Two-unit pump for liquid chromatograph with flow sensor arrangement

Abstract

A pump device which accurately detects a flow rate of a pump, performs real-time control of the flow rate, and thus can suppress a flow rate error caused by occurrence of pulsation. Control of a pump rotation speed by a pressure sensor has low responsiveness in a low pressure region, and a correlation between a pressure and a flow rate is incomplete in a high flow rate region. With this taken into consideration, a flow rate sensor is disposed at an outlet port of a second pump. A position detection sensor detects a point where a first pump is shifted from a suction mode to a discharge mode. Moreover, the flow rate sensor detects that there is no discharge from the pump, and that there is discharge from the pump alone. Accordingly, a controller sets a rotation speed of a motor to a speed double the previous speed (double the normal rotation speed). When the flow rate sensor detects an increase in the flow rate at the outlet port of the second pump, the controller returns the rotation speed of the motor to a normal rotation speed. The rotation speed of the motor is controlled by accurate flow rate detection by the flow rate sensor. Thus, occurrence of pulsation can be suppressed.