Patent ID: 7281669

Claim:
An apparatus for generating a defined environment for particle-shaped samples, comprising: a support element having a rest end for a particle-shaped sample; an apparatus for generating a humid gas flow at a mouth end thereof, wherein the mouth end is directed to the rest end, wherein the apparatus for generating the humid gas flow comprises: a gas provider for providing gas having a first temperature and a first relative humidity, so that the gas has a first dew-point temperature; a cooler for cooling the gas to a cooler temperature under condensation of moisture to adjust a second dew-point temperature of the gas corresponding to the cooler temperature; a guide for guiding the gas with the second dew-point temperature to the mouth end, preventing condensation of moisture from the gas; and a controller for adjusting the relative humidity of the gas at the mouth end by adjusting the cooler temperature and adjusting the temperature of the gas at the mouth end.