Metal water-triple-point automatic reproduction control system for in-situ online calibration of temperature sensors

Key words: 
• metal-water triple point bottle /
• in-situ automatic calibration device /
• method for automatic reproduction of temperature plateau

Abstract:   Objective  The triple point of water refers to the state where water, ice, and vapor coexist simultaneously, with an equilibrium temperature of 273.16 K (0.01 ℃). In the International Temperature Scale, the triple point of water serves as the sole reference point for defining the thermodynamic temperature unit Kelvin, and it is one of the most important fixed points in ITS-90 ^[1-2]. The thermodynamic temperature reproduction of water's triple point is crucial for practical temperature measurements ^[3].The reproduction of water's triple point is achieved by freezing an ice mantle inside a triple point of water cell. Widely used in the ITS-90 guidelines are triple point of water cells with borosilicate glass or fused silica shells. Traditional reproduction methods include the ice-salt mixture cooling method, dry ice cooling method, and liquid nitrogen cooling method. These methods all require the cooling of the triple point of water cell using dry ice, liquid nitrogen, or other cryogenic media, followed by freezing the high-purity water inside the cell and then storing it in an ice bath. While these traditional methods offer high reproduction accuracy and good results, they are complex, operationally difficult, and demand high standards for operators and the environment, making them inconvenient for on-site calibration and integrated applications ^[2-3]. Addressing the limitations of traditional triple point of water cells and reproduction methods for in-situ applications, such as the on-site calibration of temperature sensors in the deep sea, this paper investigates a miniaturized triple point reproduction control system suitable for the automatic calibration of temperature sensors, based on a self-developed miniature metal water triple point cell.  Methods  This control system utilizes the principle of spontaneous phase transition of high-purity water in a metal water triple point container, combined with a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) based on the semiconductor Peltier effect and a temperature control circuit, to achieve the automatic reproduction and maintenance of the water triple point. Temperature phase transition monitoring is achieved through the use of thermistors and temperature detection circuits. By employing a dual thermistor setup and TEC in a closed-loop control, the system adjusts the driving power of the TEC based on the temperature difference detected by the feedback resistors, thereby realizing the automatic reproduction and maintenance of the water triple point.  Results and Discussions  Figures 1(a) and (b) respectively illustrate the control schematic of the automatic reproduction system for the metal water triple point bottle and a photograph of the actual metal water triple point bottle. The research employed a miniaturized metal water triple point bottle, utilizing the principle of spontaneous phase transition of high-purity water, along with a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) based on the semiconductor Peltier effect and a temperature control circuit, to achieve the reproduction and maintenance of the water triple point. High sensitivity thermistors combined with a temperature detection circuit were used for monitoring the phase transition of high-purity water. A closed-loop control consisting of dual thermistors and the TEC was utilized. Based on the temperature difference detected by the feedback resistors, the study investigated the cooling demand of the high-purity water phase transition and established a thermodynamic model for the triple point bottle cooling system. By appropriately adjusting the TEC's driving power, the state of the water triple point was reproduced and maintained for an extended period. The measurement results in Figure 2 indicate that, significant supercooling of the high-purity water inside the metal water triple point bottle was observed. It remained unfrozen at the liquid-solid phase equilibrium temperature (0 ℃) and suddenly underwent a phase transition when the temperature reached the transition temperature (approximately −7.3 ℃), causing a rapid increase in the internal trap temperature, which then stabilized, with a stability duration of 20 minutes and a temperature fluctuation of ±1mK. The analysis of the experiment demonstrates that the miniaturized triple point temperature automatic reproduction control system based on the metal water triple point bottle can achieve spontaneous phase transition of high-purity water and maintain a stable temperature plateau for a certain period, facilitating high-precision in-situ temperature calibration of temperature sensors.  Conclusions  This study indicates that combining the metal water triple point bottle with properly arranged temperature monitoring sensors, a TEC cooling system, and a refrigeration control circuit and algorithm can automatically reproduce and maintain the high-purity water triple point state for 20 minutes, with a temperature fluctuation of ±1 mK. This provides an accurate, stable, and sustainable environment for in-situ calibration of temperature sensors, serving high-precision in-situ temperature calibration in deep-sea and deep-space environments.