Gas chromatography oven and systems and methods including same

1. A gas chromatography system comprising:

a gas chromatography oven including:

a housing defining an oven chamber and an intake port fluidly communicating with the oven chamber; and

a fluid flow generating system including a radial flow impeller; and

a gas chromatography column disposed in the oven chamber;

wherein the oven is configured to selectively operate in each of:

a cooling mode wherein the radial flow impeller generates a cooling fluid flow that is drawn from the intake port and flows about the column and out of the oven chamber; and alternatively

a recirculating mode wherein the radial flow impeller generates a recirculating fluid flow within the oven chamber that repeatedly flows about the column and back to the radial flow impeller; and

wherein:

the oven includes at least one baffle in the oven chamber defining an exit channel and a return channel;

the cooling fluid flow flows through the exit channel to the exhaust port;

the recirculating fluid flow flows through the return channel to the radial flow impeller;

in each of the cooling mode and the recirculating mode, the radial flow impeller discharges a forced fluid flow radially outwardly therefrom;

the column is configured in a substantially circular column loop; and

the radial flow impeller is located within the column loop so that the forced fluid flow is directed toward the column.

2. The gas chromatography system of claim 1 wherein:

the oven includes a heating element; and

in the recirculating mode, the recirculating fluid flow flows about the heating element and is heated thereby.

3. The gas chromatography system of claim 1 wherein:

the oven includes an exhaust port; and

in the cooling mode, the cooling fluid flow flows out of the housing through the exhaust port.

4. The gas chromatography system of claim 1 wherein:

the oven includes a closure mechanism to selectively open and close the intake port;

when the intake port is open, the oven operates in the cooling mode; and

when the intake port is closed, the oven operates in the recirculating mode.

5. The gas chromatography system of claim 1 wherein:

the radial flow impeller has first and second opposed axial inlets;

in the cooling mode, the cooling fluid flow is drawn into the radial flow impeller through the first axial inlet; and

in the recirculating mode, the recirculating fluid flow is drawn into the radial flow impeller through the second axial inlet.

6. The gas chromatography system of claim 1 wherein the forced fluid flow is substantially uniformly distributed about the full circumference of the radial flow impeller.

7. The gas chromatography system of claim 6 wherein:

the radial flow impeller rotates about an impeller axis; and

the column loop is centered about a column axis substantially concentric with the impeller axis and defines a column loop plane substantially perpendicular to the impeller axis.

8. The gas chromatography system of claim 1 wherein the radial flow impeller includes a plurality of backward inclined blades.

9. The gas chromatography system of claim 8 wherein the blades are convexly curved.

10. The gas chromatography system of claim 1 wherein:

the radial flow impeller rotates about an impeller axis and includes a plurality of blades; and

each of the blades extends substantially parallel to the impeller axis across its full width.

11. The gas chromatography system of claim 1 wherein, in the cooling mode, the cooling fluid flow is drawn from ambient air through the intake port.

12. The gas chromatography system of claim 1 wherein the cooling fluid flow and the recirculating fluid flow are each air flows.

13. A gas chromatography system comprising:

a gas chromatography oven including:

a housing defining an oven chamber and an intake port fluidly communicating with the oven chamber; and

a fluid flow generating system including a radial flow impeller; and

a gas chromatography column disposed in the oven chamber;

wherein the oven is configured to selectively operate in each of:

a cooling mode wherein the radial flow impeller generates a cooling fluid flow that is drawn from the intake port and flows about the column and out of the oven chamber; and alternatively

a recirculating mode wherein the radial flow impeller generates a recirculating fluid flow within the oven chamber that repeatedly flows about the column and back to the radial flow impeller; and

wherein:

the radial flow impeller rotates about an impeller axis;

the impeller axis extends through the intake port;

in each of the cooling mode and the recirculating mode, the radial flow impeller discharges a forced fluid flow radially outwardly therefrom;

the column is configured in a substantially circular column loop; and

the radial flow impeller is located within the column loop so that the forced fluid flow is directed toward the column.

14. The gas chromatography system of claim 13 wherein:

the radial flow impeller has first and second opposed axial inlets;

in the cooling mode, the cooling fluid flow is drawn into the radial flow impeller through the first axial inlet;

in the recirculating mode, the recirculating fluid flow is drawn into the radial flow impeller through the second axial inlet;

the impeller axis extends through each of the first and second axial inlets.

15. The gas chromatography system of claim 14 wherein:

the radial flow impeller defines a through passage terminating at the first and second axial inlets; and

the impeller axis, the intake port and the through passage are substantially concentric.