A smart mass flow controller with an integrated display unit

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of intelligent mass flow controller with integrated display unit, including intelligent display control module, micro mass flow sensor module, signal processing module, characteristic identification module and virtual panel module;The intelligent display control module is based on LED nixie tube and liquid crystal display layered display design, can graphical display detailed equipment parameters and menu;The intelligent display control module includes double-screen display unit and touch setting unit;The micro mass flow sensor module is installed in the center of fluid channel, adopts double micro-electro-mechanical system sensor array symmetrical layout design, for two independent working sensor array periodic alternation acquisition raw data.The application constructs hybrid display system, makes key parameter real-time reliable display, while realizing automatic identification and fast matching to fluid medium, improves the self-adapting ability in the application scene that needs to frequently change fluid type or working condition variable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mass flow controller technology, and more specifically to an intelligent mass flow controller with an integrated display unit. Background Technology

[0002] Mass Flow Controllers (MFCs), as precision fluid control devices, enable real-time monitoring and dynamic adjustment of the mass flow rate of gases or liquids. Their core principle involves using built-in high-precision sensors to detect the mass flow rate of the fluid passing through the pipeline and feeding the signal back to the control unit. This drives an actuator (such as a proportional valve) to rapidly adjust the flow cross-sectional area, thereby precisely maintaining the preset flow rate value. This closed-loop control system features fast response and high control accuracy. Especially in scenarios involving the transport of small amounts of gas, it effectively avoids flow deviations caused by pressure fluctuations or temperature changes, making it a key device for ensuring process stability in modern industrial production. It is widely used in scientific research and industrial production in various fields, including semiconductor microelectronics, special materials research, chemical industry, petroleum industry, pharmaceuticals, environmental protection, and vacuum systems.

[0003] However, the inventors discovered that most current mass flow controllers, in applications requiring frequent switching of fluid media (e.g., in semiconductor processes or laboratory research and development), rely on compensation models corresponding to the fluid media for measurement, and cannot quickly perform multi-fluid automatic identification and adaptive measurement; at the same time, the display interface is usually fixed and lacks flexibility. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address these issues, the present invention provides an intelligent quality flow controller with an integrated display unit, thereby resolving the problems in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0006] An intelligent mass flow controller with an integrated display unit includes an intelligent display control module, a miniature mass flow sensor module, a signal processing module, a characteristic recognition module, and a virtual panel module;

[0007] The intelligent display control module is based on a layered display design of LED digital tube and LCD screen, and can graphically display detailed device parameters and menus; the intelligent display control module includes a dual-screen display unit and a touch setting unit;

[0008] The miniature mass flow sensor module is installed in the center of the fluid channel and adopts a symmetrical layout design of dual microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensor arrays. This allows two independently operating sensor arrays to periodically and alternately acquire raw data and output a normalized temperature difference signal. Temperature difference signal The calculation formula is as follows:

[0009]

[0010] in, For standard reference inlet temperature, This represents the current actual inlet temperature. The original measured temperature difference;

[0011] The signal processing module can perform digital processing and digital filtering on temperature difference signals and raw data, and output a high-fidelity signal.

[0012] The feature recognition module can receive digitized high-fidelity signals through the SPI interface and perform feature analysis and model matching.

[0013] The virtual panel module enables operators to remotely bind specific device data sources to each component and display them on the intelligent display control module.

[0014] Furthermore, the dual-screen display unit consists of an LED digital tube, an LCD screen, and an ambient light sensor. The LED digital tube can display instantaneous flow rate and cumulative flow rate in high-contrast red and green, respectively. The LCD screen can present PID parameters, equipment status, and setting menus in a graphical interface. The ambient light sensor is integrated into the edge of the display panel and uses a silicon-based photodiode to detect ambient illuminance in real time.

[0015] Furthermore, the touch setting unit operates based on the principle of capacitive sensing and is directly controlled by the processor's GPIO pins, enabling it to continuously detect minute changes in the capacitive field of the display screen.

[0016] Furthermore, the dual microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensor array consists of a miniature heater and temperature sensors symmetrically distributed upstream and downstream of it, used to measure the upstream temperature respectively. and downstream temperature And calculate the temperature difference .

[0017] Furthermore, the miniature mass flow sensor module includes a temperature probe unit and a correction unit;

[0018] The temperature probe units are respectively installed at the fluid inlet and outlet to monitor the overall temperature rise and temperature drop of the fluid in real time, thereby using the inlet temperature as a reference.

