JP7541715B2 - Fluid Control Device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fluid control device that is equipped with a sensor within the device and is capable of outputting data detected by the sensor.

In the film deposition process used to form thin films on the surfaces of semiconductor wafers, there is a demand for finer films, and in recent years a film deposition method called ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition), which forms thin films with thicknesses at the atomic or molecular level, has been used.
However, such miniaturization of thin films requires fluid control devices to open and close more frequently than ever before, and the load can easily cause fluid leakage, etc. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for technology that can easily detect fluid leakage in fluid control devices.
Furthermore, if it were possible not only to easily detect leaks but also to collect data related to the operation of the fluid control device, it would be possible to understand the frequency of use and individual differences of the fluid control device, which could not be taken into account in the past, and to control the fluid control device more precisely than ever before.

In this regard, Patent Document 1 discloses a fluid control device that incorporates an information processing module that processes data detected by a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and a limit switch. Patent Document 2 discloses an operation analysis system that acquires operation information of the fluid control device and analyzes correlations with the occurrence of abnormalities. Patent Document 3 discloses a fluid control device that has a slit that allows a communication cable connected to an internal sensor to be led out to the outside.

International Publication No. WO 2018/168872 International Publication No. WO 2018/168873 International Publication No. 2020/012828

In recent years, temperature management of the fluid flowing through fluid control devices has become stricter, and the demand for measurement accuracy has increased, but because the devices used in fluid control devices are integrated, it is not possible to mount an external sensor on each device. One of the objectives of the present invention is to detect abnormalities in the temperature measurement of a fluid control device using a simple configuration.

To achieve the above object, a fluid control device according to one aspect of the present invention has a diaphragm that switches between valve open and valve closed by displacement of a movable part, thereby controlling the flow and blocking of fluid in a flow path, a valve body part, a temperature sensor that is placed inside the valve body part and detects the temperature inside the fluid control device, and an abnormality determination means that determines the presence or absence of an abnormality by comparing the measured temperature when the valve is open and the measured temperature when the valve is closed, which are detected by the temperature sensor.

The abnormality determination means may determine that an abnormality has occurred when the difference between the temperature measured when the valve is open and the temperature measured when the valve is closed is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

The valve may further include a diaphragm presser that presses against the diaphragm, and the diaphragm presser may be in contact with the movable portion of the diaphragm both when the valve is open and when the valve is closed.

The contact area between the diaphragm and the diaphragm retainer may be the same when the valve is open and when the valve is closed.

The valve may further include a retaining adapter that abuts against the peripheral edge of the diaphragm to hold the diaphragm, and the retaining adapter may not abut against the movable portion of the diaphragm when the valve is open or closed.

The contact area between the diaphragm and the pressure adapter may be the same when the valve is open and when the valve is closed.

The vehicle may further include a bonnet that houses the temperature sensor, the bonnet being made of aluminum.

The fluid control device according to the present invention can detect abnormalities in the fluid control device with a simple configuration.

1 is an external perspective view showing a fluid control device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the fluid control device according to the present embodiment, showing a valve open state. 1A and 1B are partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional views showing the internal structure of a fluid control device according to the present embodiment, in which FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a bonnet of the fluid control device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing functions of the fluid control device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing functions of a fluid control device according to a modified example of the present embodiment and a server configured to be able to communicate with the fluid control device.

Hereinafter, a fluid control device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the following description, for convenience, the directions of components are sometimes referred to as up, down, left, and right according to the directions on the drawings, but these do not limit the directions of components when implementing or using the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the fluid control device V of this embodiment is an air-operated direct diaphragm valve that has a built-in sensor that detects the internal operation of the fluid control device V and performs wired communication with other terminals, etc.
The other terminals referred to here include so-called computers such as servers, as well as other devices and equipment such as fluid control devices and flow rate control devices.

The fluid control device V according to this embodiment is a device capable of acquiring data regarding its internal operation, and as shown in Figures 1 and 2, comprises a valve body portion 1, a first bonnet portion 2, a second bonnet portion 4, and an actuator portion 5.

●Valve body part 1
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the valve body 1 is made up of a base portion 11 in which a flow passage is formed, a substantially cylindrical portion 12 provided on the base portion 11, and an annular sheet 13.
The base portion 11 has a rectangular shape in a plan view, and when a unitized fluid control device is formed by a plurality of fluid control devices V, it is the portion that is placed on a substrate or a manifold block.

