FLUID DELIVERY SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20170292653A1
• Filed: 06/27/2017
• Published: 10/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Entegris Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Entegris Incorporated
• Inventors: TOM, Glenn, WARE, Donald, CHISM, Richard, HODGES, Jordan, McFERON, Wes
• Granted Patent: US 10,495,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/00 Apparatus or devices for transferring liquids from bulk storage containers or reservoirs into vehicles or into portable containers, e.g. for retail sale purposes general disposition of plant in stations for supplying fuel to vehicles B60S5/02; for filling or emptying locomotive water tanks, e.g. water columns, B61K11/00; for refuelling aircraft during flight B64D39/00; liquid- handling ground installations specially adapted for fuelling stationary aircraft B64F1/28
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/02 for transferring liquids other than fuel or lubricants
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/025 specially adapted for transferring liquids of high purity
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0272 specially adapted for transferring liquids of high purity
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0283 specially adapted for transferring liquids of high purity
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 7/00 Methods or apparatus for discharging liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases from pressure vessels, not covered by another subclass
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 9/00 Methods or apparatus for discharging liquefied or solidified gases from vessels not under pressure

Abstract

A fluid supply system adapted for vacuum and pressure cycling of fluid, including a transfer vessel adapted to supply a process canister with fluid drawn from a bulk canister under a vacuum, wherein delivery of fluid from the transfer vessel to the process canister is accomplished with positive pressure. A method is also disclosed of delivering fluid, including drawing fluid under vacuum from a bulk canister and pressurizing the transfer vessel to effect dispensing of the fluid into a process canister for delivery to a location of use.

Claims

1. A fluid supply system adapted for vacuum and pressure cycling of fluid,

the system comprising:

a process canister adapted for delivery of fluid to a location of use; and

a transfer vessel adapted to supply the process canister with fluid from at least one bulk canister,

the fluid supply system being characterized by the transfer vessel coupled with (i) a vacuum source arranged for drawing fluid from the at least one bulk canister into the transfer vessel (103) and selectively maintaining a vacuum condition in the at least one bulk canister, and (ii) a first source of pressurizing gas arranged for pressure-mediated transfer of fluid from the transfer vessel into said process canister.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the process canister is coupled with a second source of pressurizing gas for pressure-mediated delivery of fluid to the location of use.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first source of pressurizing gas creates greater pressure than the second source of pressurizing gas.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one bulk canister is coupled with a third source of pressurizing gas arranged to selectively counter-balance the vacuum condition.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one bulk canister comprises any one of a stainless steel vessel, a plastic vessel, a glass bottle, or a collapsible bag.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one pressure transducer adapted to sense pressure of fluid in the at least one bulk canister and produce a transducer output indicative of the said pressure, and a processor adapted to receive said transducer output and responsively determine rate of change of pressure of said fluid and provide a processor output indicative of an increased rate of change correlative to onset of exhaustion of fluid in the at least one bulk canister, when the at least one bulk canister is at onset of exhaustion of fluid.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein fluid holding volume of the transfer vessel is less than fluid holding volume of any one of the at least one bulk canister and the process canister.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the location of use comprises a semiconductor manufacturing tool.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one bulk canister, transfer vessel and process canister is of non-stainless steel construction.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one bulk canister is of non-stainless steel construction.

11. A method of delivering fluid for use thereof, the method characterized by:

drawing fluid under vacuum from at least one bulk canister into a transfer vessel;

pressurizing the transfer vessel to dispense the fluid to a process container; and

selectively maintaining a vacuum condition in the at least one bulk canister.

12-42. -42. (canceled)