A kind of variable valve characteristic optimizing method of mass flow controller
Technical field
The present invention relates to a kind of digital gas mass flow controller, more specifically, relate to a kind of optimization method for digital gas mass flow controller variable valve characteristic.
Background technology
Gas mass flow controller (Mass Flow Controller, MFC) can be used for the mass rate of gas to carry out precision measurement and control, its measurement and control accuracy are not subject to air pressure and the influence of temperature change of certain limit, and are convenient to be connected with computing machine realization control automatically.Therefore, gas mass flow controller has important application in the research and production of the multiple fields such as semiconductor and IC industry, special material subject, chemical industry, petroleum industry, medicine, environmental protection and vacuum.Its typical application scenario comprises: Electronic Technics Equipment, as diffusion, oxidation, molecular beam epitaxy, CVD, plasma etching, sputter, Implantation; And vacuum coating equipment, optical fiber melting, micro-reaction device, mixed gas gas distributing system, kapillary measurement, gas chromatograph and other analytical instrument.
Gas mass flow controller is comprised of shunt, flow sensor, circuit board and four parts of variable valve conventionally.Wherein, the metering circuit of shunt, flow sensor and circuit board has partly formed the flow measurement unit of mass flow controller, they have also formed mass flowmeter (Mass Flow Meter, MFM), its effect in mass flow controller is that the mass rate of gas is carried out to precision measurement; The control circuit of variable valve and circuit board has partly formed the control module of mass flow controller, and they are not present in mass flowmeter.Therefore, every mass flow controller is all a mass flowmeter and the set that comprises the control module of variable valve.
The principle of work of gas mass flow controller is: flow sensor adopts the mass rate (without temperature pressure compensation) of kapillary heat transfer temperature difference calorimetry principle measurement gas.Sensor is added to flow signal that thermal bridge records to be sent into the amplifier of circuit board metering circuit part and amplifies, flow detection voltage and setting voltage after amplifying are compared, after again difference signal being amplified, the valve opening size of regulating and controlling valve, the flow that the passage of mass flow controller is flow through in closed-loop control makes it to equate with the flow of setting.The flow detection voltage of mass flow controller output is directly proportional to the mass rate that flows through passage, and shunt determines the flow of main channel.
Refer to Fig. 1, Fig. 1 is the inner structure schematic diagram of gas mass flow controller variable valve.The valve folding principle of variable valve can illustrate by Fig. 1.As shown in the figure, this variable valve is a kind of variable valve of Electromagnetic Control, is provided with static iron core coil, armature (moving iron core), reed and spool in valve body from top to bottom.Under the off-position of variable valve when stopping using, the lowest point of spool in passage, reed is in recoil state, and now, passage is sealed completely; After to variable valve energising, static iron core coil produces electromagnetic force, utilizes the suction of magnetic force, and the reverse elastic force that makes armature overcome reed is raised, and band movable valve plug rises, and makes valve open; During power-off, electromagnetic force disappears, and armature falls reset under the restoring force effect of self gravitation and reed, spool is pushed back to channel bottom, valve closing.Under "on" position, control module is by the voltage difference signal magnitude of output, regulate the magnetic force size of the static iron core coil generation of variable valve, thereby the valve opening of regulating and controlling valve is big or small, make to flow through the gas flow of mass flow controller passage and the flow of setting equates, realize the accurate control of gas mass flow controller to channel capacity.
Gas mass flow controller conventionally can be connected and support the use with Flow Measurement Display Meter and control computing machine, and control operation is generally carried out in Flow Measurement Display Meter.The folding of gas mass flow controller control valve is divided into closes, valve control, cleans three states, and on the control panel of Flow Measurement Display Meter, correspondence is provided with " closing ", " valve control ", " cleaning " three-position valve gate control switch respectively.When being placed in " closing " position, control valve is closed; When being placed in " cleaning " position, control valve will reach maximum, to gas channels is cleaned; When being placed in " valve control " position, in normal operating conditions, by computer regulated valve opening, carry out automatic flow control.
In the use of gas mass flow controller, it should be noted that, when in running order, the valve gauge tap of variable valve should be placed in to " valve control " position, under this state, require first to open source of the gas, to passing into gas in passage, then could opening power, and after zero point stability, more formally start working.And when when cleaning state, sequence of operation is just in time contrary, be first opening power, after open gas, now the gas flow in passage will reach maximal value, and the decades of times even of the flow full scale several times can surpass duty time, to play the effect of purge gas circuit.
