Critical Pitting Temperature System Checkout

The final step in the installation is a test that the system has been installed properly.

If you have a TDC temperature controller:

The following procedure tests a system based on a TDC temperature controller. It may work for third-party controllers, but Gamry Instruments does not guarantee this.

To test the operation of the system, run a simple checkout script provided with the Critical Pitting Temperature software. The name of this script is CHECK110.EXP. Use the following procedure to check the system:

NOTE: At each warning prompt, click the OK button using either the mouse or the Enter key to proceed to the next step.

  1. Hook up an RTD probe to the and turn on the controller’s power. After a few seconds, the upper display should register the temperature of the RTD.
  2. Insert the probe into your electrochemical test cell. The cell may contain plain water. It must be equipped with a heater.
  3. Put the controller into Manual Mode (you may need to push the Auto/Man button twice). The MAN LED lluminates.
  4. Using the UP and DOWN keys on the controller, set the set-point temperature (lower display) to be equal to the process temperature (upper display).
  5. Start Windows® and the Gamry Framework™.
  6. Hook up the cell heater and cooling lines, or if the unit is to be used with a heating bath, make the rear panel connections to the bath.
  7. Start the Framework program.
  8. Select Experiment>Named Experiment from the Framework menu bar.
  9. In the resulting dialog box, CHECK110.EXP and click the Open button.
  10. Put the temperature controller into the Auto mode by pushing the Auto/Man switch twice. The MAN LED turns off. The script will now set the controller set-point to the process temperature plus 5°C. The lower display should register the change.
  11. Watch the upper display on the TD4. It should report increasing cell temperatures. Watch the controller and verify that the heat control is cycling. If you don’t wish to wait for the full temperature rise, select F2-Skip to continue to the next test.
  12. The script now sets the controller set-point to the original process temperature. The lower display should register the change. Watch the upper display of the TDC. It should report decreasing cell temperatures. If you don’t have a cooling device on your cell, this may take a while. Check that the cooler is functioning. If you don’t wish to wait for the full temperature decrease, select F2-Skip to go to the next test.
  13. This completes the system checkout. Next you must tune your temperature controller for use with a specific system. See the temperature controller Operator’s Manual for details concerning tuning.