System and method for flow monitoring and control

• US 7,740,024 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2005
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Entegris Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Entegris Incorporated
• Inventors: Niermeyer, J. Karl, Brodeur, Craig L., Shyu, Jieh-Hwa, McLoughlin, Robert F., Laverdiere, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Kevin L
• Application Number:
  US11/054,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20050189018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,959 Days
• Field of Search: 137/2, 137/12, 137/487.5, 137/557, 700/282, 702/100
• US Class Current: 137/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/363 with electrical or electro-mechanical indication G01F1/37 and G01F1/38 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0379 By fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7761 Electrically actuated valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8326 Fluid pressure responsive indicator, recorder or alarm

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention can include a flow control device a flow control device that comprises an inlet, an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet, a pressure sensor, which may or may not be the only pressure sensor of the fluid control device, and a controller coupled to the pressure sensor. The controller can be configured to generate a valve control signal based on a measured pressure at a single pressure sensor.

Claims

1. A computer program product for regulating flow through a flow control device based on measurements from a single pressure sensor in a housing of the flow control device, the computer program product comprising a set of computer instructions stored on at least one computer readable medium executable by at least one processor to:

receive a pressure measurement, wherein the pressure is measured at the single pressure sensor in the housing and the single pressure sensor is the only sensor in the flow control device, wherein the flow control device further comprises a single flow path including;

an inlet for receiving a flow into the flow control device;

an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet for directing the flow out of the flow control device to components of a flow system; and

a valve located in the housing and between the inlet and the outlet and responsive to valve control signals for regulating the flow through the flow control device;

calculate a flow rate based on a flow rate corresponding only to the pressure measurement from the single pressure sensor in the housing;

compare the flow rate to a set point; and

generate a valve control signal based on the difference between the calculated flow rate and set point.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the calibration parameters comprise in-situ calibration parameters.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the set of computer instructions further comprise instructions executable to:

monitor pressure measurements from the single pressure sensor for a fluctuation;

compare the fluctuation to a predetermined limit; and

if the fluctuation is greater than the predetermined limit, generate an alarm.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the set of computer instructions further comprise instructions executable to:

monitor the valve for a change in valve position; and

if the change in valve position is greater than a predetermined amount, generate an alarm.

5. A method for regulating flow through a flow control device based on measurements from a single pressure sensor in a housing of the flow control device and on a single flow path of the flow control device, the method comprising:

measuring pressure at the single pressure sensor in the housing, wherein the single pressure sensor is located in the housing of the flow control device and between an inlet and an outlet of the single flow path of the flow control device and wherein the single pressure sensor is the only sensor in the housing;

calculating a flow rate based on a flow rate corresponding only to the pressure measured at the single pressure sensor in the housing;

comparing the flow rate to a desired flow rate; and

generating a valve control signal based on the difference between the calculated flow rate and desired flow rate.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising generating the calibration parameters by performing in-situ calibration.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

monitoring pressure measurements from the single sensor for a fluctuation;

comparing the fluctuation to a predetermined limit; and

if the fluctuation is greater than the predetermined limit, generating an alarm.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

monitoring a valve located in the flow control device between the inlet and the outlet of the flow control device for a change in valve position; and

if the change in valve position is greater than a predetermined amount, generating an alarm.

9. A flow control device comprising:

a housing;

an inlet for receiving a flow into the flow control device;

an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet for directing the flow out of the flow control device to components of a flow system;

a pressure loss element between the inlet and the outlet;

a valve located in the housing and between the inlet and the outlet of the flow control device and responsive to valve control signals for regulating the flow through the flow control device;

a first pressure sensor in the housing to measure a first pressure of a fluid entering the flow control device at the inlet, passing the valve, and exiting the flow control device at the outlet;

a second pressure sensor in the housing to measure a second pressure of a fluid entering the flow control device at the inlet, passing the valve, and exiting the flow control device at the outlet wherein the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor are the only sensors in the housing;

a single flow path including the inlet, the pressure loss element, the valve, and the outlet; and

a controller coupled to the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor, the controller configured to generate the valve control signal based on a flow rate determined based upon pressure measured at either only the first pressure sensor or only the second pressure sensor in a first mode of operation.

10. The flow control device of claim 9, wherein the first pressure sensor is upstream of the pressure loss element and the second pressure sensor is downstream of the pressure loss element.

11. A flow control device comprising:

a housing;

an inlet for receiving a flow into the flow control device;

an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet for directing the flow out of the flow control device to components of a flow system;

a pressure loss element between the inlet and the outlet;

a valve located in the housing and between the inlet and the outlet of the flow control device and responsive to valve control signals for regulating the flow through the flow control device;

a single flow path including the inlet, the pressure loss element, the valve, and the outlet;

a single pressure sensor in the housing of the flow control device to measure a pressure of a fluid entering the flow control device at the inlet, passing the valve, and exiting the flow control device at the outlet between the inlet and the outlet of the single flow path of the flow control device and wherein the single pressure sensor is the only sensor in the housing; and

a controller coupled to the first pressure sensor, the controller configured to;

calculate a flow rate based on a flow rate corresponding only to the pressure measured at the single pressure sensor in the housing;

compare the flow rate to a desired flow rate; and

generate a valve control signal based on the difference between the calculated flow rate and desired flow rate.

12. The flow control device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to generate the calibration parameters by performing in-situ calibration.

13. The flow control device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to:

monitor pressure measurements from the single pressure sensor for a fluctuation;

compare the fluctuation to a predetermined limit; and

if the fluctuation is greater than the predetermined limit, generate an alarm.