When the valve gauge tap of variable valve is placed in " valve control " position, and flow set is when non-vanishing, if first switch power supply, after open gas, flow, by having a large overshoot, then just can be stablized to setting value.This method of operating can make the reed of variable valve be taken up to extreme position by armature once, and often so operation, can cause the premature aging of reed even to rupture, and therefore, this method of operating should be avoided.In actual use, generally can people for carrying out this operation.But, when gas circuit generation abnormal failure, for example, die, gas circuit is stopped up or during gas circuit control circuit fault, will produce above-mentioned power supply opening but the abnormal occurrence that do not have gas to pass through in gas circuit.Now can to think that not, flow now detects the output of voltage by mistake inadequate for the control system of mass flow controller inside, so that continue the output valve that augmented flow detects voltage, output voltage when surpassing flow full scale, maximum setting voltage value Vmax while reaching cleaning state, the valve opening of variable valve is at this moment maximum, and reed is picked up to extreme position.If do not find in time these abnormal conditions, reed will be for a long time in extreme position state, causes premature aging to damage.
At present, when the debugging of carrying out before mass flow controller dispatches from the factory, as long as the debugging for variable valve part is generally accomplished to meet the characteristic requirements of closing and opening, just think that variable valve adjusted to suitable degree, but variable valve is not now in optimum condition in fact.When the fault mass flow controller that client is provided is resolved, often find that the reed in variable valve deforms, do not possessed original back stretch, this can cause, when variable valve is opened, occurring the phenomenon of flow overshoot.When even more serious, the reed in variable valve ruptures, and causes flow uncontrollable.The generation of these problems often with duty in use of mass flow controller, when " valve control " position, occur above-mentioned first switch power supply, after open gas, and relevant in the situation of dying for a long time.And its root is all due to the initial stage in variable valve debugging, the result that does not make the characteristic of variable valve cause in optimum state.
When the debugging of carrying out before mass flow controller dispatches from the factory, the voltage in the time of can be by " cleaning " state while adjusting variable valve is set as maximal value Vmax; Corresponding voltage value when " closing " state is zero; When " valve control " state, 1/3rd of maximum setting voltage value Vmax when setting voltage corresponding to gas flow full scale in passage is generally " cleaning " state.The corresponding magnetic force of the static iron core coil that the maximum setting voltage value Vmax while loading normally according to " cleaning " state due to the reed in variable valve produces designs, therefore, when " valve control " state, corresponding setting voltage is because of relatively little, so can not cause damage to reed.But, when in " valve control " position, occur above-mentioned first switch power supply, after open gas, and during the situation in dying for a long time, it is inadequate that the control system of mass flow controller inside can think that not, flow now detects the output of voltage by mistake, so that continue the output valve that augmented flow detects voltage, the output voltage when surpassing flow full scale, the maximum setting voltage value Vmax while reaching cleaning state.When mass flow controller cleans normally, scavenging period is very of short duration, reed aging in designing requirement; And while there are above-mentioned abnormal conditions, reed will be for a long time in stress limit state, and accelerated deterioration phenomenon will occur, and causes reed to lose efficacy in advance.
In sum, when " valve control " state in when work of mass flow controller, the control system of mass flow controller inside is controlled because the corresponding setting value upper limit of output voltage when surpassing flow full scale lacks limit value, cause when dying abnormal conditions, maximum setting voltage value Vmax when the output valve of flow detection voltage reaches cleaning state, making reed in variable valve for a long time in ld. lmt state, is the basic reason that finally causes reed accelerated deterioration and lost efficacy and occur.Therefore, there is defect in the variable valve adjustment method before existing mass flow controller dispatches from the factory, and caused the characteristic of variable valve not in optimum state.
Summary of the invention
The object of the invention is to overcome the above-mentioned defect that prior art exists, a kind of variable valve characteristic optimizing method of mass flow controller is provided, interval by the limit value of flow by defining the permission of described variable valve in working order time, and while adjusting before described variable valve is dispatched from the factory, regulate the gas of described variable valve when certain working pressure by flow the permission in definition by the limit value interval of flow, and using setting voltage now as described variable valve the maximum setting voltage of the permission in working order time, with this, allow maximum setting voltage to control the adjustable maximum opening of described variable valve in working order time, after preventing that described mass flow controller from dispatching from the factory, while dying abnormal conditions during duty in use of described variable valve in default maximum opening state, thereby avoided reed in described variable valve for a long time in ld. lmt state, effectively extended the serviceable life of variable valve.
