Method for accurate determination of sample temperature in a NMR check weighing system

1. A method for determining the temperature in a magnetic resonance check weighing system of a sample in a container on a production line at the time of magnetic resonance testing, comprising the steps of:

determining a time-temperature correction factor for the sample in the container;

measuring the temperature of the composite sample and the container at a time other than the time of magnetic resonance testing, and

applying the correction factor to the temperature of the composite sample and container at a time other than the time of magnetic resonance testing.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said step of determining a time-temperature correction factor includes the step of measuring the composite sample and container temperature decay.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said step of measuring the composite sample and container temperature decay includes the steps of altering the temperature of the composite sample and container from the ambient temperature, and measuring the temperature of the composite sample and container over time as the sample and container return to ambient temperature.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein said step of determining a time-temperature correction factor further includes the step of measuring the sample temperature and the container temperature as heat is transferred between the sample and the container.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein step of measuring the composite sample and container temperature as heat is transferred between the sample and the container includes the step of placing the sample at ambient temperature in the container at non-ambient temperature.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said step of determining a time-temperature correction factor further includes the step of calculating a heat exchange factor for the sample and the container having the relationship

( m s *C s )/(( m s *C s )+( m c *C c ))

where /m s is the mass of the sample, m c is the mass of the container, C s is the heat capacity of the sample, and C c is the heat capacity of the container.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said step of determining a time-temperature correction factor further includes the step of calculating an array of time-correction factors for a plurality of composite sample and container temperatures.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said step of measuring the temperature of the composite sample and container at a time other than the time of magnetic resonance testing is performed at a time proximate to substantial completion of filling of the container with the sample.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the time interval between the time of magnetic resonance testing of the sample and the time of measuring the temperature of the sample and the container is the measurement offset time, and further including the step of determining the measurement offset time, and said step of applying the correction factor includes the steps of selecting the correction factor for the sample and container at the measurement offset time, and multiplying the selected correction factor with the temperature of the composite sample and container at the time of measurement other than the time of magnetic resonance testing.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further including the steps of measuring the temperature of a plurality of composite samples and containers other than at the time of magnetic resonance testing, and determining a temperature gradient for the plurality of composite samples and containers.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said step of applying the correction factor includes the step of applying the temperature gradient to the temperature of the plurality of composite samples and containers.