PerkinElmer OilExpress 4, User Manual

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48 . OilExpress 4 System User's Guide
Fluid Control Module
The fluid control module (FCM) is a vacuum control system used to manage the movement
of system liquid and samples through the system after delivery to the fill cup by the
autosampler (Figure 28).
Figure 28 Fluid control module
If you have a DUO (dual-spectrometer) system, two FCMs are stacked to reduce bench
space. Each FCM unit is located on a drip tray.
NOTE: The drip tray is resistant to sample and solvent drips, but any larger spillages should
be cleaned up immediately.
The liquid presence sensor located near the inlet of the flow cell is used to detect the sample
in the fluid line between the injection station and the flow cell. The FCM then provides
vacuum-assisted movement of the sample to the flow cell for FT-IR analysis. Post-analysis,
the FCM facilitates the emptying of the flow cell and movement of the sample liquid to a
waste transfer container inside the FCM and, ultimately, out to the external waste container.
The FCM then carries out similar vacuum-assisted sequences with system liquid dispensed
into the fill cup to wash the fluid lines and the flow cell, leaving the system clean for the next
sample to be analyzed. The FCM also dries the fluid lines, reducing contamination from
system liquid.
The flow cell and fluid line cleaning parameters (number of washes and volume of system
liquid per wash) can be set by the user or determined by the system (Adaptive Cleaning), as
defined on the Autosampler Setup dialog.
The timings for loading the sample into the flow cell and, if enabled, the adaptive cleaning
settings, are determined from the time taken for the sample to initially reach the liquid
presence sensor.