For achieving the above object, technical scheme of the present invention is as follows:
A variable valve characteristic optimizing method for mass flow controller, implements during general adjustment before described variable valve is dispatched from the factory, and comprises the following steps:
Step 1: described mass flow controller is connected to external testing control system, and be placed in test gas circuit, full scale specification according to described mass flow controller in working order time and the maximum flow requirement when the state of cleaning, by adjusting the default maximum opening of determining described variable valve, make described variable valve can realize normal switching in working pressure range, and in described control system, set up the upper limit of the setting voltage of controlling with described variable valve corresponding aperture to described variable valve when the described default maximum opening;
Step 2: define the permission of described variable valve when described duty interval by the limit value of flow;
Step 3: choose an intermediate pressure value in the described working pressure range of described variable valve, described variable valve is passed in test gas during intermediate pressure value described in this, choose that intermediate pressure value can be avoided the input of described variable valve, output terminal pressure reduction is excessive or the too small instability of flow phenomenon causing; Then, in the upper limit of described setting voltage, choose an intermediate settings magnitude of voltage and input described mass flow controller, and read in gas corresponding to described variable valve during intermediate settings magnitude of voltage described in this and pass through flow;
Step 4: the limit value interval by flow contrasts by flow and described permission by the above-mentioned described gas reading, when the described gas reading exceeds the limit value of described permission by flow when interval by flow, in the upper limit of described setting voltage, with hit-and-miss method, successively input different described setting voltage selected value, until the described gas corresponding with a certain described setting voltage selected value of input falls into described permission by the limit value interval of flow by flow;
Step 5: using fall into the described gas of the limit value of described permission by flow when interval by described setting voltage selected value corresponding to flow as described variable valve the maximum setting voltage of permission when the described duty, at described mass flow controller, store setting, make user can not change this and set, and to allow maximum setting voltage to control the adjustable maximum opening of described variable valve when the described duty described in this.
Further, in step 1, the full scale flow when maximum flow of described mass flow controller when the state of cleaning is greater than in working order.Maximum flow by mass flow controller when cleaning state is generally set as the several times of full scale, to reach good gas circuit cleaning performance.
Further, in step 1, aperture corresponding to described variable valve during by maximum flow when cleaning state is defined as described default maximum opening.
Further, in step 1, the aperture of described variable valve when described default maximum opening is greater than full scale flow when in running order.
Further, in step 1, when determining the default maximum opening of described variable valve by adjustment, make described variable valve can close and meet seal request in limited time in the upper of working pressure range, and reaching full scale in limited time in the lower of working pressure range, namely under extreme pressure, can normally work.
Further, in step 2, described permission by the define method in the limit value interval of flow is: the lower limit of described permission by the limit value interval of flow is greater than the full scale of described variable valve when described duty; The higher limit of described permission by the limit value interval of flow is less than the maximum flow of described variable valve when described cleaning state.
Further, when described variable valve by flow, reach the higher limit in the limit value interval of described permission by flow time, corresponding aperture is less than described default maximum opening.
Further, in step 2, the limit value interval of the permission of described variable valve when described duty by flow is 1.2~1.5 times of full scale.
Further, using the maximum setting voltage of described permission as alarm voltage, at described mass flow controller, store setting, when the actual set voltage of described variable valve during in described duty reaches the maximum setting voltage of described permission, output alarm signal, so that unusual circumstance in time, eliminates the disturbing effect to production and control procedure.
Further, described adjustable maximum opening is less than described default maximum opening, thereby define the actual aperture of variable valve in working order time, when dying abnormal conditions, even if now the control system of mass flow controller inside thinks that flow is now inadequate by mistake, the output that detects voltage is inadequate, and continuation augmented flow detects the output valve of voltage, so that during the predeterminated voltage while surpassing flow full scale, the restriction of the maximum setting voltage of permission that the test control system of Ye Huiyin manufacturer is set in mass flow controller storage, the upper limit of the setting voltage in the time of can not reaching cleaning state.
Aperture based on the larger variable valve of the flow pulling force that just reed is subject in larger, variable valve is larger principle also, and this variable valve characteristic optimizing method of the present invention just seems even more important for the mass flow controller of large flow.
From technique scheme, can find out, during the adjustment of the present invention by before variable valve is dispatched from the factory, a reasonable interval of definition maximum flow being greater than full scale, while being less than cleaning state by flow restriction of the permission in working order time by variable valve, and choose the gas that falls in this interval setting voltage by the corresponding regulating and controlling valve opening of flow as variable valve the maximum setting voltage of permission in working order time, thereby the adjustable maximum opening of regulating and controlling valve in working order time is less than the default maximum opening when the state of cleaning.After mass flow controller dispatches from the factory, while dying abnormal conditions during duty in use, can make the control system of mass flow controller inside think that flow has a limit value while raising setting voltage not by mistake, therefore variable valve can not reach default maximum opening state in working order time, thereby avoided the reed in variable valve for a long time in ld. lmt state, effectively extended the serviceable life of variable valve.
