In-situ sensor-fusion with artificial intelligence

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12189369-B2
Application number	US-202017641352-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2020
Priority date	Sep 10, 2019
Publication date	Jan 7, 2025
Grant date	Jan 7, 2025

Abstract

In one embodiment, the disclosed apparatus is an in-situ, closed-loop bubble and foam detection and reduction system that includes a liquid-level sensor to determine a volume of a liquid in a fluid reservoir, a mass-detection device to determine a mass of the fluid reservoir and any liquid contained within the fluid reservoir, a processor electrically coupled to the liquid-level sensor and the mass-detection device to determine an actual volume of the liquid within the fluid reservoir, and a showerhead coupled to the processor and positioned above the fluid reservoir. The showerhead is activated by the processor when a volume of the liquid determined by the liquid-level sensor exceeds the actual volume of the liquid by a predetermined amount. Other apparatuses and methods are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a liquid-level sensor configured to determine a level of a liquid in a fluid reservoir;
a mass-detection device configured to determine a mass of the fluid reservoir and liquid contained therein;
a processor electrically coupled to the liquid-level sensor and the mass-detection device to determine a measured volume of liquid as determined by the level of the liquid, the processor further to determine an actual volume of the liquid within the fluid reservoir based on a mass of the liquid contained within the fluid reservoir; and
a showerhead coupled to the processor and positioned above the fluid reservoir, the showerhead to be activated by the processor when the measured volume of liquid determined by the liquid-level sensor exceeds the actual volume of the liquid as determined by the mass-detection device by a predetermined amount, a combination of the liquid-level sensor, the mass-detection device, the processor, and the showerhead thereby comprising an in-situ, closed-loop bubble and foam detection and reduction system.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a pump fluidly coupled to the showerhead to provide an additional volume of the fluid into the fluid reservoir to reduce a volume of at least one of bubbles and foam.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising coupling the pump to the showerhead with flexible tubing to reduce errors in mass measurements by the mass-detection device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the actual volume of the liquid within the fluid reservoir based on a known density of the liquid within the fluid reservoir and a mass of the fluid reservoir when empty.

5. The of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
compare a calculated volume of the fluid within the fluid reservoir based on the known density of the fluid and the mass of the fluid reservoir when empty; and
compare the calculated volume of the fluid to the volume of the fluid as determined from the level of the liquid in the fluid reservoir as measured by the liquid-level sensor.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate and transmit a signal to a pump to provide an additional volume of the fluid into the fluid reservoir through the showerhead based on a determination that the calculated volume of the liquid is greater that the volume of the fluid as determined from the level of the liquid by a predetermined amount.

7. A system, comprising:
a liquid-level sensor configured to determine a volume of a liquid in a fluid reservoir;
a mass-detection device configured to determine a mass of the fluid reservoir and liquid contained therein; and
a processor electrically coupled to the liquid-level sensor and the mass-detection device to determine an actual volume of the liquid within the fluid reservoir, a combination of the liquid-level sensor, the mass-detection device, and the processor thereby comprising an in-situ, closed-loop bubble and foam detection system.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a showerhead positioned above the fluid reservoir; and
a pump fluidly coupled to the showerhead and electrically coupled to the processor, the pump to be activated by the processor to supply the liquid to the showerhead when an anticipated volume of liquid exceeds the actual volume of the liquid by a predetermined amount.

9. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a showerhead positioned above the fluid reservoir; and
a pump fluidly coupled to the showerhead and electrically coupled to the processor, the pump to be activated by the processor to supply the liquid to the showerhead when at least one volume indicator including a measured volume of liquid determined by the liquid-level sensor exceeds the actual volume of the liquid by a predetermined amount and, an anticipated volume of liquid exceeds the actual volume of the liquid by a predetermined amount.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to apply a predetermined weighting value to the actual calculated volume and the anticipated volume to trigger activation of the showerhead by supplying the liquid through the pump.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a measured volume of liquid as determined by the level of the liquid; and
determine an actual volume of the liquid within the fluid reservoir based on a mass of the liquid contained within the fluid reservoir.

12. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a showerhead positioned above the fluid reservoir; and
a pump fluidly coupled to the showerhead and electrically coupled to the processor, the pump to be activated by the processor to supply the liquid to the showerhead to reduce an amount of at least one of bubbles and foam in the fluid reservoir.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising coupling the pump to the showerhead with flexible tubing to reduce errors in mass measurements by the mass-detection device.

14. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the actual volume of the liquid within the fluid reservoir based on a known density of the liquid within the fluid reservoir and a mass of the fluid reservoir when empty.

15. A system, comprising:
a liquid-level sensor configured to be coupled to a fluid reservoir to determine a level of a liquid in the fluid reservoir;
a mass-detection device configured to be coupled to the fluid reservoir, the mass-detection device further configured to determine a mass of the fluid reservoir and the liquid contained therein; and
a processor to electrically couple to the liquid-level sensor and the mass-detection device to determine an actual volume of the liquid within the fluid reservoir based on a mass of the liquid contained within the fluid reservoir, the processor further to determine an anticipated volume of the liquid within the fluid reservoir based on a determined, non-linear regression expectation of volume, a combination of the liquid-level sensor, the mass-detection device, and the processor thereby comprising an in-situ, closed-loop bubble and foam detection system.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the determined, non-linear regression expectation is based on an adaptive, neuro-fuzzy interface system (ANFIS) analysis.

17. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
a showerhead configured to be positioned above the fluid reservoir to dispense the fluid into the reservoir; and
a pump fluidly coupled to the showerhead and electrically coupled to the processor, the pump to be activated by the processor to supply the liquid to the showerhead to reduce an amount of at least one of bubbles and foam in the fluid reservoir.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the pump is configured to be coupled to the showerhead with flexible tubing to reduce errors in mass measurements by the mass-detection device.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the actual volume of the liquid within the fluid reservoir based on a known density of the liquid within the fluid reservoir and a mass of the fluid reservoir when empty.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate and transmit a signal to a pump to provide an additional volume of the fluid into the fluid reservoir through a showerhead that is configured to be positioned above the fluid reservoir based on a determination that the calculated volum

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Ding Yu
• Ma Quan
• Manuguid Gerramine S
• Ghongadi Shantinath
• Stowell Robert Marshall

Classifications

• G05B2219/37371

  Flow · CPC title

• B01D19/02

  Foam dispersion or prevention (during boiling B01B1/02; during fermentation C12) · CPC title

• B01D19/0063

  Regulation, control including valves and floats (for construction and details of valves F16K) · CPC title

• B01D19/0047 Primary

  Atomizing, spraying, trickling · CPC title

• G01F23/802

  Particular electronic circuits for digital processing equipment · CPC title