US 7,850,431 B2Granted

System and method for control of fluid pressure

AssigneeEntegris, Inc.

InventorsGeorge Gonnella, James Cedrone

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Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are related to a pumping system that accurately dispenses fluid using a multiple stage (“multi-stage”) pump. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention provide for control of a feed stage pump to regulate fluid pressure at a downstream dispense stage pump. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a pressure sensor at the dispense stage pump determines the pressure in a dispense chamber. When the pressure reaches a predefined threshold, the dispense stage pump can begin to increase the available volume of the dispense chamber, thereby causing the pressure in the dispense chamber to drop. As the pressure decreases/increases at the downstream pump, the pressure applied by the upstream pump can bed increased/decreased.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A method for controlling fluid pressure in a multiple stage pump comprising:

operating a feed pump to reduce a volume of a feed chamber at a first predetermined rate;
opening a barrier valve to allow a fluid in the feed chamber to enter a dispense chamber while keeping an outlet valve closed so that none of the fluid entering the dispense chamber is dispensed;
taking a first pressure measurement of the fluid in the dispense chamber using a pressure sensor disposed to measure pressure in the dispense chamber;
determining whether the first pressure measurement is greater than a predetermined pressure;
in response to the first pressure measurement being greater than said predetermined pressure, operating a dispense pump to increase a volume of the dispense chamber at a second predetermined rate;
taking a second pressure measurement of the fluid in the dispense chamber using the pressure sensor, wherein the second pressure measurement is taken while the dispense pump is operating to increase the volume of the dispense chamber;
determining whether the second pressure measurement is greater than the predetermined pressure;
in response to determining that the second pressure measurement is greater than the predetermined pressure, operating the feed pump at a decreased speed;
in response to determining that the second pressure measurement is not equal to or greater than the predetermined pressure, operating the feed pump at an increased speed;
determining whether the operation of the dispense pump has caused the volume of the dispense chamber to reach a predetermined volume;
in response to determining that the volume of the dispense chamber has not reached the predetermined volume, repeating the method from the step of measuring the second pressure;
and
in response to determining that the volume of the dispense chamber has reached the predetermined volume, stopping the operation of the feed pump and the dispense pump.

10 more elements

A multiple stage pump comprising:

a feed pump comprising:
a feed chamber;
a first diaphragm movable in the feed chamber;
a first lead screw to move the first diaphragm;
a first motor coupled to the first lead screw to rotate the first lead screw;
a dispense pump fluidly coupled to the feed pump, the dispense pump comprising:
a dispense chamber;
a second diaphragm movable in the dispense chamber;
a second lead screw to move the second diaphragm;
a second motor coupled to the second lead screw to rotate the second lead screw;
a filter disposed in a fluid flow path between the feed pump and the dispense pump;
an inlet valve;
an isolation valve;
a barrier valve;
an outlet valve;
a pressure sensor positioned to measure pressure in said dispense chamber;
and
a pump controller comprising a processor and a tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium storing a set of instructions executable to cause the controller to:
operate the feed pump to reduce a volume of said feed chamber at a first predetermined rate while the isolation valve is open and the barrier valve is closed;
open the barrier valve to allow a fluid in the feed chamber to enter said dispense chamber while keeping said outlet valve closed so that none of the fluid entering the dispense chamber is dispensed;
take a first pressure measurement of the fluid in the dispense chamber using the pressure sensor;
determine whether the first pressure measurement is greater than a predetermined pressure;
in response to the first pressure measurement being greater than said predetermined pressure, operate the dispense pump to increase a volume of the dispense chamber at a second predetermined rate;
take a second pressure measurement of the fluid in the dispense chamber using the pressure sensor, wherein the second pressure measurement is taken while the dispense pump is operating to increase the volume of the dispense chamber;
determine whether the second pressure measurement is greater than the predetermined pressure;
in response to determining that the second pressure measurement is greater than the predetermined pressure, operate the feed pump at a decreased speed;
in response to determining that the second pressure measurement is not equal to or greater than the predetermined pressure, operate the feed pump at an increased speed;
determine whether the operation of the dispense pump has caused the volume of the dispense chamber to reach a predetermined volume;
in response to determining that the volume of the dispense chamber has not reached the predetermined volume, repeating the method from the step of measuring the second pressure;
and
in response to determining that the volume of the dispense chamber has reached the predetermined volume, stopping the operation of the feed pump and the dispense pump.

