Development of an environmental chamber for microscope

• Main Author: Toh, Zhen Han
• Other Authors: Zhang Yi Lei
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/68319
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Environmental Chamber has been used for countless of research due to being able to tailor the desired conditions such as temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide (CO2), etc. Environmental Chamber helps the researcher better observe specimens at a close to natural conditions, with this observation can be done in the lab environment. Most Environmental Chambers are known to be able to control temperature and mostly with air jacketed provided with an integral Air-cooled system that is controlled by a built-in controller. With the controller, the system is able to control the settings within the chamber due to feedback from the sensor. There are also additional features like controlled humidity and carbon dioxide level for various models of environmental chambers. While for humidity, it will depends on whether the user required the natural humility that is being controlled by the surrounding temperature (Water Pan) or a controlled humidity level that is being controlled by a controller (Atomizer). As for carbon dioxide level, the more commonly used are a constant airflow system or a feedback system that are both controlled by a built-in or external controller. On rare cases, the direct input of carbon dioxide into the chamber is being done under the supervision of a high spec carbon dioxide sensor but that will require manual work while the others are automated. Despite having a wide variety of high spec models out there, the price of environmental chamber is still on the high-end. This report will focus on the development of the environmental chamber from scratch with the default setting of Yudian’s temperature controller (AIJ (OUTP L1 Module. ALM L0 Module)), tube temperature sensors (Pt100) and high spec point temperature sensor (SA1-RTD-4W Surface RTD Class A, 4 wire). The environmental chamber will be providing the operating condition for an MEA amplifier (37ºC,natural humidity and optional 5% CO2 level) that is to be observed on the stage of an inverse microscope (Nikon Eclipse Ti – U). This report will showcase the design, material selection, controller circuitry, manufacturing, assembly, calibration and improvement plan on the environmental chamber at a lower than market price.