns into
fixed temperature within the culture space.
THERMISTOR A is used in order to display
the temperature in area but this is
maintained by probe B.
The THERMISTOR is adopted as a temperature sensor.

A THERMISTOR is a heat semiconductor from

which resistance changes in temperature are
monitored. Is was not built for that initial purpose. It
is the structure that allows us to detect temperature by
passing and investigating the resultant resistance.
The characteristic of temperature-resistance of a THERMISTOR
When temperature changes, it has the characteristic that internal resistance changes.