TWI538742B - Nebulization device and control method thereof - Google Patents

Description

Atomizing device and control method thereof

The present invention relates to an atomizing device and a control method thereof, and more particularly to an atomizing device which can be uniformly sprayed to produce a micro-nano film and a control method thereof.

The atomization coating technology converts the liquid into a fog state by the collision principle. The main purpose is to use a high-speed gas to impinge the droplets, so that the droplets form a vector-like shot of tiny particles of water mist molecules to erupt to the target object. . The purpose is to attach an object or layers of a material having a specific function to improve the photoelectric characteristics or structure of the surface, thereby improving the usability and improving the use value of the product. The application of atomized coating technology is extremely extensive, such as thin film solar cells, OLED and biomedical nano-spray product development.

The basic components of the general atomization device are a liquid supply tank and a spray head. The control method uses a high-speed gas to enter the spray head, and a negative pressure zone is generated by the flow rate rising in the spray head due to the entry of the gas, thereby driving the liquid in the supply tank to be sucked into the nozzle. Inside the nozzle, it is atomized by this high-speed gas impact. Because the faster the gas flow rate during atomization, the higher the degree of liquid impact, and the gas velocity also determines the negative pressure inside the nozzle, which in turn affects the flow rate of the spray. If the gas velocity is too fast, the negative pressure inside the nozzle will increase, and the excess liquid will be forced into the nozzle, which will easily cause spray splash and backflow on the workpiece; if the gas velocity is too slow, in addition to the low degree of atomization The flow rate of the spray also requires very precise control to produce an excellent mist.

At present, the spray device directly controls the flow rate of the gas entering the nozzle, and the liquid is taken out from the supply tank to the nozzle to impinge atomization, so that the flow rate of the spray can not be precisely controlled, and the atomization particle diameter sprayed by the liquid atomization is often too large. Therefore, in the current micro-nano film coating, the conventional spray gun spray method has been unable to achieve a spray coating with precise and uniform particle size distribution, and thus cannot be effectively utilized by the industry.

In view of the above-mentioned various deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides an atomizing device and a control method thereof, which can precisely control the flow rate and the ejection speed of the atomized liquid.

The present invention provides an atomizing device having a head and a closed liquid container connected to the head and containing a predetermined amount of liquid, the atomizing device comprising: a first gas line connecting the head for the first Gas enters the spray head such that the liquid flowing to the spray head is atomized by the first gas and ejected from the spray head, and when the liquid of the closed liquid container is reduced, the back pressure of the closed liquid container is from atmospheric pressure The force is reduced to a negative pressure; the first pressure sensor is connected to the first gas line for sensing the pressure of the first gas entering the nozzle in the first gas line, and generating the first a second gas line connecting the sealed liquid container for supplying a second gas to the closed liquid container to adjust a back pressure in the sealed liquid container; the second flow control member is connected to the signal a second gas line for controlling a flow rate of the second gas entering the closed liquid container; a second pressure sensor connected to the closed liquid container for sensing a back pressure of the closed liquid container, and Generated The second signal; and the control unit receives the first signal and the second signal and performs an operation to send a second flow control signal according to the operation result, so that the second flow control member adjusts the second gas pipeline The flow of the second gas into the closed liquid container adjusts the back pressure of the closed liquid container to control the flow rate of the atomized liquid ejected from the head.

The atomizing device further comprises a vacuum generator connected to the sealed liquid container, and the control unit sends a vacuum control signal according to the operation result, so that the vacuum generator adjusts the back pressure of the closed liquid container, thereby controlling the self The flow rate of the atomized liquid ejected by the nozzle.

The present invention provides a control method for an atomizing device, comprising: a control unit, a spray head, a closed liquid container connected to the spray head and containing a predetermined amount of liquid, a first gas line connecting the spray head, and a connection a first pressure sensor of the first gas line, a second gas line connecting the sealed liquid container, and a second pressure sensor, the control method comprising the steps of: (1) making the liquid from the sealed liquid a container flows into the spray head; (2) causing a first gas to flow into the spray head through the first gas line, and causing the first pressure sensor to sense a pressure of the first gas entering the spray head in the first gas line And generating the first signal and transmitting the first signal to the control unit, and flowing the second gas into the sealed liquid container through the second gas line to sense the sealed liquid by the second pressure sensor a back pressure in the container to generate a second signal and transmit the second signal to the control unit; and (3) causing the control unit to receive the first and second signals and perform an operation to adjust the first according to the operation result Two gas lines The flow rate of the second gas into the sealed liquid container, and adjusting the back pressure of the sealed liquid container, thereby controlling the discharge of liquid flow from the showerhead atomized.