[0019] The correction unit can normalize the measurement results of the temperature probe unit and output a normalized temperature difference signal. .

[0020] Furthermore, the signal processing module adopts a parallel sampling architecture and timestamp marking technology to ensure that the temperature difference signals of all channels and the original data are digitized within the same clock cycle;

[0021] The digital filtering process uses a power frequency notch filter to suppress high-frequency random noise in the signal.

[0022] Furthermore, the specific content of the feature recognition module is as follows:

[0023] 1) Parameter extraction

[0024] The feature extraction algorithm based on thermal flow measurement is activated to calculate the equivalent mass transfer factor. And equivalent thermal efficiency S, equivalent mass transfer factor The calculation formula is as follows:

[0025]

[0026] Where L is the sensor feature length. The heating time constant is For the thermal conductivity of fluid, Let n be the density and n be the exponent;

[0027] The formula for calculating the equivalent thermal efficiency S is as follows:

[0028]

[0029] in, This refers to the heater power.

[0030] 2) Generating thermal fingerprints and matching them with the database

[0031] Real-time calculation [ , The two-dimensional vectors are used as a thermal characteristic dataset. A matching algorithm is then used to perform pattern matching with a pre-stored database. The matching algorithm is as follows:

[0032]

[0033] in, All are weighting coefficients. For the pre-stored equivalent mass transfer factor, This is the pre-stored equivalent thermal efficiency.

[0034] Furthermore, the virtual panel module includes a layout design unit and an execution unit;

[0035] The layout design unit runs on a PC and provides a graphical integrated development environment. It serializes the graphical layout into a lightweight, structured JSON configuration file and uploads it to the cloud server.

[0036] The execution unit is embedded in the main processor and can download JSON configuration files from the cloud server and call the graphics library to drive the LCD screen controller, which then displays the information on the intelligent display control module.

[0037] The present invention has the following advantages:

[0038] This invention constructs a "definable + fixed" hybrid display system by linking a virtual instrument panel module with an intelligent display control module on the hardware. While retaining visibility and fixing the core display parameters, it can flexibly customize the graphical interface with the help of the virtual instrument panel module, thereby improving the overall flexibility of use.

[0039] This invention also utilizes a symmetrical layout and periodic alternating acquisition mechanism of dual MEMS sensor arrays, combined with synchronous sampling technology and digital filtering in the signal processing module, to acquire high-fidelity, low-noise raw data from the source. Furthermore, a thermal characteristic dataset composed of the equivalent mass transfer factor and equivalent thermal efficiency is extracted through a characteristic identification module, and an automatic identification and rapid matching of the fluid medium is achieved using a matching algorithm.

[0040] Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0041] To more intuitively illustrate the prior art and this application, exemplary drawings are provided below. It should be understood that the specific shapes and structures shown in the drawings should not generally be regarded as limiting conditions for implementing this application; for example, based on the technical concept disclosed in this application and the exemplary drawings, those skilled in the art are able to easily make conventional adjustments or further optimizations to the addition and subtraction of certain units (components), their classification, specific shapes, positional relationships, connection methods, size ratios, etc.

[0042] Figure 1 This is an implementation architecture diagram of an intelligent quality flow controller with an integrated display unit according to the present invention.

[0043] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of an intelligent mass flow controller with an integrated display unit according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are merely for further explanation of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. Technical engineers in the field can make some non-essential improvements and adjustments to the present invention based on the above-described content. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0045] Please see Figures 1-2 An intelligent mass flow controller with an integrated display unit includes: an intelligent display control module, a miniature mass flow sensor module, a signal processing module, a characteristic recognition module, and a virtual panel module.

[0046] The intelligent display control module is based on a layered display design of LED digital tube and LCD screen. It can graphically display detailed equipment parameters and menus, and use PWM dimming technology to automatically adjust the backlight brightness to optimize visibility and extend the life of the device.

[0047] The intelligent display control module includes a dual-screen display unit and a touch setting unit. The dual-screen display unit consists of LED digital tubes, an LCD screen, and an ambient light sensor. The LED digital tubes (character height ≥ 25mm) display instantaneous and cumulative flow rates in high-contrast red and green respectively, suitable for long-distance observation. The LCD screen (resolution 320×240) presents PID parameters, equipment status, and setting menus in a graphical interface. The ambient light sensor is integrated into the edge of the display panel, using silicon-based photodiodes to detect ambient illuminance in real time. It dynamically adjusts the LED backlight brightness using PWM dimming technology: increasing to 100% brightness in strong light environments (>500 lux) to ensure visibility, and reducing to 10% in weak light environments (<100 lux) to extend the lifespan of the LED digital tubes.

