Hot Start thermo cycler

The thermo-cycler device will be used for accelerated age testing of heaters used in the heating of diesel engines. It will significantly decrease the cycle time from on to off and allow for analysis of heater performance during testing.

Background
The R&D lab at Hotstart is charged with testing new product designs for a wide range of markets that use diesel engines. During this testing process, a way to ensure product reliability in a short period of time is needed. Long term testing (1 year +) is not always a feasible option before releasing a product, so a way to speed up this test to the span of a month or two is necessary.

Hotstart manufactures two main types of coolant heaters. The first is a tank heater that uses the heat generated by the heating elements to force the hot coolant out of the top of the system into the engine while the colder coolant coming from the engine takes the place of the heated coolant in the bottom heater creating continuous flow (thermosyphon). The other style is forced circulation, where a pump is used to circulate the coolant across the heating elements and throughout the engine. Both styles use a bimetal snap-action thermostat to control the heating elements keeping the coolant inside the desired temperature range.

=Problem Definition=

Design Requirements
Life cycle tester will:
 * Run on 120V input voltage
 * Be capable of safely handling up to 12kW of heating input
 * Be able to simultaneously test 12 heaters (1kW or lower due to previous requirement)
 * Have adjustable temperature setting for both the upper and lower temperature
 * Have adjustable flow settings if a heat transfer fluid is utilized
 * Allow for multiple voltage sources to power the heaters (1 or 3 phase, 120 – 690V)
 * Display or make available easily, critical data for each test “station” including, but not limited to: cycle count, power failure, heater failure, inlet and outlet temperatures
 * Be made from electrical components that are rated for at least 100k cycles at 50°C ambient or mitigate ambient conditions for components that are not properly rated
 * Use components sourced from Hotstart’s current vendors unless absolutely not available
 * Contain all foreseeable spills automatically
 * Be complete with all documentation along with a manual and troubleshooting guide. If a PLC is used, all documented code must be provided
 * Contain all branch circuit protection for all 12 heaters according to UL508A (We may need a supplier to build this part of the panel in order to get the proper sticker inside)

If Possible, the cycle tester will:
 * Be easily moveable
 * Be capable of testing coolant, oil, and air heaters
 * Be capable of simultaneously running multiple tests with different parameters and set points
 * Be capable of storing and outputting the test data in .csv (or comparable) format

Design Features

 * Cycle counter
 * Inlet/outlet temperature readings
 * Status Lights to show:
 * Current cycle condition (on,off)
 * Any malfunctions in the system
 * Possible Bluetooth/Wi-Fi connectivity so the user can monitor status from a remote computer
 * Emergency shutoff in the case of a blow-out or other malfunction
 * Ability to digitally record temperatures for performance analysis

=Design=

Prototypes
=References=