Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Brooks Instruments, LLC

Anthony Kehoe

John Michael Lull

Berwin Banares

Chris Ellec

Bill Valentine

Jay J Mendelson

Joseph C Dille

Jeffrey L Whiteley

Bradley G Carman

Walter Dennis Robertson, Iii

Andrew J Staudt

William Valentine

Todd Berger

Mana Mokhtabad Amrei

A valve assembly used to control fluid flow rate. The valve assembly comprises a valve plunger and a shield. The valve plunger forces fluid having a flow rate to flow between an inlet and an outlet in response to an applied actuator force. The actuator force is applied to a first side and the fluid is applied to a second side of the valve plunger. The shield minimizes or eliminates a destabilizing force caused by static pressure, created by fluid interaction on the second side. The shield is either coupled to, formed in, or suspended from underneath the valve plunger and extends a length into the outlet. The valve assembly further comprises an orifice between the inlet and the outlet wherein the orifice comprises at least one planar surface and at least one non-planar surface. The shield shields a section of the second side from the fluid.

Valve assembly having flow streamlining elements to prevent oscillating flow effects

Included are mass flow controllers and methods of use. An example mass flow controller comprises a flow pathway through the mass flow controller; the flow pathway comprising a first cavity and a second cavity. The mass flow controller further comprises a laminar flow element. The mass flow controller additionally comprises a combination absolute and differential pressure transducer assembly comprising: a third cavity in fluid communication with the first cavity, an absolute pressure transducer exposed to absolute pressure in the third cavity, and a differential pressure transducer exposed to differential pressure between the third cavity and the second cavity. The mass flow controller also comprises a flow control valve assembly downstream of the laminar flow element and the combination absolute and differential pressure transducer assembly.

Mass flow controller with absolute and differential pressure transducer

The disclosed embodiments include a method, apparatus, and computer program product for improving the accuracy of a rate of decay measurement for real time correction in a mass flow controller or mass flow meter by using a thermal model to minimize thermally induced error in the rate of decay measurement.

System and method for improving the accuracy of a rate of decay measurement for real time correction in a mass flow controller or mass flow meter by using a thermal model to minimize thermally induced error in the rod measurement

The disclosed embodiments include a method, apparatus, and computer program product for providing a self-validating mass flow controller or mass flow meter without requiring any software modification to a tool/tool controller in which the mass flow controller is being utilized. For example, the disclosed embodiments include a mass flow controller comprising an internal valve configured to receive a first pneumatic line coupled to a tool pilot valve and couple a second pneumatic line from the internal valve to an external isolation valve upstream of the inlet. The mass flow controller also includes at least one processing component configured to execute instructions to perform an in-situ rate of decay measurement after executing instructions to close the external isolation valve by using the internal valve to block airflow being received through the first pneumatic line.

System and method for providing a self validating mass flow controller and mass flow meter

A mass flow controller includes at least one conduit having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the conduit defining a flow path along which the fluid flows. The mass flow controller also includes a modified inlet block having an inlet aperture, an inlet channel, and a reservoir fluidly coupled to the inlet channel and the conduit that enhances flow through the controller and improves rate-of-decay measurements. The mass flow controller includes at least one flow sensor that generates a flow sensor signal that is proportional to the mass flow rate of the fluid through the conduit. The mass flow controller includes a control subsystem coupled to a flow sensor and a valve assembly to control flow through the conduit.

System and method for improving the accuracy of a rate of decay (ROD) measurement in a mass flow controller

The disclosed embodiments include a method, apparatus, and computer program product for providing a self-validating mass flow controller or mass flow meter. For example, in one embodiment, a self-validating mass flow controller is disclosed that does not require any software modification to a tool/tool controller in which the mass flow controller is being utilized. In other embodiments, a self-validating mass flow controller is disclosed that does not require any hardware or mechanical changes to an existing mass flow controller. Still, the disclosed embodiments further include a self-validating mass flow controller that is configured to determine valve leak and sensor offset simultaneously for performing real time in-situ correction of a mass flow controller's output for zero offset or zero drift in the presence of valve leak.

System and method for using a rate of decay measurement for real time measurement and correction of zero offset and zero drift of a mass flow controller or mass flow meter

A mass flow controller includes a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a conduit defining a flow path along which the fluid flows through the mass flow controller. The mass flow controller includes an inlet block having an inlet aperture, an inlet channel fluidly coupled to the conduit, and one or more restrictors positioned along the flow path between the inlet aperture and inlet channel to minimize flow perturbations when a rate of decay measurement is taken or when flow the amount of pressure supplied to the valve inlet is otherwise interrupted.

System and method for reducing flow perturbations and improving the accuracy of a rate of decay measurement in a mass flow controller

The disclosed embodiments include a method, apparatus, and computer program product for verifying a performance of a mass flow controller or mass flow meter on a tool. For example, the disclosed embodiments include a method and a mass flow controller configured to perform, in-situ, by the mass flow controller, a rate of decay measurement during on-line operation of the tool to identify valve leak issues and/or for performing a flow measurement.

System and method for providing a self validating mass flow controller or a mass flow meter utilizing a software protocol

The present invention relates to a system, method, and computer program product for determining the flow rate of a fluid. The system, method, and computer program product generate a thermal sensor based mass flow rate for the fluid, where the thermal sensor based mass flow rate is determined at least in part from the thermal sensor signal (). The system, method, and computer program product generate a pressure sensor based mass flow rate for the fluid, wherein the pressure sensor based mass flow rate is determined at least in part from the pressure sensor signal (). The system, method, and computer program product generate at least one calibration factor (&#x3c8;) using the thermal sensor based mass flow rate and the pressure sensor based mass flow rate. The system, method, and computer program product may generate a calibrated pressure sensor based mass flow rate by using the at least one calibration factor (&#x3c8;) to modify the pressure sensor based mass flow rate. The system, method, and computer program product may generate a calibrated thermal sensor based mass flow rate by using the at least one calibration factor (&#x3c8;) to modify the thermal sensor based mass flow rate.

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Glenview, IL, United States of America

Anthony Kehoe