Digital Data Systems DDS has more than 30 years experience in calorimetry. The first unit was designed and produced in 1972. The AMPC Automatic Micro Processor Calorimeter was a dual water isothermal unit controlled by a microprocessor. The unit was fully designed, developed and produced in South Africa. After proving to be very successful in SA, it was exported to USA, Europe and Australia. Development in technology at that time was very rapid especially with the introduction of the desktop PC into South Africa and as such the components and technology used in the AMPC soon became outdated. Early in 1980 work began on a revolutionary design of vessel, namely the DRY vessel or CP510. The patented construction of this unit did away with the surrounding water jacket. The water jacket is conventionally used to absorb the heat from the vessel and it is the temperature rise of the water that is measured and used to determine the calorific value of the sample. In the new design a copper sleeve pressed over the vessel replaced the water jacket and the temperature sensors where placed inside the vessel. The heat transfer to the copper sleeve was extremely fast as compared to the heat transfer to a mass of water mainly because the mass of the copper is far less than the mass of the water. This had the dramatic effect of reducing the determination time from 1520 down to 45 minutes, increasing unit efficiency by 4 times.

Address: 22 Arbeid Avenue, Strijdompark, Randburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
Website: http://www.cal2k.com/