System and method for cleaning a liquid ring pump system
AssigneeEdwards Technologies Vacuum Engineering (Qingdao) Company Limited
InventorsAndries Daniel Jozef De Bock, Bart Van Audenrode, Xin Dai, Xibo Liu, Kun Zhou
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system comprising: a liquid ring pump; a separator coupled to an exhaust outlet of the liquid ring pump; a valve module, the valve module being coupled to the separator via a first drainage line and coupled to the liquid ring pump via a second drainage line, the valve module comprising a first valve arranged along the first drainage line and a second valve arranged along the second drainage line; and a controller configured to control the valves.
Claims13
A system comprising:
- a liquid ring pump comprising:
- a chamber;
- a suction inlet;
- and
- an exhaust outlet;
- wherein
- the liquid ring pump is configured to:
- pump an inlet fluid into the chamber via the suction inlet;
- and
- pump an exhaust fluid out of the chamber via the exhaust outlet;
- a separator coupled to the exhaust outlet of the liquid ring pump and configured to separate the exhaust fluid received from the liquid ring pump into gas and liquid;
- a valve module, wherein:
- the valve module is coupled to the separator via a first drainage line;
- the valve module is coupled to the liquid ring pump via a second drainage line;
- and
- the valve module comprises:
- a first valve arranged along the first drainage line;
- and
- a second valve arranged along the second drainage line;
- a timer configured to output a timer signal at a first predetermined time interval;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- while the liquid ring pump is pumping the exhaust fluid to the separator, responsive to the timer outputting the timer signal, control the first valve such that a liquid within the separator is permitted to flow out of the separator via the first drainage line for a second predetermined time interval, the second predetermined time interval being shorter than the first predetermined time interval;
- and
- for some time while the liquid ring pump is not pumping the exhaust fluid to the separator, either or both of:
- control the first valve such that a liquid within the separator is permitted to flow out of the separator via the first drainage line;
- or
- control the second valve such that a liquid within the liquid ring pump is permitted to flow out of the liquid ring pump via the second drainage line.
A control method for a system, the system comprising a liquid ring pump comprising a chamber, a suction inlet, and an exhaust outlet, the liquid ring pump being configured to pump an inlet fluid into the chamber via the suction inlet and pump an exhaust fluid out of the chamber via the exhaust outlet, a separator coupled to the exhaust outlet of the liquid ring pump and configured to separate the exhaust fluid received from the liquid ring pump into gas and liquid, and a valve module, the valve module being coupled to the separator via a first drainage line and to the liquid ring pump via a second drainage line, the valve module comprising a first valve arranged along the first drainage line and a second valve arranged along the second drainage line, a timer configured to output a timer signal at a first predetermined time interval the method comprising:
- while the liquid ring pump is pumping the exhaust fluid to the separator, responsive to the timer outputting the timer signal, controlling, by a controller, the first valve such that a liquid within the separator is permitted to flow out of the separator via the first drainage line for a second predetermined time interval, the second predetermined time interval being shorter than the first predetermined time interval.
A control method for a system, the system comprising a liquid ring pump comprising a chamber, a suction inlet, and an exhaust outlet, the liquid ring pump being configured to pump an inlet fluid into the chamber via the suction inlet and pump an exhaust fluid out of the chamber via the exhaust outlet, a separator coupled to the exhaust outlet of the liquid ring pump and configured to separate the exhaust fluid received from the liquid ring pump into gas and liquid, and a valve module, the valve module being coupled to the separator via a first drainage line and to the liquid ring pump via a second drainage line, the valve module comprising a first valve arranged along the first drainage line and a second valve arranged along the second drainage line, a timer configured to output a timer signal at a first predetermined time interval the method comprising:
- while the liquid ring pump is pumping the exhaust fluid to the separator, responsive to the timer outputting the timer signal, controlling, by a controller, the first valve such that a liquid within the separator is permitted to flow out of the separator via the first drainage line for a second predetermined time interval, the second predetermined time interval being shorter than the first predetermined time interval
- for some time while the liquid ring pump is not pumping the exhaust fluid to the separator, performing one or more actions selected from the group of actions consisting of:
- controlling, by the controller, the first valve thereby causing a liquid within the separator to flow out of the separator via the first drainage line;
- and
- controlling, by the controller, the second valve thereby to cause a liquid within the liquid ring pump to flow out of the liquid ring pump via the second drainage line.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.