Fluid control device, recording medium recorded with control program, and control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10969019-B2
Application number	US-201816001890-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2018
Priority date	Jun 7, 2017
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

Provided is a fluid control device that achieves high sealing performance at full closure, and can suppress damage to a valve body or a valve seat surface even without mechanical accuracy improvements. The fluid control device includes: a fluid control valve provided in a flow path through which fluid flows: and a control mechanism that controls the fluid control valve. The fluid control valve includes: a valve seat surface; a valve body that contacts and separates from the valve seat surface; and an actuator that drives the valve body. Further, the control mechanism includes a speed adjustment part that when the valve body is brought close to the valve seat surface in order to fully close the fluid control valve, and the valve seat surface and the valve body reach a predetermined distance apart, reduces the moving speed of the valve body more than before reaching the predetermined distance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluid control device comprising:
a fluid control valve provided in a flow path through which fluid flows: and
a control mechanism comprising a processor a memory, and a D/A converter, and configured to control the fluid control valve, wherein
the fluid control valve comprises:
a valve seat surface;
a valve body adapted to contact with and separate from the valve seat surface;
an actuator adapted to drive the valve body; and
a displacement sensor adapted to detect a distance between the valve seat surface and the valve body, and

the control mechanism is configured to execute functions of:
D/A conversion implemented by the D/A converter to output analog voltage corresponding to a digital voltage command signal; and
speed adjustment to, when the valve body is brought close to the valve seat surface while closing the fluid control valve, and the distance detected by the displacement sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, change a setting coefficient for the D/A converter so as to reduce a moving speed of the valve body more than when the distance detected by the displacement sensor is larger than the predetermined distance.

2. The fluid control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the control mechanism further executes functions of speed adjustment to, when the distance detected by the displacement sensor is equal to or less than the predetermined distance, reduce the moving speed of the valve body more than when the distance detected by the displacement sensor is larger than the predetermined distance.

3. The fluid control device according to claim 2 , wherein
the control mechanism further executes functions of:
voltage control to output the digital voltage command signal for controlling voltage to be applied to the actuator, wherein
when the distance detected by the displacement sensor reaches zero, the control mechanism further executes functions of voltage control to output the digital voltage command signal so as to further move the valve body toward a valve seat surface side.

4. The fluid control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the actuator is a piezo actuator, and
when the distance detected by the displacement sensor is equal to or less than the predetermined distance, the control mechanism executes functions of speed adjustment to change the setting coefficient for the D/A converter so as to more reduce a discharge speed of the piezo actuator than when the distance detected by the displacement sensor is larger than the predetermined distance.

5. The fluid control device according to claim 4 , configured such that
when positive voltage is applied to the piezo actuator, the valve body moves in a direction to separate from the valve seat surface, and in a state where no voltage is applied to the piezo actuator, is in contact with the valve seat surface, wherein
when the distance detected by the displacement sensor reaches zero, the control mechanism executes functions of voltage control to output the digital voltage command signal so as to apply negative voltage to the piezo actuator.

6. The fluid control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the valve seat surface is formed surrounding an inflow opening through which the fluid flows in, and
the valve body comprises:
a closing surface adapted to contact with the valve seat surface to close the inflow opening; and
a peripheral surface formed flush with an outer side of the closing surface,
the fluid control device further comprising
an aligner of which at least a part is formed in a same plane as the valve seat surface on the outer side of the closing surface.

7. The fluid control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the actuator is a piezo actuator, and
when the distance detected by the displacement sensor is equal to or less than the predetermined distance, the control mechanism changes the setting coefficient for the D/A converter so as to reduce a voltage increase rate of the piezo actuator more than when the distance detected by the displacement sensor is larger than the predetermined distance.

8. The fluid control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the control mechanism executes functions of speed adjustment to store a speed reduction start position of starting to reduce the moving speed of the valve body in the memory, and reduces the moving speed of the valve body when a position detected by the displacement sensor reaches the speed reduction start position,
the control mechanism further executes functions of position update to update the speed reduction start position on a basis of a position signal outputted from the displacement sensor in a fully closed state.

9. A non-volatile recording medium recorded with control program used for a fluid control device comprising: a fluid control valve provided in a flow path through which fluid flows: and a control mechanism comprising a processor and a memory and configured to control the fluid control valve, wherein the fluid control valve includes: a valve seat surface; a valve body adapted to contact with and separate from the valve seat surface; an actuator adapted to drive the valve body; and a displacement sensor adapted to detect a distance between the valve seat surface and the valve body, and the control mechanism comprising a D/A converter executes functions of D/A conversion to output analog voltage corresponding to a digital voltage command signal,
the control program instructing the control mechanism to execute functions of speed adjustment to, when the valve body is brought close to the valve seat surface while closing the fluid control valve, and the distance detected by the displacement sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, change a setting coefficient for the D/A converter so as to reduce a moving speed of the valve body more than when the distance detected by the displacement sensor is larger than the predetermined distance.

10. A control method for a fluid control device comprising: a fluid control valve provided in a flow path through which fluid flows: and a control mechanism comprising a processor, a memory, and a D/A converter, and configured to control the fluid control valve, wherein the fluid control valve comprises: a valve seat surface; a valve body adapted to contact with and separate from the valve seat surface; an actuator adapted to drive the valve body; and a displacement sensor adapted to detect a distance between the valve seat surface and the valve body, and the control mechanism executes functions of D/A conversion to output analog voltage corresponding to a digital voltage command signal,
the control method comprising:
outputting the analog voltage corresponding to the digital voltage command signal; and
when the valve body is brought close to the valve seat surface while closing the fluid control valve, and the distance detected by the displacement sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, changing a setting coefficient for the D/A converter so as to reduce a moving speed of the valve body more than when the distance detected by the displacement sensor is larger than the predetermined distance.

Assignees

• Horiba Stec Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yasuda Tadahiro
• Hoke Thomas
• Owens Ryan
• Gundlach Maximilian
• Lowery Patrick
• Dick John
• Yoshida Tomohiro

Classifications

• H02N2/06

  Drive circuits; Control arrangements {or methods} · CPC title

• F16K37/0041

  for measuring valve parameters (F16K37/0033 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K31/004 Primary

  actuated by piezoelectric means · CPC title

• F16K27/029

  Electromagnetically actuated valves · CPC title

• F16K1/54 Primary

  Arrangements for modifying the way in which the rate of flow varies during the actuation of the valve · CPC title