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Optimized pressure regulation for and with a vacuum valve

  • US 10,509,423 B2
  • Filed: 03/07/2018
  • Issued: 12/17/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2017
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A valve system comprising a vacuum valve for regulating a volume or mass flow and/or for gas-tight sealing off a process volume and a regulating and control unit, wherein the vacuum valve comprisesa valve seat which has a valve opening defining an opening axis and a first sealing surface running around the valve opening,a valve closure for substantially gas-tight closure of the valve opening having a second sealing surface corresponding to the first sealing surface anda drive unit coupled to the valve closure which is configured in such a manner that the valve closureis variable and adjustable in a defined manner to provide respective closure positions andcan be adjusted from an open position in which the valve closure at least partially releases the valve opening into a closed position in which the first sealing surface is pressed onto the second sealing surface and closes the valve opening in a substantially gas-tight manner and backwherein the control and regulating unit is configured for in particular multiple execution of a regulating cycle with a pre-regulating step and a subsequent regulating step for the valve closure, wherein when executing the regulating cyclein the course of the pre-regulating step the valve closure is moved by corresponding activation of the drive unit, in particular from the open position into a defined actual pre-regulating position controlled by the regulating and control unit andin the course of the regulating a specific variation or adjustment of the closure position is executed depending on the actual pre-regulating position by activating the drive unit based on an actually determined control variable for a process parameter and on a target value, in particular whereby the control variable can be brought close to the target value, wherein an effect caused by a defined position change of the valve closure on the control variable can be predicted at least partially andwherein the regulating and control unit has an updating functionality which is configured in such a manner that during its executionthe control variable is recorded at least during a part of the regulating cycle and based thereon an actual regulating profile is derived,the actual regulating profile is compared with a reference regulating profile and a regulating deviation is derived,an adaptation of the actual pre-regulating position is made depending on a manifestation of the derived regulating deviation and based on the at least partially predictable effect on the control variable andthe adapted pre-regulating position is provided and/or stored as the actual pre-regulating position for the regulating cycle,wherein the regulating and control unit is configured in such a manner that the updating functionality can be executed continuously, in particular over a plurality of regulating cycles during a production process with the process volume.

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