Accompanying drawing explanation
Fig. 1 is the theory diagram of the variable valve characteristic optimizing method of a kind of mass flow controller of the present invention.
Embodiment
Below in conjunction with accompanying drawing, the specific embodiment of the present invention is described in further detail.
In following specific embodiment, refer to Fig. 1, Fig. 1 is the theory diagram of the variable valve characteristic optimizing method of a kind of mass flow controller of the present invention.As shown in the figure, variable valve characteristic optimizing method of the present invention is generally implemented during the adjustment before described variable valve is dispatched from the factory, and comprises the following steps:
First, described mass flow controller is connected to external testing control system, computing machine for example, and be placed in test gas circuit.Full scale specification according to described mass flow controller in working order time and the maximum flow requirement when the state of cleaning, by adjusting the default maximum opening of determining described variable valve, make described variable valve can realize normal switching in working pressure range.And in described control system, set up the upper limit of the setting voltage of controlling with described variable valve corresponding aperture to described variable valve when the described default maximum opening.
Secondly, define the permission of described variable valve when described duty by the limit value interval of flow.
Then, in the described working pressure range of described variable valve, choose an intermediate pressure value, described variable valve is passed in test gas during intermediate pressure value described in this, choose that intermediate pressure value can be avoided the input of described variable valve, output terminal pressure reduction is excessive or the too small instability of flow phenomenon causing.In the upper limit of described setting voltage, choose certain intermediate settings magnitude of voltage that described variable valve is set, by described control system, send instruction to described mass flow controller, this intermediate settings magnitude of voltage is inputted to described mass flow controller.
That then, reads flow detection device feedback passes through flow in gas corresponding to described variable valve during intermediate settings magnitude of voltage described in this.
Then, by the above-mentioned described gas reading, by flow and described permission, the limit value interval by flow contrasts, judge described gas by flow whether in described permission by the limit value interval of flow.When the described gas reading by flow excessive or too small, exceed the limit value of described permission by flow when interval, in the upper limit of described setting voltage, with hit-and-miss method, successively set the different described setting voltage selected value of input, and judge, until the described gas corresponding with a certain described setting voltage selected value of input falls into described permission by the limit value interval of flow by flow; When the described gas reading by flow in described permission by the limit value interval of flow time, show to adopt above-mentioned characteristic optimizing method to reach optimum state to the adjustment of variable valve, can finish to adjust.
Finally, using fall into the described gas of the limit value of described permission by flow when interval by described setting voltage selected value corresponding to flow as described variable valve the maximum setting voltage of permission when the described duty, at described mass flow controller, store setting, make user can not change this and set, and to allow maximum setting voltage to control the adjustable maximum opening of described variable valve when the described duty described in this.
In the present embodiment, the maximum flow by described mass flow controller when cleaning state is set as 3 times of full scale, to reach good gas circuit cleaning performance.Under extreme case, also maximum flow can be set as to the more than 3 times of full scale, to meet specific gas circuit cleaning condition.
Aperture corresponding to described variable valve during in the present embodiment, by maximum flow when cleaning state is defined as described default maximum opening.The aperture of described variable valve when described default maximum opening is greater than full scale flow when in running order.
In the present embodiment, when determining the default maximum opening of described variable valve by adjustment, make described variable valve can close and meet seal request in limited time in the upper of working pressure range, and reaching full scale in limited time in the lower of working pressure range, namely under extreme pressure, can normally work.When adjusting, should note making the operting differential pressure at variable valve input, output two ends to remain in indication range, while particularly under high pressure working, draught head is excessive, flow cannot close or turn down, if operting differential pressure is less than required value, likely makes flow not reach full scale value.
In the present embodiment, described permission by the define method in the limit value interval of flow is: the lower limit of described permission by the limit value interval of flow is greater than the full scale of described variable valve when described duty, to guarantee to reach full scale when the little pressure; The higher limit of described permission by the limit value interval of flow is less than the maximum flow of described variable valve when described cleaning state, to avoid the aperture of described variable valve when the described duty excessive.And, when described variable valve by flow, reach the higher limit in the limit value interval of described permission by flow time, corresponding aperture is less than described default maximum opening.