[0048] The touch setting unit operates based on capacitive sensing and is directly controlled by the processor's GPIO pins. The touchscreen controller continuously detects minute changes in the display's capacitive field. When a finger touches the screen, it precisely locates the touch coordinates and parses the coordinate sequence (such as linear or zooming movements) into specific gesture commands. Simultaneously, based on the device's real-time operating status (such as normal, calibration, or alarm), the processor controls the multi-color LEDs to display specific colors and flashing frequencies according to preset encoding rules, providing operators with intuitive status feedback that requires no text reading.

[0049] For example, when setting a flow rate value, an upward swipe gesture is interpreted as an "increase" command, driving the software to gradually increase the set value.

[0050] The miniature mass flow sensor module is installed in the center of the fluid channel and adopts a symmetrical layout design of dual microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor arrays. This allows two independently operating sensor arrays to periodically and alternately acquire raw data and output a normalized temperature difference signal. Each dual MEMS sensor array consists of a miniature heater and temperature sensors symmetrically distributed upstream and downstream of it.

[0051] When there is no fluid flow, the upstream and downstream temperature sensors detect the same temperature. When fluid flows over the sensor surface, it carries away heat, causing the upstream temperature to decrease and the downstream temperature to increase, thus disrupting the symmetry of the temperature field. The flow rate is calculated based on the upstream and downstream temperature difference signal. .

[0052] The upstream temperature was accurately measured using a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensor array. and downstream temperature And calculate the temperature difference , Traffic value The calculation formula is as follows:

[0053]

[0054] in, For fluid density, For isobaric specific heat capacity, For coefficients, is a constant term, and n is the power exponent.

[0055] The miniature mass flow sensor module includes a temperature probe unit and a correction unit. The temperature probe unit is set at the fluid inlet and outlet respectively to monitor the overall temperature rise and temperature drop of the fluid in real time, and uses the inlet temperature as a reference.

[0056] The correction unit normalizes the measurement results from the temperature probe unit. The purpose is to convert the raw data measured at different inlet temperatures into a standard thermodynamic reference state for calculation, thereby eliminating the direct influence of the absolute value of the inlet temperature. Details are as follows:

[0057] First, the deviation between the current inlet temperature and the standard reference temperature is calculated. Then, this deviation is used to calculate and correct the measured temperature difference, generating a normalized temperature difference signal. This is used to correct for changes in the thermal properties of a fluid with temperature. Temperature difference signal. The calculation formula is as follows:

[0058]

[0059] in, For standard reference inlet temperature, This represents the current actual inlet temperature. This represents the original measured temperature difference.

[0060] The signal processing module performs digital processing and filtering on the temperature difference signal and raw data. First, it uses an integrated 24-bit high-precision analog-to-digital converter (ADC) unit, driven by a precision clock synchronization system, to synchronously acquire the raw data output from the dual MEMS sensor arrays at a uniform sampling rate of 1kHz. This module employs a parallel sampling architecture and timestamp technology to ensure that the temperature difference signal and raw data from all channels are digitized within the same clock cycle, eliminating the inter-channel phase shift and time delay errors caused by traditional time-division sampling.

[0061] After analog-to-digital conversion, the signal processing module enters the digital filtering stage. First, a power frequency notch filter is applied to eliminate interference from the 50 and 60 Hz power frequencies and their main harmonic components. Then, a finite-length unit impulse response low-pass filter designed based on the window function method is used to suppress high-frequency random noise in the signal, thereby extracting an effective, high-fidelity signal.

[0062] The feature recognition module can receive digitized high-fidelity signals via the SPI interface, perform feature analysis and model matching, and automatically retrieve the corresponding curves from memory. Details are as follows:

[0063] 1) Parameter extraction

[0064] First, the feature extraction algorithm based on thermal flow measurement is activated to calculate the equivalent mass transfer factor. And equivalent thermal efficiency S, equivalent mass transfer factor The calculation formula is as follows:

[0065]

[0066] Where L is the sensor feature length. The heating time constant is For the thermal conductivity of fluid, Here, n is the density and n is the exponent, determined by experimental calibration.

