Fluid measurement system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9719829-B2
Application number	US-201113278092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2011
Priority date	Oct 20, 2010
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

This invention is to improve procedures of maintenance of a fluid measurement system having a fluid measurement device and a control device. The fluid measurement system has a fluid measurement device and a control device to control the fluid measurement device, and the fluid measurement device comprises a fluid sensor and a related data store part configured to store fluid calculation related data for calculation of one or more fluid parameters with measurement data obtained by the fluid sensor, and the control device obtains the fluid calculation related data from the related data store part and calculates the one or more fluid parameters with the measurement data of the fluid sensor and the fluid calculation related data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluid measurement system comprising:
a plurality of flow rate fluid measurement devices, each device comprising:
a fluid sensor configured to obtain measurement data,
a related data store part configured to store fluid calculation related data, which is preset data specifically adapted for use with measurement data obtained by the fluid sensor, and
a first casing that houses the fluid sensor and the related data store part, the first casing having a length in a thickness direction; and

a control device comprising a CPU, a related data obtaining part, and a second casing housing the CPU and the related data obtaining part, the control device being provided separately from the fluid measurement devices and configured to control the fluid measurement devices, the second casing having a length in the thickness direction, wherein
the related data obtaining part is configured to obtain the fluid calculation related data from the related data store part,
the CPU is configured to calculate one or more fluid parameters with the measurement data obtained by the fluid sensor and the fluid calculation related data, and
the second casing is provided separately from the first casings of the plurality of fluid measurement devices and configured to be stacked on top of each of the first casings to adjoin the first casings in a vertical direction perpendicular to the thickness direction,
the first casings of the plurality of flow rate fluid measurement devices are configured to be stacked side-by-side in the thickness direction, and
a combined length of the first casings, comprising a combined sum of the lengths in the thickness direction of the first casings that are stacked side-by-side, is equal to the length in the thickness direction of the second casing stacked on top of each of the first casings.

2. The fluid measurement system described in claim 1 , wherein
the fluid measurement device has an AD convertor configured to convert an analog signal output from the fluid sensor into a digital signal which comprises the measurement data; and
the fluid calculation related data includes AD conversion characteristic data showing an AD conversion characteristic of the AD convertor.

3. The fluid measurement system described in claim 2 , wherein
the fluid measurement device has a processor configured to obtain the digital signal from the AD convertor and configured to store the obtained digital signal in a memory; and
the control device obtains the digital signal converted by the AD convertor through the processor.

4. The fluid measurement system described in claim 1 , wherein
the fluid sensor is a flow rate sensor;
the fluid measurement device is a mass flow controller further comprising a flow rate adjustment valve; and
the control device conducts a comparison calculation between a calculated flow rate value and a flow rate set value and controls the flow rate adjustment valve based on the comparison calculation.

5. The fluid measurement system described in claim 1 , wherein
the fluid calculation related data comprises at least one calibration data which is analytical curve data correlating flow rates to measurement data for a plurality of conditions, calibration data correcting instrumental errors in the fluid sensor or control device, or adjustment coefficient data correlating flow rates to opening and closing timings.

6. The fluid measurement system described in claim 1 ,
wherein
each of the plurality of the first casings has a flat top surface provided on a common plane; and
the second casing is provided above all of the flat top surfaces of the first casings.

7. Non-transitory computer readable storage media including stored instructions of a control program, which upon execution by a processor of a control device provided separately from a plurality of flow rate fluid measurement devices, causes the control device to:
via a fluid sensor, obtain measurement data;
via a related data obtaining part, obtain fluid calculation related data, which is preset data specifically adapted for use with measurement data obtained by the fluid sensor, from a related data store part within each fluid measurement device;
calculate, via the processor, one or more fluid parameters with the measurement data obtained by the fluid sensor and the fluid calculation related data; and
control the fluid measurement device, wherein
the fluid measurement device comprises the fluid sensor, the related data store part, and a first casing that houses the fluid sensor and the related data store part, the first casing having a length in a thickness direction;
a second casing, which is provided separately from the first casings of the plurality of fluid measurement devices, houses the related data obtaining part and the processor of the control device, the second casing having a length in the thickness direction;
the second casing is configured to be stacked on top of each of the first casings to adjoin the first casings in a vertical direction perpendicular to the thickness direction;
the first casings of the plurality of flow rate fluid measurement devices are configured to be stacked side-by-side in the thickness direction; and
a combined length of the first casings, comprising a combined sum of the lengths in the thickness direction of the first casings that are stacked side-by-side, is equal to the length in the thickness direction of the second casing stacked on top of each of the first casings.

8. A control device, provided separately from a fluid measurement device, the control device configured to control a plurality of flow rate fluid measurement devices, each device comprising a fluid sensor and at least two related data store parts configured to store flow rate calculation related data, which is preset data specifically adapted for use with measurement data obtained by the fluid sensor;
wherein for each of the plurality of flow rate fluid measurement devices, a first casing houses the fluid sensor and the related data store part, the first casing having a length in a thickness direction;
wherein the control device comprises a related data obtaining part configured to obtain the fluid calculation related data from the related data store part; and a CPU configured to calculate one or more fluid parameters with the measurement data obtained by the fluid sensor and the fluid calculation related data, wherein
a second casing, which is provided separately from the first casing, houses the related data obtaining part and the processor of the control device, the second casing having a length in the thickness direction,
the second casing is configured to be stacked on top of each of the first casings to adjoin the first casings in a vertical direction perpendicular to the thickness direction,
the first casings of the plurality of flow rate fluid measurement devices are configured to be stacked side-by-side in the thickness direction, and
a combined length of the first casings, comprising a combined sum of the lengths in the thickness direction of the first casings that are stacked side-by-side, is equal to the length in the thickness direction of the second casing stacked on top of each of the first casings.

Assignees

• Matsuura Kazuhiro
• Takakura Hiroshi
• Furukawa Yukimasa
• Yasuda Tadahiro
• Horiba Stec Co Ltd

Inventors

• Matsuura Kazuhiro
• Takakura Hiroshi
• Furukawa Yukimasa
• Yasuda Tadahiro

Classifications

• G01F15/068 Primary

  with electrical means (G01F15/063 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01F15/005

  Valves (valves in general F16K) · CPC title

• G01F1/00

  Measuring the volume flow or mass flow of fluid or fluent solid material wherein the fluid passes through a meter in a continuous flow (measuring a proportion of the volume flow G01F5/00) · CPC title

• G05D7/06 Primary

  characterised by the use of electric means {(G05D7/005 takes precedence)} · CPC title