Compared with the prior art, the atomizing device of the present invention and the control method thereof can control the second gas entering the closed liquid container according to the pressure difference between the back pressure of the closed liquid container and the pressure of the first gas entering the nozzle The amount of gas to control the flow rate or flow rate of the atomized liquid that is ejected.

The embodiments of the present invention are described below by way of specific examples, and those skilled in the art can readily appreciate other advantages and advantages of the present invention from the disclosure. The invention may also be embodied or applied by other different embodiments.

The structure, the proportions, the sizes, and the like of the drawings are to be understood as being in accordance with the disclosure of the specification for the understanding and reading of those skilled in the art, and are not intended to limit the invention. The conditions are limited, so it is not technically meaningful. Any modification of the structure, change of the proportional relationship or adjustment of the size should remain in this book without affecting the effects and the objectives that can be achieved by the present invention. The technical content disclosed in the invention can be covered. In the meantime, the terms "first" and "second" as used in the specification are merely for convenience of description, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, and the relative relationship may be changed or adjusted. In the absence of substantial changes to the technical content, it is also considered to be within the scope of the invention.

Please refer to FIG. 1 , which is a schematic diagram of the basic components of the atomizing device of the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 1, the atomizing device has a spray head 10 and a closed liquid container 20 for containing the liquid L, and mainly includes a first gas line A1, a first pressure sensor 11, a second gas line A2, and a second The pressure sensor 21, the second flow control member 22, and the control unit 30.

The first gas line A1 is connected to the spray head 10 for allowing the first gas to flow into the spray head so that the liquid L flowing into the spray head 10 is atomized by the first gas. In detail, the liquid L flows from the switching valve 20b into the closed liquid container 20, and then flows to the head 10 through the switching valve 20a, while the first gas (for example, nitrogen or air) enters the head 10 through the first gas line A1, so that The liquid L is atomized by the impact of the first gas, and a negative pressure is generated in the nozzle 10 due to the high-speed entry of the first gas, so that the liquid L in the sealed liquid container 20 is attracted to the negative pressure and enters the nozzle. Within 10. Therefore, the velocity at which the first gas enters the showerhead 10 can affect the particle size of the atomized atomized liquid and the flow rate ejected from the showerhead 10.

The first pressure sensor 11 is connected to the first gas line A1 for sensing the pressure in the first gas line A1 to generate the first signal S1. As shown in FIG. 1, the first pressure sensor 11 is connected adjacent to the first gas line A1 to connect the showerhead 10 to sense the pressure of the first gas in the first gas line A1 that is about to enter the showerhead 10. And generating a first signal S1 according to the sensed pressure and transmitting it to the control unit 30.

Since the closed liquid container 20 is a closed space, when the liquid L flows from the sealed liquid container 20 to the head 10 and is ejected, the remaining space of the closed liquid container 20 will generate a vacuum state, at which time the back of the closed liquid container 20 is The pressure is slightly below one atmosphere. The second gas line A2 is connected to the closed liquid container 20 for supplying a second gas (for example, nitrogen or air) to the closed liquid container 20. The second gas is introduced into the closed liquid container 20, and the back pressure in the closed liquid container 20 can be adjusted, and the magnitude of the back pressure can affect the flow rate of the liquid into the head 10.

The second flow control member 22 is connected to the second gas line A2 for controlling the flow rate of the second gas entering the closed liquid container 20. The second flow control 22 can be, for example, a mass flow controller (MFC).

The second pressure sensor 21 is connected to the closed liquid container 20 and the second gas line A2 for sensing the back pressure of the sealed liquid container 20 to generate the second signal S2, and transmitting the second signal S2 to the control Unit 30.

