Hamilton Storage, an affiliated entity of Hamilton Company, an industry leader in the design and manufacture of liquid handling, process measurement, robotics, and storage solutions, has developed an array of automated sample storage and management systems used in pharmaceutical and bio-medical applications worldwide.

Problem

Cold storage is a critical part of sample management and storage, therefore Hamilton invested in a unique large-scale cooling system in their early product iterations. Hamilton Storage built the first-generation thermal management systems for these large cold storage units; however, in order to push the next generation of the product to new abilities, they were in need of a thermal partner that could help optimize their existing design.

In the hopes of improving on the original product concept, Hamilton Storage contacted ACT looking for an improved evaporator design for their sub-zero vapor compression system that both enhanced thermal performance and manufacturability.

Solution

Utilizing decades of experience in designing two-phase cooling products, ACT developed a multiple-pass copper tube and aluminum base evaporator assembly. The assembly consists of several independent flow circuits for redundancy and 90-degree bends that maximize the cooling coverage area of the storage container. Each circuit consists of over 100 feet of continuous copper tubing with no fittings or braze joints to maximize the system’s reliability. The aluminum base parts were extruded to reduce cost and create modularity for future design iterations. The result was a nearly 50% increase in cooling contact area with the cold storage cabinet while maintaining high reliability and an economic design.

Hamilton Storage Cold Plate, Side Panels