This thesis presents a thermal gradient gas chromatography (TGGC) system that is implemented on a micro-scale. The GC column is approximately 20 cm long and is fabricated out of silicon with 21 nickel thin-film heaters evenly placed along the length of the column. Computational heat transfer models using ANSYS Mechanical APDL predict heating and cooling rates up to 32,000 deg C/min and 3,600 deg C/min, respectively. These results are verified through testing an experimental silicon channel. A PI controller which uses resistance measurements to calculate thin-film temperature is used for obtaining dynamic thermal gradient control. This controller is shown to possess a characteristic rise time of approximately 0.3 seconds with less than 4% overshoot and precision to within less than a degree. These characteristics present this system as a highly favorable candidate for a micro-GC column with resolution similar to that of conventional GC.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BGMYU2/oai:scholarsarchive.byu.edu:etd-10284 |
| Date | 31 July 2018 |
| Creators | Schnepf, Parker David |
| Publisher | BYU ScholarsArchive |
| Source Sets | Brigham Young University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/ |
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