28 more elements

A computer program product comprising a tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable to perform a method of controlling a multiple stage pump, the method comprising:

operating a feed pump to reduce a volume of a feed chamber at a first predetermined rate;
opening a barrier valve to allow a fluid in the feed chamber to enter a dispense chamber while keeping an outlet valve closed so that none of the fluid entering the dispense chamber is dispensed;
taking a first pressure measurement of the fluid in the dispense chamber using a pressure sensor disposed to measure pressure in the dispense chamber;
determining whether the first pressure measurement is greater than a predetermined pressure;
in response to the first pressure measurement being greater than said predetermined pressure, operating a dispense pump to increase a volume of the dispense chamber at a second predetermined rate;
taking a second pressure measurement of the fluid in the dispense chamber using the pressure sensor, wherein the second pressure measurement is taken while the dispense pump is operating to increase the volume of the dispense chamber;
determining whether the second pressure measurement is greater than the predetermined pressure;
in response to determining that the second pressure measurement is greater than the predetermined pressure, operating the feed pump at a decreased speed;
in response to determining that the second pressure measurement is not equal to or greater than the predetermined pressure, operating the feed pump at an increased speed;
determining whether the operation of the dispense pump has caused the volume of the dispense chamber to reach a predetermined volume;
in response to determining that the volume of the dispense chamber has not reached the predetermined volume, repeating the method from the step of measuring the second pressure;
and
in response to determining that the volume of the dispense chamber has reached the predetermined volume, stopping the operation of the feed pump and the dispense pump.

10 more elements

A method for controlling fluid pressure in a multiple stage pump comprising:

operating a feed pump to reduce a volume of a feed chamber at a first predetermined rate;
opening a barrier valve to allow a fluid in the feed chamber to enter a dispense chamber while keeping an outlet valve closed so that none of the fluid entering the dispense chamber is dispensed;
taking a first pressure measurement of the fluid in the dispense chamber using a pressure sensor disposed to measure pressure in the dispense chamber;
determining whether the first pressure measurement is greater than a predetermined pressure;
in response to the first pressure measurement being greater than said predetermined pressure, operating a dispense pump to increase a volume of the dispense chamber at a second predetermined rate;
taking a second pressure measurement of the fluid in the dispense chamber using the pressure sensor, wherein the second pressure measurement is taken while the dispense pump is operating to increase the volume of the dispense chamber;
determining whether the second pressure measurement is greater than a first threshold above the predetermined pressure or less than a second threshold below the predetermined pressure;
in response to determining that the second pressure measurement is greater than the first threshold, operating the feed pump at a decreased speed;
in response to determining that the second pressure measurement is less than the second threshold, operating the feed pump at an increased speed;
determining whether the operation of the dispense pump has caused the volume of the dispense chamber to reach a predetermined volume;
in response to determining that the volume of the dispense chamber has not reached the predetermined volume, repeating the method from the step of measuring the second pressure;
and
in response to determining that the volume of the dispense chamber has reached the predetermined volume, stopping the operation of the feed pump and the dispense pump.

