US 10,386,861 B2Granted

Pressure type flow control system with flow monitoring, and method for detecting anomaly in fluid supply system and handling method at abnormal monitoring flow rate using the same

AssigneeFujikin Incorporated

InventorsKaoru Hirata, Ryousuke Dohi, Kouji Nishino, Nobukazu Ikeda, Katsuyuki Sugita

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Abstract

A pressure type flow control system with flow monitoring includes an inlet, a control valve including a pressure flow control unit connected downstream of the inlet, a thermal flow sensor connected downstream of the control valve, an orifice installed on a fluid passage communicatively connected downstream of the thermal flow sensor, a temperature sensor provided near the fluid passage between the control valve and orifice, a pressure sensor provided for the fluid passage between the control valve and orifice, an outlet communicatively connected to the orifice, and a control unit including a pressure type flow rate arithmetic and control unit receiving a pressure signal from the pressure sensor and a temperature signal from the temperature sensor, and a flow sensor control unit to which a flow rate signal from the thermal flow sensor is input.

Claims5

Dependent claims

A method for detecting an anomaly for a fluid supply system that uses a pressure type flow control system with flow monitoring, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

(a) installing a plurality of valves including two valves on the upstream side and a valve on the downstream side, of a pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring in a fluid supply system equipped with the pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring;
and
(b) detecting anomalies of the plurality of valves installed on the upstream side, or on the downstream side, or on both the upstream side and on the downstream side, of the pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring, wherein the pressure type flow control system has a pressure sensor, and the pressure type flow control system further comprises a flow rate setting mechanism, a flow rate and pressure indicating mechanism, and a flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism, wherein an indicated value of pressure in the pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring, or a diagnosed value of the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism, or both the indicated value of pressure in the pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring and the diagnosed value of the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism, are used to ascertain anomalies of the plurality of valves, wherein the plurality of valves intended for anomaly detection include a first valve of a purge gas supply system and a second valve of a process gas supply system that are installed on the upstream side of the pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring, and a third valve is installed in a process gas using system on the downstream side of the pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring, and a type of anomaly to be detected by the method is an anomaly selected from the group consisting of an opening and closing operational anomaly of a valve and a seat leakage of a valve.

A method for detecting an anomaly in a fluid supply system that uses a pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

(a) installing a plurality of valves on an upstream side, or on a downstream side, or on both the upstream side and on the downstream side, of a pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring in a fluid supply system equipped with the pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring;
and
(b) detecting anomalies of the plurality of valves installed on the upstream side, or on the downstream side, or on the upstream side and on the downstream side, of the pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring, wherein the pressure type flow control system has a pressure sensor, and the pressure type flow control system further comprises a flow rate setting mechanism, a flow rate and pressure indicating mechanism, and a flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism, wherein an indicated value of pressure in the pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring, or a diagnosed value of the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism, or both the indicated value of pressure in the pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring and the diagnosed value of the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism, are used to ascertain anomalies of the plurality of valves, wherein the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism is configured to compare initial set pressure drop characteristics and pressure drop characteristics at diagnosis in order to diagnose an anomaly, wherein the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism ascertains, as compared with the pressure drop characteristics at an initial setting, which pattern selected from the group consisting of
(I) a pressure drop that starts delaying immediately after the diagnosis,
(II) a pressure drop that starts delaying during the process of the diagnosis,
(III) a pressure drop that starts accelerating immediately after the diagnosis, and
(IV) a first pressure at the start of the diagnosis that does not reach a second pressure at the initial setting,
corresponds to the pressure drop characteristics at the flow rate self-diagnosis conducted by the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism;
and
(c) determining a cause of the detected anomaly from the pattern of the pressure drop characteristics at the flow rate self-diagnosis ascertained by the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism.

7 more elements

A handling method when a monitoring flow rate is abnormal in a fluid supply system that uses a pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring, wherein the handling method comprises the steps of:

(a) performing a flow rate self-diagnosis by performing the steps of
(i) installing a plurality of valves on an upstream side, or on a downstream side, or on both the upstream side and on the downstream side, of a pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring in a fluid supply system equipped with the pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring;
and
(ii) detecting anomalies of the plurality of valves installed on the upstream side, or on the downstream side, or on the upstream side and on the downstream side, of the pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring, wherein the pressure type flow control system has a pressure sensor, and the pressure type flow control system further comprises a flow rate setting mechanism, a flow rate and pressure indicating mechanism, and a flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism, wherein a diagnosed value of the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism, or both an indicated value of pressure in the pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring and the diagnosed value of the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism, are used to ascertain anomalies of the plurality of valves, wherein the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism is configured to compare initial set pressure drop characteristics and pressure drop characteristics at diagnosis in order to diagnose an anomaly, wherein the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism ascertains, as compared with the pressure drop characteristics at an initial setting, which pattern selected from the group consisting of
(I) a pressure drop that starts delaying immediately after the diagnosis,
(II) a pressure drop that starts delaying during the process of the diagnosis,
(III) a pressure drop that starts accelerating immediately after the diagnosis, and
(IV) a first pressure at the start of the diagnosis that does not reach a second pressure at the initial setting,
corresponds to the pressure drop characteristics at the flow rate self-diagnosis conducted by the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism;
and
(iii) determining a cause of the detected anomaly from the pattern of the pressure drop characteristics at the flow rate self-diagnosis ascertained by the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism;
(b) checking a shift in zero-point of the pressure sensor after determining the cause of the anomaly detected from the selected pattern of the pressure drop characteristics of the flow rate self-diagnosis;
(c) again performing another flow rate self-diagnosis after adjusting the zero-point when a zero-point is shifted;
(d) ascertaining whether or not the determined cause of the anomaly is an anomaly in the fluid supply system under circumstances where there is no shift in zero-point;
(e) resolving the anomaly in the fluid supply system when the fluid supply system is operating abnormally;
and
(f) ascertaining when the pressure type flow control system with flow monitoring is operating abnormally, and replacing the pressure type flow control system when the pressure type flow control system is malfunctioning and there is no anomaly in the rest of the fluid supply system.

14 more elements

(a) performing a flow rate self-diagnosis by performing the steps of
(i) installing a plurality of valves on an upstream side, or on a downstream side, or on both the upstream side and on the downstream side, of a pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring in a fluid supply system equipped with the pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring;
and
(ii) detecting anomalies of the plurality of valves installed on the upstream side, or on the downstream side, or on the upstream side and on the downstream side, of the pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring, wherein the pressure type flow control system has a pressure sensor, and the pressure type flow control system further comprises a flow rate setting mechanism, a flow rate and pressure indicating mechanism, and a flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism, wherein a diagnosed value of the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism, or both an indicated value of pressure in the pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring and the diagnosed value of the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism, are used to ascertain anomalies of the plurality of valves, wherein the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism is configured to compare initial set pressure drop characteristics and pressure drop characteristics at diagnosis in order to diagnose an anomaly, wherein the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism ascertains, as compared with the pressure drop characteristics at an initial setting, which pattern selected from the group consisting of
(I) a pressure drop that starts delaying immediately after the diagnosis,
(II) a pressure drop that starts delaying during the process of the diagnosis,
(III) a pressure drop that starts accelerating immediately after the diagnosis, and
(IV) a first pressure at the start of the diagnosis that does not reach a second pressure at the initial setting,
corresponds to the pressure drop characteristics at the flow rate self-diagnosis conducted by the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism;
and
(iii) determining a cause of the detected anomaly from the pattern of the pressure drop characteristics at the flow rate self-diagnosis ascertained by the flow rate self-diagnostic mechanism;
and
(b) when a monitoring flow rate is abnormal due to a change in diameter of an orifice of the pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring, carrying out calibration for the pressure type flow control system provided with flow monitoring wherein the monitoring flow rate is considered as the correct flow rate.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/450,417Filed 6 Mar 2017 · division
Priority: JP 2011-10526510 May 2011
Published: US 2017/0234455 A117 Aug 2017
Granted: 20 Aug 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

G05D 7/0623
Specially adapted for fluid materials: characterised by the set value given to the control element
F16K 37/0083
For recording or indicating the functioning of a valve in combination with test equipment: by measuring valve parameters
G01F 1/36
By measuring pressure or differential pressure: the pressure or differential pressure being created by the use of flow constriction
G01F 1/363
The pressure or differential pressure being created by the use of flow constriction: with electrical or electro-mechanical indication

Family

PCT/JP2012/002394Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 5 Apr 2012
Application14/075,890Parent of this division · filed 8 Nov 2013
US 2017/0234455 A1Pre-grant publication · published 17 Aug 2017
US 9,632,511 B2Parent of this division
Application14/075,890Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2014/0230911 A1Published application
US 10,386,861 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.