Feeling the Heat: A Temperature Monitoring System for Detecting Thermal Variability and Improving Reproducibility in Laboratory Experiments

• Pratima Oulkar, , University of Delaware

• Jessica Sampson, , University of Delaware

This project presents the development of a temperature monitoring system designed to track the thermal behavior of laboratory hot plates during experimental use. The High Throughput Experimentation and Chromatography (HiTEC) lab discovered inconsistent results when performing the same experiments on different hot plates set to the same temperature. This suggested that the set temperature of the hot plates differed from the surface temperature. Additionally, no methods existed to determine how the heat distributed across the hot plate surface or what the temperature was at the reaction site. In order to ensure that experimental data can be relied upon and used for further studies, uncontrolled variables, such as temperature, must be measured and documented throughout the experiment. Any experimental error or variations must be explained to ensure reproducibility of results. As there is a gap in temperature monitoring and data collection during experimental sessions, a dedicated system is needed to continuously record and document thermal conditions throughout each experiment. Using a thermal camera, temperature probe, and Raspberry Pi, a system was developed to capture temperature directly at the reaction site and thermal images of the hot plate surface throughout each experiment. Users can input each trial’s information and monitor temperature readings in real time on a browser interface. The system has been built and tested successfully. The temperature probe and thermal camera are capable of producing accurate readings and generating thermal images, with initial testing confirming that temperature variation across the hot plate surface can be detected during operation. Further tests are needed to better understand heat distribution across the hot plates and to determine the cause of inconsistent experimental results. The findings of this project will be used to determine what changes need to be made to better control temperature and improve reproducibility of results within the lab.