10 more elements

A multiple stage pump comprising:

a feed pump comprising:
a feed chamber;
a first diaphragm movable in the feed chamber;
a first lead screw to move the first diaphragm;
a first motor coupled to the first lead screw to rotate the first lead screw;
a dispense pump fluidly coupled to the feed pump, the dispense pump comprising:
a dispense chamber;
a second diaphragm movable in the dispense chamber;
a second lead screw to move the second diaphragm;
a second motor coupled to the second lead screw to rotate the second lead screw;
a filter disposed in a fluid flow path between the feed pump and the dispense pump;
an inlet valve;
an isolation valve;
a barrier valve;
an outlet valve;
a pressure sensor positioned to measure pressure in said dispense chamber;
and
a pump controller comprising a processor and a tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium storing a set of instructions executable by the processor to cause the controller to:
operate the feed pump to reduce a volume of said feed chamber at a first predetermined rate while the isolation valve is open and the barrier valve is closed;
open the barrier valve to allow a fluid in the feed chamber to enter said dispense chamber while keeping said outlet valve closed so that none of the fluid entering the dispense chamber is dispensed;
take a first pressure measurement of the fluid in the dispense chamber using the pressure sensor;
determine whether the first pressure measurement is greater than a predetermined pressure;
in response to the first pressure measurement being greater than said predetermined pressure, operate the dispense pump to increase a volume of the dispense chamber at a second predetermined rate;
take a second pressure measurement of the fluid in the dispense chamber using the pressure sensor, wherein the second pressure measurement is taken while the dispense pump is operating to increase the volume of the dispense chamber;
determine whether the second pressure measurement is greater than a first threshold above the predetermined pressure or less than a second threshold below the predetermined pressure;
in response to determining that the second pressure measurement is greater than the first threshold, operating the feed pump at a decreased speed;
in response to determining that the second pressure measurement is less than the second threshold, operate the feed pump at an increased speed;
determine whether the operation of the dispense pump has caused the volume of the dispense chamber to reach a predetermined volume;
in response to determining that the volume of the dispense chamber has not reached the predetermined volume, repeating the method from the step of measuring the second pressure;
and
in response to determining that the volume of the dispense chamber has reached the predetermined volume, stopping the operation of the feed pump and the dispense pump.

28 more elements

operating a feed pump to reduce a volume of a feed chamber at a first predetermined rate;
opening a barrier valve to allow a fluid in the feed chamber to enter a dispense chamber while keeping an outlet valve closed so that none of the fluid entering the dispense chamber is dispensed;
taking a first pressure measurement of the fluid in the dispense chamber using a pressure sensor disposed to measure pressure in the dispense chamber;
determining whether the first pressure measurement is greater than a predetermined pressure;
in response to the first pressure measurement being greater than said predetermined pressure, operating a dispense pump to increase a volume of the dispense chamber at a second predetermined rate;
taking a second pressure measurement of the fluid in the dispense chamber using the pressure sensor, wherein the second pressure measurement is taken while the dispense pump is operating to increase the volume of the dispense chamber;
determining whether the second pressure measurement is greater than a first threshold above the predetermined pressure or less than a second threshold below the predetermined pressure;
in response to determining that the second pressure measurement is greater than the first threshold, operating the feed pump at a decreased speed;
in response to determining that the second pressure measurement is less than the second threshold, operating the feed pump at an increased speed;
determining whether the operation of the dispense pump has caused the volume of the dispense chamber to reach a predetermined volume;
in response to determining that the volume of the dispense chamber has not reached the predetermined volume, repeating the method from the step of measuring the second pressure;
and
in response to determining that the volume of the dispense chamber has reached the predetermined volume, stopping the operation of the feed pump and the dispense pump.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/292,559Filed 2 Dec 2005
Published: US 2007/0128046 A17 Jun 2007
Granted: 14 Dec 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

F04B 1/08
Control: regulated by delivery pressure
F04B 23/04
Pumping installations or systems: combinations of two or more pumps
F04B 23/06
Combinations of two or more pumps: the pumps being all of reciprocating positive-displacement type
F04B 41/06
Pumping installations or systems specially adapted for elastic fluids: combinations of two or more pumps