Device capable of pressurization and associated systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9835597-B2
Application number	US-201314381971-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2013
Priority date	Mar 7, 2012
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments are directed to devices, methods and systems capable of pressurization, generally involving a flow system that includes a pressurized reservoir, at least one pump including a pump control valve, an outlet port, a shut-off valve and a vent valve. The flow system is configured to be pressurized. The shut-off valve is disposed between the pressurized reservoir and the at least one pump. The vent valve is disposed between the at least one pump and the outlet port. The shut-off valve, the vent valve and the pump control valve of the at least one pump are configured to actuate in a coordinated manner to control a pressurization of the flow system. Exemplary embodiments are further directed to devices, methods and systems for column switching, generally including at least a first column, a second column and a column switching valve.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device capable of pressurization, comprising:
a flow system configured to be pressurized to a positive pressure that includes (i) a pressurized reservoir, (ii) a pump including a pump control valve, (iii) an outlet port, (iv) a shut-off valve disposed between the pressurized reservoir and the pump, (v) a vent valve disposed between the pump and the outlet port, and (vi) a controller communicatively coupled to the shut-off valve, the vent valve, and the pump control valve;
wherein the controller is configured to communicate with and actuate the shut-off valve, the vent valve, and the pump control valve in a coordinated and substantially unison manner to control pressurization of the flow system to the positive pressure; and
wherein pressurization of the flow system to the positive pressure with the controller includes the steps of (i) actuating the pump control valve into a flow position with the controller, (ii) when the pump control valve is actuated into and detected to be in the flow position, actuating the vent valve into a closed position with the controller, and (iii) when the vent valve is actuated into the closed position, actuating the shut-off valve into an open position with the controller.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flow system is a CO 2 -based chromatography system and the pressurized reservoir is a CO 2 tank.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the outlet port is at least one of an exhaust and a waste port.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flow system is configured to be depressurized from the positive pressure.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein depressurization of the flow system reduces the positive pressure of the flow system to an atmospheric pressure.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the shut-off valve and the vent valve are configured to actuate into the closed position or the open position and the pump control valve of the pump is configured to actuate into the flow position or a vent position.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the shut-off valve, the vent valve and the pump control valve of the pump are in communication relative to each other.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein a depressurization of the flow system from the positive pressure with the controller includes the steps of (i) actuating the shut-off valve into the closed position with the controller, (ii) when the shut-off valve is actuated into in the closed position, actuating the vent valve into the open position with the controller, and (iii) when the vent valve is actuated into the open position, actuating the pump control valve into the vent position with the controller.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flow system further includes a first column and a second column; wherein the first column and second column are disposed between the pump and the vent valve; and wherein the controller is configured to actuate the shut-off valve, the vent valve and the pump control valve of the pump in the coordinated and substantially unison manner to control the pressurization of the flow system to the positive pressure prior to switching between the first column and second column.

10. The device of claim 9 , comprising a column switching valve disposed between the pump and the vent valve and configured to control switching between the first column and second column with the controller.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the column switching valve is configured to be actuated with the controller in the coordinated and substantially unison manner with the shut-off valve, the vent valve and the pump control valve of the pump during switching between the first column and second column.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the shut-off valve and the vent valve are configured to be actuated with the controller into the closed position or the open position, the column switching valve is configured to be actuated with the controller into a desired port position, and the pump control valve of the pump is configured to be actuated with the controller into the flow position or a vent position.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the shut-off valve, the vent valve, the column switching valve and the pump control valve of the pump are in communication relative to each other.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein switching between the first column and second column is achieved upon actuation of the column switching valve into the desired port position after a depressurization of the flow system from the positive pressure has been achieved.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pump control valve is configured to be actuated by the controller between the flow position, a vent position, and a block position.

16. The device of claim 1 , comprising an accumulator disposed downstream of the pump and configured to reduce fluctuations in a flow rate or pressure downstream of the pump, and comprising a transducer configured to detect the flow rate or pressure at an output of the accumulator.

17. A method of managing pressurization, comprising:
providing a flow system configured to be pressurized to a positive pressure that includes (i) a pressurized reservoir, (ii) a pump including a pump control valve, (iii) an outlet port, (iv) a shut-off valve disposed between the pressurized reservoir and the pump, (v) a vent valve disposed between the pump and the outlet port, and (vi) a controller, the controller being configured to actuate the shut-off valve, the vent valve, and the pump control valve in a coordinated and substantially unison manner to control pressurization of the flow system to the positive pressure;
actuating the pump control valve into a flow position with the controller;
when the pump control valve is actuated into and detected to be in the flow position, actuating the vent valve into a closed position with the controller; and
when the pump control valve is actuated into and detected to be in the flow position, actuating the shut-off valve into an open position with the controller.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the shut-off valve and the vent valve are configured to actuate into the closed position or the open position and the pump control valve of the pump is configured to actuate into the flow position or a vent position, wherein the shut-off valve, the vent valve and the pump control valve of the pump are in communication relative to each other.

19. The method of claim 18 , comprising (i) actuating the shut-off valve into the closed position with the controller, (ii) when the shut-off valve is actuated into the closed position, actuating the vent valve into the open position with the controller, and (iii) when the vent valve is actuated into the open position, actuating the pump control valve of the pump into a vent position with the controller to achieve a depressurization of the flow system from the positive pressure.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the flow system further includes a first column and a second column; wherein the first column and second column are disposed between the one pump and the vent valve; and wherein the controller is configured to actuate the shut-off valve, the vent valve and the pump control valve of the pump in the coordinated and substantially unison manner to control the pressurization of the flow system to the positive pressure prior to switching between the first column and second column.

21. The method of claim 20 , comprising a column switching valve disposed between the pump and the vent valve and configured to control switching bet

Assignees

• Waters Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Shreve Joshua A
• Joudrey Kurt
• Angelosanto John

Classifications

• G01N30/36

  in high pressure liquid systems · CPC title

• Y10T137/86035

  Combined with fluid receiver · CPC title

• Y10T137/86027

  Electric · CPC title

• G01N2030/027

  Liquid chromatography · CPC title

• Y10T137/87314

  Electromagnetic or electric control [e.g., digital control, bistable electro control, etc.] · CPC title