The control unit 30 receives the first signal S1 and the second signal S2, and performs operations on the first signal S1 and the second signal S2, wherein the first signal S1 is used as the reference signal, and then the second signal S2 is compared with the second signal S2. The calculation result is obtained by the reference signal to know the back pressure required to seal the liquid container 20. Therefore, the control unit 30 can send the second flow control signal C2 according to the calculation result, and the second flow control member 22 adjusts the flow rate of the second gas in the second gas line A2 to control the back pressure of the closed liquid container 20. Further, the atomized liquid L ejected from the head 10 is controlled.

It can be seen from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 that the first gas enters the shower head 10 through the first gas pipeline A1 to generate a negative pressure in the shower head 10, and the first gas sensor 11 senses the first gas entering the showerhead. The pressure can be converted into a negative pressure in the nozzle; the second gas enters the closed liquid container 20 through the second gas line A2, the back pressure in the closed liquid container 20 can be adjusted, and the second pressure sensor 21 can sense the sealing The back pressure of the liquid container 20. Therefore, by adjusting the balance between the negative pressure and the back pressure, the flow rate of the liquid L ejection head 10 can be adjusted. In other words, by controlling the flow rate of the second gas into the closed liquid container 20, the back pressure of the closed liquid container 20 can be adjusted to control the flow rate of the liquid L into the head.

Referring to Figure 2, there is shown a block diagram of an embodiment of an atomizing device of the present invention. It should be noted that the first pressure sensor 11', the second pressure sensor 21', the second flow control member 22', and the control unit 30' are respectively the first pressure sensor 11 shown in FIG. An embodiment of the second pressure sensor 21, the second flow control member 22, and the control unit 30.

The sealed liquid container 20 may be further connected to a vacuum generator 31 for transmitting a vacuum state in the sealed liquid container 20 through the vacuum line A3 and the switching valve 20c. The control unit 30' can issue a vacuum control signal C3 based on the calculation result to cause a vacuum in the vacuum generator 31 to adjust the back pressure of the sealed liquid container 20.

Control unit 30' may include a controller 301 (e.g., a PID controller) and a processor 302 (e.g., a computer).

The first gas line A1 is provided with a first pressure adjusting member 13 for adjusting the pressure of the first gas and a first flow controlling member 12 for controlling the flow rate of the first gas, wherein the first pressure sensor 11' is It is disposed between the spray head 10 and the first flow control member 12. The control unit 30' can issue a first pressure adjustment signal according to the operation result to cause the first pressure adjustment member 13 to control the pressure in the first gas line. The control unit 30' may also issue a first flow control signal based on the result of the operation to cause the first flow control member 12 to control the flow of liquid to the showerhead 10. The flow rate and pressure of the first gas entering the showerhead 10 are controlled to control the negative pressure within the showerhead 10. For example, the first flow control member 12 can be a needle valve or a throttle valve, and the first pressure regulating member 13 can be a pressure regulating valve.

The second gas line A2 is provided with a second pressure adjusting member 23 that can adjust the pressure of the second gas. The control unit 30' can issue a second pressure adjustment signal according to the operation result, so that the second pressure adjusting member 23 controls the gas pressure in the second gas line A2. For example, the second pressure adjusting member 23 may be a pressure regulating valve. The control unit 30' can send the second flow control signal C2 according to the calculation result, so that the second flow control member 22' adjusts the flow rate of the second gas entering the closed liquid container 20 in the second gas line A2 to control the closed liquid. The back pressure of the container 20, in turn, controls the atomized liquid L ejected from the head 10.

In detail, the first gas enters the head 10 and the liquid L in the head 10 generates a high-speed collision, so that the liquid L is atomized, and a minute liquid L atomized particle size is generated, at which time the head 10 will be internal negative pressure. The liquid L in the closed liquid container 20 continues to be sucked into the head 10.

When the speed at which the first gas enters the head 10 is faster, although the degree of atomization of the liquid L can be increased, the negative pressure in the head 10 is increased, so that the amount of the liquid L being introduced into the head 10 is increased, so The back pressure in the closed liquid container 20 is controlled by a small amount of vacuum generated by the vacuum generator 31 to maintain the flow rate of the liquid L in the closed liquid container 20 into the head 10 so as not to be carried by a large amount of negative pressure in the head 10. Out. In addition, if the speed of the first gas entering the nozzle 10 is too fast, in some micro-spraying, the formed film on the workpiece is destroyed, and a large amount of liquid splash and backflow is generated, which can be caused by the first flow control member. 12 and the first pressure adjusting member 13 control the speed at which the first gas enters the head 10 to control the flow rate of the liquid L into the head 10.