The cylindrical portion 12 has a hollow shape with an open end face on the side where the first bonnet portion 2 is disposed, and the hollow interior forms a recess 12a in which the first bonnet portion 2 is housed. Below the recess 12a and within the base portion 11, an inflow passage 111 through which the fluid flows in, an outflow passage 113 through which the fluid flows out, and a valve chamber 112 that communicates with the inflow passage 111 and the outflow passage 113 are formed. The inflow passage 111, the outflow passage 113, and the valve chamber 112 integrally form a flow path through which the fluid flows.

The annular sheet 13 is provided on the periphery of the inflow passage 111. A diaphragm 22 is provided on the sheet 13, which allows or blocks the flow of fluid in the inflow passage 111 and the outflow passage 113 by coming into contact with and moving away from the sheet 13.

●First bonnet part 2
As shown in FIG. 2, the first bonnet portion 2 is disposed in a state in which it is housed within a recess 12 a of the valve body portion 1 .
The first bonnet portion 2 includes a diaphragm 22 , a disk 23 , a sensor bonnet 24 , a diaphragm presser 25 , and a presser adapter 26 .

As shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), the diaphragm 22 is a spherical shell-shaped member made of a metal such as stainless steel or a Ni-Co alloy, or a fluororesin, with a convex central portion 221, and separates the inlet passage 111 and outlet passage 113 from the space in which the second bonnet portion 4 operates.

When the driving fluid is supplied as the driving pressure and the diaphragm 22 is released from the pressure of the diaphragm presser 25, the central portion 221 is displaced in a direction away from the seat 13 due to its own restoring force and the pressure in the flow path, and moves away from the seat 13. As a result, the valve chamber 112 is opened, and the inflow path 111 and outflow path 113 are in communication. On the other hand, when the supply of the driving fluid as the driving pressure is stopped and the diaphragm 22 is pressed by the diaphragm presser 25, the central portion 221 of the diaphragm 22 is displaced in a direction to abut against the seat 13 and abuts against the seat 13. As a result, the valve chamber 112 is blocked, and the inflow path 111 and outflow path 113 are blocked.

In other words, the central portion 221 of the diaphragm 22 is a movable portion that is displaced by the supply of driving fluid, and the peripheral portion 222 is a non-movable portion that is not displaced even when the driving fluid is supplied.

The peripheral portion 222 of the diaphragm 22 abuts against the holding adapter 26 described below, and is sandwiched between the holding adapter 26 and a protrusion 121a (see Figures 3(a) and (b)) that faces upward inside the recess 12a of the valve body portion 1.

The disk 23 is provided above the diaphragm 22 and is supported by the sensor bonnet 24 so that it can move up and down, and presses against the center of the diaphragm 22 in conjunction with the sliding stem 43.

An O-ring O1 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the disk 23, and this O-ring O1 seals the disk 23 and the inner peripheral surface of the sensor bonnet 24.

The upper part of the disk 23 has a smaller outer diameter, through which the magnet holder M10 is inserted. The magnet holder M10 is a roughly circular ring-shaped member with a portion cut out, and a magnet is attached to the cut out portion. This magnet, together with a magnetic body M2 attached to a sensor holder 241 that is fitted into a recess in the sensor bonnet 24, constitutes a magnetic sensor M, which will be described later. The magnet holder M10 also has a recess on its outer periphery, and a positioning member such as a bolt that passes through the sensor holder 241 presses against the recess, preventing the magnet holder M10 from shifting out of position. A lock nut 231 is fitted above the magnet holder M10 at the top end of the disk 23 to prevent the magnet holder M10 from slipping out.

A diaphragm retainer 25 is connected to the lower end of the disk 23. The underside of the diaphragm retainer 25 is a convex surface that bulges downward, and the underside of the diaphragm retainer 25 abuts against the center 221 of the diaphragm 22 and presses the diaphragm 22 in conjunction with the sliding stem 43.

As shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), the lower end of the diaphragm retainer 25 abuts against the center 221 of the diaphragm 22 whether the valve is open or closed. In other words, the contact area between the diaphragm retainer 25 and the diaphragm 22 is the same whether the valve is open or closed. With this configuration, the heat transfer area of the diaphragm 22 is constant whether the valve is open or closed, enabling accurate temperature measurement by the temperature sensor T described below.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the sensor bonnet 24 is generally cylindrical, covers the valve chamber 112, and is accommodated in the recess 12a of the valve body 1.
Inside the sensor bonnet 24, a through hole 241a is formed in the center, through which the disk 23 is inserted.
In addition, the sensor bonnet 24 is provided with a communication hole 241d that communicates with the pressure sensor P and the temperature sensor T. By providing the pressure sensor P and the temperature sensor T via the communication hole 241d, it is possible to measure the pressure and temperature in the space defined by the diaphragm 22, the disk 23, and the sensor bonnet 24.
In this embodiment, the temperature sensor T is provided inside the sensor bonnet 24, but the temperature sensor T may be located inside the valve body 1, and in particular, at least the temperature detection portion of the temperature sensor T may be mounted inside the valve body 1. According to this configuration, by simply installing the fluid control device V, the temperature inside the fluid control device V can be accurately measured without the need for a separate installation task of a temperature sensor.

Furthermore, a flexible cable 60 that is connected to the pressure sensor P, temperature sensor T, and magnetic sensor M inside the sensor bonnet 24 extends outward from the side of the sensor bonnet 24.

A magnetic body M2 held by a sensor holder 241 is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the sensor bonnet 24, and together with the magnet attached to the disk 23, forms a magnetic sensor M, which will be described later.

The sensor bonnet 24 is made of aluminum. Aluminum has a higher thermal conductivity than, for example, SUS, and therefore can transmit the fluid temperature more accurately to the temperature sensor T inside the sensor bonnet 24. In addition, the sensor bonnet 24 is made of aluminum, so it is not magnetized, and therefore the effect of the magnetic sensor M on the temperature sensor T and pressure sensor P can be reduced.

The pressing adapter 26 abuts against the peripheral portion 222 of the diaphragm 22, and clamps the diaphragm 22 between the protrusion 121a in the recess 12a of the valve body portion 1. It also presses down on the peripheral portion 222 from above, preventing the fluid flowing through the inflow passage 111 and outflow passage 113 from leaking to the outside from the vicinity of the peripheral portion 222.

The holding adapter 26 does not touch the moving part of the diaphragm 22, in other words the central part 221, whether the diaphragm 22 is open or closed. Furthermore, the contact area between the holding adapter 26 and the diaphragm 22 is the same when the valve is open and when the valve is closed. With this configuration, the heat transfer area of the diaphragm 22 can be made constant when the valve is open and when the valve is closed. In addition, since the heat conducted from the diaphragm 22 is constant, accurate temperature measurement by the temperature sensor T described below is possible regardless of whether the valve is open or closed.

● Second bonnet part 4
The second bonnet portion 4 is disposed on the first bonnet portion 2 .
As shown in FIG. 2 , the second bonnet portion 4 includes a second bonnet body 41 , a stem 43 , and a spring 44 .

The second bonnet body 41 is interposed between the stem 43 and the sensor bonnet 24 .
The second bonnet body 41 has a generally cylindrical shape and is provided in the center with a through-hole 41a extending in the longitudinal direction, through which the stem 43 and the disk 23 are inserted. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the stem 43 and the disk 23 abut in the through-hole 41a, and the disk 23 moves up and down in conjunction with the up and down movement of the stem 43. The second bonnet body 41 is open at one end opposite to the base portion 11, and is provided with a slit 12b penetrating from the outside to the recess 12a.

The stem 43 moves up and down in response to the supply and stop of drive pressure, and causes the diaphragm 22 to contact and separate from the seat 13 via the disk 23 and the diaphragm presser 25 .
The stem 43 receives the biasing force of a spring 44 on the upper surface side.

The spring 44 is wound around the outer periphery of the stem 43 and abuts against the upper surface of the stem 43, biasing the stem 43 downward, i.e., in the direction of pressing down on the diaphragm 22.

Actuator part 5
The actuator section 5 is a cylindrical member with a bottom and an opening 51 through which the driving fluid is supplied. A plurality of disk-shaped pistons 54 that are movable up and down along the inner wall are housed in the internal space of the actuator section 5, and the spaces between the pistons 54 form a plurality of driving pressure introducing chambers 52 that communicate with the openings 51. A driving fluid supply port LP that communicates with the outside of the actuator section 5 is also formed in the internal space of the actuator section 5. The opening 51 is connected to an opening 43a formed in the upper end surface of the stem 43.

