Invention Grant
- Patent Title: On-tool mass flow controller diagnostic systems and methods
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Application No.: US15459838Application Date: 2017-03-15
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Publication No.: US09846073B2Publication Date: 2017-12-19
- Inventor: Alexei V. Smirnov , Arun Nagarajan
- Applicant: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
- Applicant Address: JP Tokyo
- Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
- Current Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
- Current Assignee Address: JP Tokyo
- Agency: Neugeboren O'Dowd, PC
- Main IPC: G01F25/00
- IPC: G01F25/00 ; G01F1/684 ; G05D7/06

Abstract:
Mass flow controllers with on-tool diagnostic capabilities and methods for on-tool diagnosis of mass flow controllers are disclosed herein. One method includes opening a control valve to a fixed position and closing an upstream valve to produce a flow rate that decreases from a high flow rate, across a range of flow rates, to a low flow rate. A pressure signal is generated that is indicative of a pressure of the fluid within a volume between the upstream valve and a sensor tube, and a flow sensor signal is provided with the mass flow sensor that is indicative of a mass flow rate of the fluid through the main flow path. Ratio curves are produced that relate, across the range of flow rates, a rate of change of the pressure signal to the flow sensor signal and comparing a test ratio curve to a previously generated baseline ratio curve.
Public/Granted literature
- US20170184441A1 ON-TOOL MASS FLOW CONTROLLER DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEMS AND METHODS Public/Granted day:2017-06-29
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