Flow control system, method, and apparatus
AssigneeIchor Systems, Inc.
InventorsMarshall B. Grill, Sean Joseph Penley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas flow control system for delivering a plurality of gas flows. The gas flow control system has a gas flow path extending from a gas inlet to first and second gas outlets. First and second flow restrictors are operably coupled to the gas flow path. First and second valves are operably coupled to the gas flow path such that when both first and second valves are in a fully open state, flows of gas from the first and second gas outlets are split according to the impedances of the first and second flow restrictors.
Claims19
-136. (canceled)
A gas flow control system for delivering a plurality of gas flows, the gas flow control system comprising:
- a gas flow path extending from a gas inlet to a first gas outlet and a second gas outlet;
- a first valve operably coupled to the gas flow path and located between the gas inlet and the first gas outlet;
- a second valve operably coupled to the gas flow path and located between the gas inlet and the second gas outlet;
- a first flow restrictor having a first flow impedance operably coupled to the gas flow path and located between the gas inlet and the first gas outlet;
- a second flow restrictor having a second flow impedance operably coupled to the gas flow path and located between the gas inlet and the second gas outlet;
- wherein, when both the first and second valves are in a fully open state, a ratio between a first gas flow from the first gas outlet and a second gas flow from the second gas outlet is determined by a ratio of the first flow impedance and the second flow impedance.
A gas flow control system for delivering a plurality of gas flows, the gas flow control system comprising:
- a gas flow path extending from a gas inlet to a first gas outlet and a second gas outlet;
- a first valve operably coupled to the gas flow path and located between the gas inlet and the first gas outlet;
- a second valve operably coupled to the gas flow path and located between the gas inlet and the second gas outlet;
- a first flow restrictor having a first flow impedance operably coupled to the gas flow path and located between the gas inlet and the first gas outlet;
- a second flow restrictor having a second flow impedance operably coupled to the gas flow path and located between the gas inlet and the second gas outlet;
- wherein the first and second valves are proportional valves, the first and second valves selectively permitting gas flow from the first and second gas outlets.
A method of delivering a process gas, the method comprising:
- (a) flowing the process gas through a first gas outlet of a gas flow apparatus, the gas flow apparatus having a gas flow path extending from a gas inlet to the first gas outlet, a first valve operably coupled to the gas flow path and located between the gas inlet and the first gas outlet, a first flow restrictor having a first flow impedance operably coupled to the gas flow path and located between the gas inlet and the first gas outlet, the first valve in a fully open state and delivering a first controlled flow of process gas to the first gas outlet;
- (b) subsequent to step (a), transitioning a second valve to a fully open state and the first valve to a fully closed state and delivering a second controlled flow of process gas to a second gas outlet, the second valve operably coupled to the gas flow path and located between the gas inlet and the second gas outlet, a second flow restrictor having a second flow impedance operably coupled to the gas flow path and located between the gas inlet and the second gas outlet;
- and
- (c) subsequent to step (b), transitioning the first valve to a fully open state and delivering the first controlled flow of process gas to the first gas outlet simultaneously with delivering the second controlled flow of process gas to the second gas outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.