Method for operating mass comparator with removable climate module

Abstract

A mass comparator including a weighing chamber ( 16 ); a draft shield ( 18, 20, 22 ), which surrounds the weighing chamber; a climate module ( 34 ), which is detachably disposed in the weighing chamber; a processor ( 32 ), a data input unit, and a data transmission path, over which data is exchanged between the climate module and the processor. The processor is programmed to use the air pressure, the air humidity and the air temperature in the weighing chamber to determine, based on the density of a substance to be weighed, an air buoyancy of at least one test sample and/or a buoyancy correction factor. Also disclosed are a climate module configured to electrically yet detachably couple to a mass comparator, and a method for operating a mass comparator including determining the air buoyancy and/or the buoyancy correction factor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Method for operating a mass comparator that comprises a weighing chamber, which is separated from a surrounding area by a draft shield and in which an air pressure sensor, an air humidity sensor, and an air temperature sensor are disposed, wherein the sensors are coupled to a processor, and that is configured to weigh a test sample and at least one reference weight, said method comprising:
 determining the air pressure, the air humidity and the air temperature in the weighing chamber with the sensors;   entering a density of the test sample into the mass comparator;   determining an air buoyancy of at least the test sample and/or a buoyancy correction factor in accordance with the air pressure, the air humidity, the air temperature and the density of the test sample; and   determining a corrected, conventional weighing value of the test sample (B).   
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising determining a degree of ionization in the weighing chamber; and outputting an output signal from the processor in accordance with the degree of ionization. 
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising determining incident light with a light sensor in the weighing chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising outputting an output signal from the processor in response to a predetermined incident light level. 
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the sensors are housed in a climate module that is configured to decouple from a remainder of the mass comparator, further comprising:
 storing calibration values and correction values in a memory of the climate module; and   calibrating the mass comparator after detaching the climate module from the remainder of the mass comparator.