On the other hand, when the speed of the first gas is lowered, the negative pressure at the outlet of the head 10 is reduced, the amount of the liquid L being introduced into the head 10 is reduced, and when the liquid L in the closed liquid container 20 is gradually decreased, Under the influence of the back pressure of the closed liquid container 20, the liquid L gradually stagnates and does not flow, and there is a case where the spray is intermittent or no liquid is ejected. At this time, the second flow control member 22' must be driven to control the back pressure of the closed liquid container 20 by controlling the amount of gas of the second gas entering the closed liquid container 20 by the second flow control member 22', thereby generating a power for the liquid L. The inflow nozzle 10 is atomized by the first gas.

Therefore, the first flow control member 12 and the first pressure adjusting member 13 are used to control the speed of the first gas, and the first pressure sensor 11' is used to sense the pressure of the first gas, and the second pressure sensor 21' is utilized. Sensing the back pressure of the closed liquid container, determining the pressure difference between the two, and controlling the second flow control member 22' or controlling the opening and closing valve 20c of the vacuum generator 31 through the control unit 30' to control the first The amount of gas or vacuum suction of the two gases entering the closed liquid container 20 is used to control the back pressure of the closed liquid container 20 to achieve a precise control of the flow rate of the sprayed atomization amount.

In addition, taking FIG. 2 as an example, in one embodiment, the pressure and flow rate of the first gas in the first gas line A1 and the pressure of the second gas in the second gas line A2 may be set to be fixed, and only control The flow rate of the second gas is to stabilize the back pressure of the closed liquid container 20. In other words, the pressure and flow rate of the first gas in the first gas line 20 are not adjusted after being initially adjusted or controlled by the first pressure adjusting member 13 and the first flow control member 12.

The processor 302 receives the first signal S1 generated by the first gas to perform an operation, and transmits the calculated reference value to the controller 301 as a reference signal, and is controlled by the second flow control member 22' (for example, a mass flow controller). The flow rate of the second gas is adjusted to adjust the back pressure of the sealed liquid container 20, and the back pressure of the sealed liquid container is sensed by the second pressure sensor 21' to be transmitted to the control unit 30', compared with the reference signal and via The controller 301 performs a proportional-integral-differential (PID) operation to control the second flow control member 22' to control the flow of the second gas into the closed liquid container 20 to achieve the desired stable back. The pressure, in turn, controls the flow of liquid into the spray head 10.

Therefore, the liquid L entering the head 10 collides with the first gas flowing in through the first gas line A1 to form an atomized spray having a micro-nano particle size, and is uniformly spray coated to form micro-nano on the surface of the substrate 4. The film 41 can eliminate problems such as liquid back splashing and turbulence generated when sprayed onto the surface of the substrate 4.

Hereinafter, a method of controlling the atomizing device of the present invention will be described using FIG.

First, the inlet port opening and closing valve 20b of the hermetic liquid container 20 is opened to allow the liquid to flow into the hermetic liquid container 20, and the inlet port opening and closing valve 20b is closed when the liquid L in the hermetic liquid container 20 reaches a predetermined amount.

Then, the first gas flows into the shower head 10 through the first gas pipeline A1, and causes the first pressure sensor 11' to sense the pressure of the first gas in the first gas pipeline A1 to generate the first signal S1 and The first signal S1 is transmitted to the control unit 30'; since the first gas enters the nozzle 10 at a high speed, a negative pressure is generated in the nozzle 10, at which time the outlet opening and closing valve 20a of the closed liquid container 20 is opened, and the liquid L in the liquid container 20 is sealed. It will enter the nozzle 10 by the suction of the negative pressure.

Passing the second gas into the closed liquid container through the second gas line A2 20. The second pressure sensor 21' senses the back pressure in the closed liquid container 20 to generate the second signal S2 and transmits the second signal S2 to the control unit 30'.