In the present embodiment, the limit value section definition of the permission by described variable valve when the described duty by flow is full scale 1.2~1.5 times, 1.2~1.5 of mass flow controller flow specification times.For example, a certain described mass flow controller that is 5SLM for flow specification, can choose the permission of this mass flow controller in working order time by flow, i.e. 6SLM by 1.2 times of lower limits.In like manner, mass flow controller described in another that is 500SCCM for flow specification, can choose the permission of this mass flow controller in working order time by flow, i.e. 750SCCM by 1.5 times of the upper limits.And, consider when practical application, by 1.3 times of limit values, can meet control requirement completely, so, for example, the described mass flow controller that is 500SCCM for flow specification, can choose the permission of this mass flow controller in working order time by flow, i.e. 650SCCM by 1.3 times of limit values.
Aperture based on the larger variable valve of the flow pulling force that just reed is subject in larger, variable valve is larger principle also, and this variable valve characteristic optimizing method of the present invention just seems even more important for the mass flow controller of large flow.
Accordingly, the linear corresponding relation having between voltage and flow when (i.e. " valve control " state) in working order according to variable valve, can determine the reference choosing value of intermediate settings voltage, and further determines and allow maximum setting voltage by adjusting.For example, in the present embodiment, the mass flow controller that is 500SCCM for flow specification, chooses the permission of this mass flow controller in working order time by flow, i.e. 650SCCM by 1.3 times of limit values; Maximum flow when specifications are found this mass flow controller at the state of cleaning is 1500SCCM, and corresponding valve setpoint voltage is 15V, and the valve setpoint voltage when full scale is 5V.First by 1.3 times of limit values, choose 6.5V as intermediate settings voltage, by described control system, send instruction to described mass flow controller, this intermediate settings voltage 6.5V is inputted to described mass flow controller, read the gas of flow detection device feedback by flow, and contrast with the limit value of 650SCCM.If show that flow is consistent with limit value, be about to 6.5V as variable valve the maximum setting voltage of permission in working order time, at this mass flow controller, store setting, make user can not change this and set, and using the adjustable maximum opening of 6.5V when allowing maximum setting voltage regulating and controlling valve in working order.If show that flow and limit value are inconsistent, the 6.5V of take finely tunes as benchmark, until show that flow is consistent with limit value, using the actual set voltage after fine setting as variable valve the permission maximum setting voltage in working order time store.
Above-mentioned adjustable maximum opening is less than described default maximum opening, thereby defines the actual aperture of variable valve in working order time.When dying abnormal conditions, even if it is inadequate that the control system of mass flow controller inside thinks that not, flow now detects the output of voltage by mistake, and continuation augmented flow detects the output valve of voltage, so that during the predeterminated voltage while surpassing flow full scale, the restriction of the maximum setting voltage of permission that the test control system of Ye Huiyin manufacturer is set in this mass flow controller storage, the upper limit of the setting voltage in the time of can not reaching cleaning state.In the above-described embodiments, the described mass flow controller that is 500SCCM for flow specification, when if 6.5V becomes the maximum setting voltage of the permission of variable valve in working order time, once variable valve is died in working order, when the control system of mass flow controller inside is thought underfed by mistake, setting voltage can be raised to the 5V when surpassing full scale.If extremely do not disappeared, can continue to raise setting voltage.In the prior art, the control system of mass flow controller inside will raise the 15V of setting voltage when cleaning state always, makes valve wide open, reed tension, and the long-time reed in this state very easily damages.And apply optimization method of the present invention, the control system of mass flow controller inside, when raising setting voltage, is restricted and stops to 6.5V, make the unlikely standard-sized sheet of variable valve, thereby the phenomenon of having avoided reed to be tightened up, therefore, has extended the serviceable life of variable valve effectively.
In addition, can also will allow maximum setting voltage as alarm voltage, at mass flow controller, store setting, when the actual set voltage of variable valve in working order time reaches while allowing maximum setting voltage, mass flow controller is output alarm signal, so that unusual circumstance in time, eliminates the disturbing effect to production and control procedure.In the above-described embodiments, the mass flow controller that is 500SCCM for flow specification, when application optimization method of the present invention, when if 6.5V becomes the maximum setting voltage of the permission of variable valve in working order time, variable valve is when died in working order, and the control system of mass flow controller inside, as thought underfed by mistake, can raise setting voltage, until during 6.5V, be restricted and stop.Meanwhile, mass flow controller can be exported a voltage alarm signal, and user's computing machine receives after this signal, can instruction break-off, and send and process notice.These abnormal conditions will obtain slip-stick artist's timely processing.
Above-described is only the preferred embodiments of the present invention; described embodiment is not in order to limit scope of patent protection of the present invention; therefore the equivalent structure that every utilization instructions of the present invention and accompanying drawing content are done changes, and in like manner all should be included in protection scope of the present invention.