Here, the opening and closing operation of the valve associated with the supply and stop of driving pressure will be described. When driving fluid is supplied from an introduction pipe (not shown) connected to the opening 42a, the driving fluid is introduced into the driving pressure introduction chamber 52 via the driving pressure introduction passage 432 in the stem 43. In response, the stem 43 is pushed upward against the biasing force of the spring 44. As a result, the diaphragm 22 moves away from the seat 13, opening the valve and allowing fluid to flow.
On the other hand, when the driving fluid is no longer introduced into the driving pressure introducing chamber 52, the stem 43 is pushed downward by the biasing force of the spring 44. As a result, the diaphragm 22 comes into contact with the seat 13, closing the valve and blocking the flow of fluid.

Sensors The fluid control device V is equipped with a pressure sensor P, a temperature sensor T, and a magnetic sensor M inside the sensor bonnet 24 as sensors for detecting operation within the device. Each sensor faces the through-hole 241a of the sensor bonnet 24 via the communication hole 241d of the sensor bonnet 24, and communicates with the space defined by the diaphragm 22, the disk 23, and the sensor bonnet 24. This allows the pressure sensor P to detect the pressure within that space.
A seal member such as a packing is provided at the location where the pressure sensor P communicates with the communication hole 241d to ensure an airtight state.

The temperature sensor T measures the temperature of the space defined by the diaphragm 22, the disk 23, and the sensor bonnet 24. The fluid control device V having the temperature sensor T can measure the temperature of the fluid while controlling the fluid.

A magnetic body M2 is attached to the through hole 241e of the sensor bonnet 24, and this magnetic body M2 constitutes a magnetic sensor M together with a magnet attached to the disk 23.
This magnetic sensor M can detect the opening and closing operation of the valve and the amount of movement of the stem 43 as described below. That is, the magnet held by the magnet holder M10 slides in response to the up and down movement of the disk 23, while the magnetic body M2 is fixed in the valve body 1 together with the sensor bonnet 24. As a result, the operation of the disk 23 and the diaphragm holder 25, and therefore the opening and closing operation of the valve and the amount of movement of the stem 43 can be detected based on the change in the magnetic field generated between the magnet held by the magnet holder M10, which moves up and down in response to the up and down movement of the disk 23, and the magnetic body M2, which is fixed in position.
In this embodiment, the magnetic sensor M is used, but the present invention is not limited to this, and in other embodiments, other types of sensors, such as an optical position sensor, can also be used.

One end of a flexible cable 60 for communication is connected to each of the pressure sensor P, temperature sensor T, and magnetic sensor M (specifically, the magnetic sensor M is connected to the magnetic material M2), and the other end of the flexible cable 60 is connected to a circuit board provided on the outside of the fluid control device V. Furthermore, the circuit board is provided with a roughly rectangular connector for connecting to an external terminal, which allows data measured by the pressure sensor P, temperature sensor T, and magnetic sensor M to be extracted. The type and shape of the connector can be designed appropriately according to various standards.

The fluid control device V configured in this way can output data detected by the pressure sensor P, temperature sensor T, and magnetic sensor M to the outside. Such data can be used to understand the opening and closing operation of the valve, leaks due to damage to the diaphragm 22, deterioration over time of the fluid control device V, and individual differences.

Control Unit As shown in Fig. 5, the fluid control device V according to this embodiment has a control unit 70 that processes data detected by the sensor. The control unit 70 has an abnormality determination unit 71 as a functional block. As shown in another example in Fig. 6, the fluid control device V may have a communication processing unit 72 and communicate with a communication processing unit 82 of a server 80. In the example of Fig. 6, the fluid control device V and the server 80 are connected via a network NW1, a relay device C, and a network NW2. The server 80 may have the abnormality determination unit 71 and the communication processing unit 82.

The abnormality determination unit 71 is a functional unit that determines abnormalities in the fluid control device V and peripheral devices connected to the device based on data detected by the sensors. The abnormality determination unit 71 executes a process to determine abnormalities in the fluid control device V caused by fluid leakage, etc., by, for example, comparing a predetermined threshold value stored in a reference table or the like with the detected pressure value detected by the pressure sensor P. For example, during normal use, the limit of pressure in the internal space expected when the valve of the fluid control device V is opened and closed is set as the predetermined threshold value. Then, when the detected pressure value in the internal space exceeds the threshold value, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the fluid control device V.

The reference table may store at least one of the allowable range of the fluid temperature when the valve is open and the allowable range of the fluid temperature when the valve is closed, and the abnormality determination unit 71 may compare the fluid temperature when the valve is open or closed with the allowable range and determine that an abnormality has occurred when the allowable range is exceeded.