Finally, the control unit 30' receives the first signal S1 and the second signal S2 and performs an operation to control the flow rate of the second gas in the second gas line A2 into the closed liquid container 20 according to the calculation result, thereby controlling the ejection from the nozzle 10. The flow rate of the atomized liquid. In other words, when the speed of the first gas is slowed down, the negative pressure in the spray head 10 is also reduced, so that the flow rate of the liquid L flowing into the spray head 10 is reduced, and the back pressure of the closed liquid container 20 is applied, and the spray is intermittent or liquid-free. In the case of ejection, the second flow control member 22' can control the amount of liquid entering the closed liquid container 20 to control the back pressure of the closed liquid container, so that a power is generated to drive the liquid L from the sealed liquid container 20 into the head 10.

Next, the control unit 30' can control a vacuum generator 31 connected to the sealed liquid container 20 according to the calculation result, so that the vacuum generator 31 causes a vacuum state in the sealed liquid container 20 to adjust the back of the sealed liquid container 20. The pressure, in turn, controls the flow of liquid into the spray head 10. In other words, when the first gas enters the head 10 at a high speed, a negative pressure is generated in the head 10, causing the liquid L in the closed liquid container 20 to be attracted by the vacuum to continue into the head 10, although the speed at which the first gas enters the head 10 The faster the atomized liquid is atomized, the more the negative pressure in the showerhead 10 is increased, resulting in an excess of liquid flowing into the showerhead 10. Therefore, the vacuum generator 31 can be controlled by the control unit 30' to generate an additional vacuum in the sealed liquid container 20 according to the calculation result to maintain the stability of the back pressure, thereby maintaining the flow of the self-sealing liquid container 20 to the shower head 10. Liquid flow.

In the specific implementation, in order to prevent excessive and too small atomization air volume fluctuation during the process implementation, the flow rate and pressure of the first gas entering the nozzle 10 are substantially fixed values during the atomization process of the liquid. Further, the control unit 30' can control the second pressure adjusting member 23 to adjust the pressure of the second gas in the second gas line A2 in accordance with the calculation result. In a specific implementation, the second gas pressure in the second gas line A2 is substantially a fixed value during the atomization of the liquid.

In summary, the atomizing device and the control method thereof of the present invention can control the particle size of the atomized liquid to make it miniaturized, and can control the flow rate or flow rate of the atomized liquid to reach a micro spray of 1 cc per minute. . Furthermore, the atomizing device and the control method thereof of the present invention can instantly feed back the back pressure signal of the sealed liquid container to maintain the uniform distribution of the spray, thereby realizing large-area spraying of a small amount of atomization and producing high uniformity. Micro-nano film layer while saving material consumption. The invention can be applied to the anti-oil film, the organic inorganic light-emitting layer film, and the anti-reflection layer and the wear-resistant hard film and the like.

The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and its effects, and are not intended to limit the invention. Modifications and variations of the above-described embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be as set forth in the scope of the claims described below.

10. . . Nozzle

11, 11’. . . First pressure sensor

12. . . First flow control

13. . . First pressure adjustment member

20. . . Closed liquid container

20a, 20b, 20c. . . Switch valve

21, 21’. . . Second pressure sensor

22, 22’. . . Second flow control

twenty three. . . Second pressure adjustment member

30, 30’. . . control unit

301. . . Controller

302. . . processor

31. . . Vacuum generator

4. . . Substrate

41. . . film

A1. . . First gas line

A2. . . Second gas line

A3. . . Vacuum line

S1. . . First signal

S2. . . Second signal

C2. . . Second flow control signal

C3. . . Vacuum control signal

L. . . liquid

1 is a block diagram showing the basic components of the atomizing device of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view showing the structure of an embodiment of the atomizing device of the present invention.

