Fluid transport apparatus, method for controlling the same, and chemical synthesis apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9976581-B2
Application number	US-201615155362-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2016
Priority date	May 19, 2015
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

A fluid transport apparatus includes a pressure chamber to which a fluid is supplied, N drive elements that deliver the fluid to a channel by changing pressure of the fluid within the pressure chamber, and a control section that supplies a drive signal to each of the drive elements. The control section controls the N (N≥2) drive elements such that phases of drive signals which are supplied to each of the drive elements are different from each other. Therefore, by changing the pressure of the fluid within the pressure chamber while suppressing an amplitude of the drive elements as a whole, pulsation of the fluid is effectively suppressed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid transport apparatus comprising:
a pressure chamber having an inner space to which a fluid is supplied;
a plurality of drive elements that are provided directly above the pressure chamber and that are configured to deliver the fluid to a channel by changing pressure of the inner space of the pressure chamber; and
a control section that is configured to apply a drive signal to each of the plurality of drive elements,
wherein phases of the drive signals which are applied to two or more drive elements, respectively, among the plurality of drive elements are different from each other.

2. The fluid transport apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a phase difference between the drive signals is a half cycle or less in the same cycle.

3. The fluid transport apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein phases of the drive signals which are applied to three or more drive elements, respectively, among the plurality of drive elements are different from each other by the same phase differences.

4. The fluid transport apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control section is configured to change an amplitude of the drive signal so as to change a flow rate of the fluid which is delivered to the channel from the pressure chamber.

5. The fluid transport apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control section is configured to apply a common drive signal to two or more other drive elements among the plurality of drive elements.

6. The fluid transport apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first substrate where the channel is formed; and
a second substrate that is stacked on the first substrate, the pressure chamber is formed in the second substrate,
wherein the pressure chamber and part of the channel forms a common space so that the pressure chamber and the channel spatially communicate with each other.

7. The fluid transport apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the channel is extended in a first direction in a plan view, and
the plurality of drive elements are arrayed along the first direction of the channel, and
each of the plurality of drive elements is extended in a second direction intersecting with the first direction.

8. A chemical synthesis apparatus comprising:
a plurality of fluid passage members, each of the plurality of fluid passage members including:
a pressure chamber having an inner space to which a fluid is supplied; and
a plurality of drive elements that are provided directly above the pressure chamber and that are configured to deliver the fluid to a channel by changing pressure of the inner space of the pressure chamber;

a synthesis channel in which the channel of each of the plurality of fluid passage members converge with each other; and
a control section that is configured to apply a drive signal to the plurality of drive elements in each of the plurality of fluid passage members,
wherein in each of the plurality of fluid passage members, phases of the drive signals which are applied to two or more drive elements, respectively, among the plurality of drive elements are different from each other.

9. A method for controlling a fluid transport apparatus, the fluid transport apparatus including:
a pressure chamber having an inner space to which a fluid is supplied; and
a plurality of drive elements that are provided directly above the pressure chamber and that are configured to deliver the fluid to a channel by changing pressure of the inner space of the pressure chamber,

the method comprising:
applying a drive signal to each of the plurality of drive elements; and
differentiating phases of the drive signals which are applied to two or more drive elements, respectively, among the plurality of drive elements.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Sera Hiroshi

Classifications

• F15D1/02 Primary

  in pipes or conduits · CPC title

• B01J2219/00963

  Pressure · CPC title

• B01J2219/00891

  Feeding or evacuation · CPC title

• B01J2219/00813

  Fluidic connections · CPC title

• B01J2219/00817

  Support structures · CPC title