Helix Technology Corporation

Brooks Automation Gmbh

Edwards Vacuum LLC

Maureen C Buonpane

Paul E Amundsen

Allen J Bartlett

Jordan N Jacobs

Robert P Sullivan

Joseph Chopy, Jr

John J Varone

Stephen J Yamartino

Oliver J Dumas

Doreen J Ball-DiFazio

Ronald N Morris

Douglas Andrews

Doug Andrews

Leonard A Loranger

Robert M Patterson

Paul E Dresens

Philip A Lessard

Gary S Ash

Michael J Eacobacci, Jr

James A O'Neil

Mark A Stira

Brian D Foley

Philip D Acomb

Alan C Brightman

Timothy M Pulling

A refrigerant management system controls the supply of refrigerant from two or more variable speed and fixed speed compressors to a plurality of cryogenic refrigerators. The system employs a plurality of sensors to monitor and regulate the overall refrigerant supply to deliver an appropriate refrigerant supply to each of the cryogenic refrigerators. The amount of refrigerant to supply is based on an aggregate demand for refrigerant from the plurality of cryogenic refrigerators and a refrigerant correction metric. An appropriate supply of refrigerant is distributed to each cryogenic refrigerator by adjusting the speed of the variable speed compressors or, alternatively, selectively turning the compressors on or off. The speed of the variable speed compressors is adjusted by determining an amount of refrigerant to supply to the plurality of cryogenic refrigerators. If the aggregate demand for refrigerant exceeds the capacity of the compressors, then the speed of a refrigerator within the plurality of refrigerators is adjusted.

Helium management control system

A system and method is provided to control a purge valve during an unsafe condition associated with a cryopump. An electronic controller may be used to control the opening and closing of one or more purge valves during the unsafe condition. The purge valve can be a cryo-purge valve or exhaust purge valve. The purge valve can be a normally open valve. The electronic controller can release the normally open valve in response to the unsafe condition. The electronic controller can delay its response to the unsafe condition for a safe period of time. Attempts from other systems to control these valves during unsafe conditions can be preempted during unsafe conditions. A user can be inhibited from manually controlling the purge valve during unsafe conditions. A power failure recovery routine may be initiated in response to a restoration of power. The power failure recovery routine can respond to an unsafe condition even if the power failure recovery routine has been manually turned off by a user.

Integration of automated cryopump safety purge

An electronic controller is integral with a cryopump and provides an offline solution for purging a cryopump and an exhaust line during unsafe conditions. The electronic controller is responsible for controlling the opening and closing of purge, exhaust purge and gate valves coupled to the cryopump. The electronic controller can preempt any attempts from other systems to control these valves during unsafe conditions. An unsafe condition can be a power failure in the cryopump, a dangerous temperature in the cryopump or a temperature sensing diode that is not operating properly. When an unsafe condition is determined, the exhaust purge valve is opened and the gate valve closed, while the opening of a purge valve may be delayed for a safe period of time. If the unsafe condition still exists when the safe period of time elapses, the purge valve is allowed to open. A fail-safe purge valve release and time delay mechanism can be used to ensure that the purge valve opens after the period of time elapses. Electrochemical capacitors store an amount of energy to hold a normally open purge valve closed for a safe period of time. When this energy is discharged and the unsafe condition still exists, the purge valve automatically opens.

Fail-safe cryopump safety purge delay

In a power failure recovery, the operating state before a power failure and present conditions of a cryopump are determined to initiate a regeneration or startup process. Where the refrigerator was operating before power failure, it is turned on during recovery to condense gases in the cryopump. A startup process is initiated where the cryopump was in a startup process before the power failure and present conditions of the cryopump indicate that the cryopump is sufficiently empty or clean. If the operating state and present conditions indicate that a corrosive or hazardous liquid remains in the cryopump, a regeneration process is initiated. If the cryopump was in a shutdown process before the power failure, the cryopanel of the cryopump is refrigerated to a temperature at which gases sublimate from the cryopanel. The temperature of the cryopanel is then maintained until the gases are removed. A refrigerator having a displacer with variable speed and heaters may be used to control the temperature of the cryopanel. When the cryopump is sufficiently empty, the cryopump is turned off.

System and method for recovering from a power failure in a cryopump

A cryopump is regenerated by roughing the cryopump during purging. Purging and roughing is carried out in first a high temperature mode and then a lower ambient temperature mode. In the lower temperature mode, the cryogenic refrigerator is turned on. If the system fails a rough test after roughing at the lower temperature, it is repurged with the rough valve open.

Purge and rough cryopump regeneration process, cryopump and controller

A cryogenic refrigeration system has a control system that controls the operation of the refrigeration system and provides status information to the operator of the refrigeration system. The cryogenic refrigeration system includes one or more heater and at least one Joule-Thomson valve. The heaters are used to control the recondensing capacity of the refrigeration system and to heat the at least one Joule-Thomson valve and other points to melt away contaminants that may freeze at such points. The control system controls operation of the heaters. The control system also automates an initialization routine that utilizes the heaters to prevent blockage of the valves, and cools the refrigeration system down to a desired temperature. In addition, the control system shuts down the refrigeration system if the status information it monitors exceed a safe range.

Method and apparatus for controlling a cryogenic refrigeration system

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Mansfield, MA, United States of America

Maureen C Buonpane