| 摘要 |
A heating and cooling apparatus for heating and/or cooling an object comprises a plate 4 for supporting the object, a heater having a heating element 5 to heat the plate, a vapour compression refrigeration system 6, 7, 8, 9 with an evaporator through which a refrigerant flows to cool the plate, means to sense the temperature (fig 2: 12a, 12b, 12c) of the plate and/or the object, and the temperature of the heating element and/or the evaporator, and control means 11. The apparatus is intended to supply range of operating temperatures extending both above and below ambient to the object. Ideally, a cylinder 3, below the plate and in contact with the plate, contains the electrical heating element 5 and a refrigeration coil 6 such that the heating element and refrigeration coil are in direct physical contact which each and the plate. The cylinder may also comprise a magnetic stirrer 10. Ideally, the control of the temperature of the plate is achieved by positioning the heater element substantially at the exit of an expansion valve of the vapour refrigeration compression system as this provides thermal energy to the refrigerant as it enters the evaporator. |