10. . . Nozzle

11. . . First pressure sensor

20. . . Closed liquid container

20a, 20b. . . Switch valve

twenty one. . . Second pressure sensor

twenty two. . . Second flow control

30. . . control unit

4. . . Substrate

41. . . film

A1. . . First gas line

A2. . . Second gas line

S1. . . First signal

S2. . . Second signal

C2. . . Second flow control signal

L. . . liquid

Claims (8)

An atomizing device having a head and a closed liquid container connected to the head and containing a predetermined amount of liquid, the atomizing device comprising: a first gas line connecting the head for the first gas to enter the a spray head, wherein the liquid flowing to the spray head is atomized by the first gas and ejected from the spray head; the first pressure sensor is connected to the first gas pipeline for sensing the first a pressure of the first gas entering the nozzle in a gas line, and accordingly generating a first signal; a second gas line connecting the sealed liquid container for flowing the second gas to the sealed liquid container Adjusting a back pressure in the closed liquid container; a second flow control member is coupled to the second gas line for controlling a flow rate of the second gas entering the closed liquid container; the second pressure sensor is Connected to the sealed liquid container for sensing the back pressure of the sealed liquid container, and accordingly generating a second signal; the control unit receives the first signal and the second signal and performs an operation to send according to the operation result a second stream Controlling the signal so that the second flow control member controls the back pressure of the closed liquid container by adjusting the flow rate of the second gas in the second gas line into the closed liquid container, thereby controlling the ejection from the nozzle The atomized liquid flow rate; and the vacuum generator is connected to the closed liquid container through a switching valve, and the second gas line is connected to the closed liquid container without The switching valve; wherein the control unit sends a vacuum control signal according to the operation result, so that the vacuum generator generates a vacuum state in the sealed liquid container to control the back pressure of the sealed liquid container, thereby controlling the nozzle The flow rate of the atomized liquid that is ejected. The atomizing device of claim 1, further comprising a second pressure adjusting member connected to the second gas line, wherein the second pressure adjusting member is configured to adjust the second gas line The pressure of the second gas. The atomizing device of claim 2, wherein the pressure of the second gas in the second gas line is substantially a fixed value during the atomization of the liquid. The atomizing device of claim 1, further comprising a first flow control member connected to the first gas line and a first pressure adjusting member, wherein the first pressure sensor is disposed on the first pressure sensor Between the nozzle and the first flow control member, the flow rate of the first gas entering the nozzle is controlled by the first flow control member, and the first pressure adjustment member is configured to control the first one of the first gas lines The pressure of the gas. The atomizing device of claim 4, wherein the flow rate or pressure of the first gas in the first gas line is substantially a fixed value during the atomization of the liquid. A method for controlling an atomizing device, comprising: a control unit, a spray head, a closed liquid container connected to the spray head and containing a predetermined amount of liquid, a first gas line connecting the spray head, and a connection to the first a first pressure sensor of a gas line, a second gas line connecting the sealed liquid container and a second pressure sensor, and a vacuum generator connected to the sealed liquid container through a switching valve, wherein the first a second gas line connecting the closed liquid container without passing through the on-off valve, the control method comprising the steps of: (1) flowing the liquid from the closed liquid container into the spray head; and (2) passing the first gas through the first gas a pipeline flows into the nozzle, and causes the first pressure sensor to sense a pressure of the first gas entering the nozzle in the first gas pipeline to generate a first signal, and transmit the first signal to the control a unit, and causing the second gas to flow into the closed liquid container through the second gas line, so that the second pressure sensor senses the back pressure in the closed liquid container to generate a second signal, and the second Transmitting the second signal to the control unit; and (3) causing the control unit to receive the first and second signals and performing an operation to adjust the second gas in the second gas line to enter the sealed liquid container according to the operation result Traffic, and control The back pressure of the sealed liquid container, thereby controlling the flow rate of the atomized liquid ejected from the head; and causing the control unit to issue a vacuum control signal according to the calculation result, so that the vacuum generator causes a vacuum state in the sealed liquid container To control the back pressure of the closed liquid container, thereby controlling the flow rate of the atomized liquid ejected from the head. The control method of claim 6, wherein the step (3) comprises: causing the control unit to control the flow rate of the first gas entering the nozzle or the first gas pipeline according to the calculation result One gas Body pressure. The control method of claim 6, wherein the step (1) comprises opening an inlet opening and closing valve of the closed liquid container, so that the liquid flows into the closed liquid container, and the liquid reaches a liquid The inlet port opening and closing valve is closed at a predetermined amount, and the outlet port opening and closing valve of the closed liquid container is opened to allow the liquid to flow into the nozzle.