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Welcome to the first in a series of articles introducing things you may not know about the Whitley range of products – read these and you may find out something new about your workstation or spiral plater that could make your working life easier.
DYK1: Whitley Automatic Dehumidifier
Although all Don Whitley Scientific modified atmosphere workstations incorporate our unique automatic dehumidifier, we are often asked the question: how does it work?
Where to start?
When you select the level of relative humidity required, a sensor will automatically determine when any surplus moisture should be extracted.
How is the moisture removed?
Moisture from the chamber is attracted to a built-in chilled panel and water droplets form on the panel, collecting in an internal reservoir. The chilled panel is cooled by a Peltier thermoelectric cooling device in some workstations or an external fan in other models.
This automatic process continues until the system determines that sufficient moisture has been removed.
A peristaltic pump, activated at regular timed intervals, drains the internal reservoir into an external tray or bottle containing biocide-impregnated filter paper. A fan provides gentle movement of air over the filter paper and moisture is removed by evaporation.
Does the filter paper need changing?
The only user maintenance required is replacement of the filter paper every six months.
Why is the filter biocide-impregnated?
Using biocide-impregnated filter paper, along with the absence of any standing water, limits the risk of contamination.
The system design ensures there can never be an open path between the laboratory and the inner workstation chamber. This is because the peristaltic pump nips the drain tubing providing a water tight and air tight seal. Systems used by other manufacturers may contain standing water and/or may require frequent emptying.
If you have any further questions about this process or the Whitley Workstation range, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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