The abnormality determination unit 71 compares the fluid temperature when the valve is open with the fluid temperature when the valve is closed to determine whether or not an abnormality exists. For example, the abnormality determination unit 71 may store an allowable range for the difference between the fluid temperature when the valve is open and the fluid temperature when the valve is closed, and determine that an abnormality has occurred when the difference between the fluid temperature when the valve is open and the fluid temperature when the valve is closed exceeds the allowable range.

In this configuration, the contact area between the diaphragm 22 and the diaphragm holder 25 is the same when the valve is open and when it is closed. Also, the contact area between the diaphragm 22 and the holder adapter 26 is the same when the valve is open and when it is closed. With this configuration, the amount of heat transferred from the diaphragm 22 to the diaphragm holder 25 and from the diaphragm 22 to the holder adapter 26 can be made the same because the heat transfer areas are the same, so the difference between the fluid temperature when the valve is open and the fluid temperature when the valve is closed can be made small. Therefore, when the difference between the fluid temperature when the valve is open and the fluid temperature when the valve is closed exceeds a threshold value, it may be determined that an abnormality has occurred. Also, on the assumption that the fluid temperature when the valve is open and the fluid temperature when the valve is closed are the same, the presence or absence of an abnormality may be determined based on whether the fluid temperature when the valve is open and the fluid temperature when the valve is closed are the same.

According to this configuration, it is possible to detect an abnormality in the fluid control device V by the temperature sensor T. For example, if the diaphragm 22 is broken, the temperature measurement result will show an abnormal value. In addition, the temperature sensor T can detect an abnormality in a peripheral device connected to the fluid control device V even if there is no abnormality in the fluid control device V itself. For example, if there is a large difference between the set temperature of the fluid and the temperature measurement result of the temperature sensor T, there is a possibility that an abnormality has occurred in a device that manages the temperature of the fluid, such as a heater. Therefore, the fluid control device V can notify the administrator of the possibility of an abnormality in the heater. In addition, the abnormality determination unit 71 may determine the type of abnormality that has occurred based on the measurement result by the temperature sensor T and at least one of the measurement results of the pressure sensor P and the magnetic sensor M. For example, if there is an abnormality in both the measurement result of the pressure sensor P and the measurement result of the temperature sensor T, it may be determined that the diaphragm 22 is cracked. If there is no abnormality in the measurement result of the pressure sensor P, but there is an abnormality in the measurement result of the temperature sensor T, it may be determined that there is an abnormality in a peripheral device such as a heater.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 valve body portion 11 base portion 12 cylindrical portion 12a recess 12b slit 13 seat 2 bonnet portion 22 diaphragm 23 disk 24 sensor bonnet 25 diaphragm retainer 26 retainer adapter 4 second bonnet portion 41 second bonnet body 43 stem 44 spring 60 flexible cable

Claims (7)

a diaphragm that switches between opening and closing the valve by displacement of a movable part, thereby controlling the flow and blocking of fluid in a flow path;
A valve body portion,
a temperature sensor mounted on the inside of the valve body portion for detecting a temperature inside the fluid control device;
an abnormality determination means for determining the presence or absence of an abnormality by comparing a measured temperature when the valve is open with a measured temperature when the valve is closed, both of which are detected by the temperature sensor;
A fluid control device comprising: The abnormality determination means determines that an abnormality has occurred when a difference between the temperature measured when the valve is open and the temperature measured when the valve is closed is equal to or greater than a threshold value.
The fluid control device according to claim 1. Further, a diaphragm presser that presses the diaphragm is provided.
The diaphragm presser is in contact with the movable portion of the diaphragm both when the valve is open and when the valve is closed.
The fluid control device according to claim 1 or 2. The contact area between the diaphragm and the diaphragm presser is the same when the valve is open and when the valve is closed.
The fluid control device according to claim 3. a pressing adapter that abuts against a peripheral portion of the diaphragm to hold the diaphragm;
The pressure adapter does not come into contact with the movable portion of the diaphragm either when the valve is open or when the valve is closed.
The fluid control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The contact area between the diaphragm and the pressure adapter is the same when the valve is open and when the valve is closed.
The fluid control device according to claim 5. A pressure sensor is mounted on the inside of the valve body portion and detects a pressure inside the fluid control device.
the abnormality determination means determines the type of abnormality that has occurred based on the measurement result of the temperature sensor and the measurement result of the pressure sensor.
A fluid control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

Images