[0067] The formula for calculating the equivalent thermal efficiency S is as follows:

[0068]

[0069] in, This refers to the heater power.

[0070] 2) Generating thermal fingerprints and matching them with the database

[0071] Real-time calculation [ , The two-dimensional vectors are used as a thermal characteristic dataset. A matching algorithm is then used to perform pattern matching with a pre-stored database. The matching algorithm is as follows:

[0072]

[0073] in, All are weighting coefficients. For the pre-stored equivalent mass transfer factor, This is the pre-stored equivalent thermal efficiency.

[0074] The equivalent thermal efficiency S reflects the equivalent thermal conductivity between the sensor unit and the fluid medium. It simultaneously includes information on the fluid's thermophysical properties and flow state, thus serving as a factor related to the equivalent heat transfer factor. The key features, which are independent yet complementary, together constitute the thermal property dataset that characterizes the fluid's identity.

[0075] The database contains various fluids under standard operating conditions. - The reference curve cluster consists of multiple sets of measured data points under different temperature gradients for each curve.

[0076] The virtual panel module includes a layout design unit and an execution unit. The layout design unit runs on the PC and provides a graphical integrated development environment. Operators can select components from a rich component library (such as real-time trend charts, digital dashboards, parameter lists, and virtual buttons) by dragging and dropping, and bind specific device data sources to each component through free layout.

[0077] For example: bind instrument A to "instantaneous flow rate" and curve B to "valve opening".

[0078] After the operator completes the design, the layout design unit serializes the graphical layout into a lightweight, structured JSON configuration file. This file precisely describes all attributes of each UI element, including its type, position, style, and bound data source address. Subsequently, this configuration file is uploaded to a cloud server via a communication interface integrated into the quality flow controller (such as EtherCAT or Bluetooth) and bound to the target device's unique serial number. The device can retrieve and download the configuration file from the cloud when needed (e.g., upon startup or upon receiving an operator command).

[0079] The execution unit, embedded in the main processor, reconstructs a UI object tree in memory from the downloaded JSON configuration file, matching the design on the PC. It then calls the graphics library to drive the LCD screen controller, displaying the interface on the intelligent display control module and completing pixel-level rendering of the custom interface. During device operation, the execution unit continuously monitors device data changes via the real-time data bus. Once the bound data source is updated, the engine immediately refreshes the new data onto the corresponding UI components (e.g., updating the coordinates of the trend chart or the pointer of the rotating dashboard) according to the mapping relationship in the configuration file, thus achieving real-time, dynamic synchronization between the virtual panel and the physical device status. This allows operators to observe and monitor the interface on a PC and synchronize it to the device in the cloud.

[0080] This invention constructs a "definable + fixed" hybrid display system by linking a virtual instrument panel module with an intelligent display control module on the hardware. While retaining visibility and fixing core display parameters, it allows for flexible customization of the graphical interface through the virtual instrument panel module. This enables real-time and reliable display of key parameters, improving overall usability.

[0081] This invention also utilizes a symmetrical layout and periodic alternating acquisition mechanism of dual MEMS sensor arrays, combined with synchronous sampling technology and digital filtering in the signal processing module, to acquire high-fidelity, low-noise raw data from the source. Furthermore, a characteristic identification module extracts a thermal characteristic dataset composed of the equivalent mass transfer factor and equivalent thermal efficiency, and a matching algorithm enables automatic identification and rapid matching of the fluid medium. This enhances the device's adaptability in application scenarios requiring frequent changes in fluid types or variable operating conditions.

[0082] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A smart mass flow controller with an integrated display unit, characterized by, Intelligent display control module, micro mass flow sensor module, signal processing module, characteristic identification module and virtual panel module are included. The intelligent display control module is based on layered display design of LED nixie tube and liquid crystal display, and can display detailed device parameters and menus in graphical form. The micro mass flow sensor module is installed in the center of the fluid channel, adopts a double micro electro mechanical system sensor array symmetrical layout design, is used for periodically and alternately collecting original data of two independent working sensor arrays, and outputs a normalized processed temperature difference signal ; temperature difference signal The calculation formula is as follows: ， wherein, is the standard reference inlet temperature, is the current actual inlet temperature, is the original measured temperature difference, is the specific heat capacity at constant pressure; The signal processing module can perform digital processing and digital filtering processing on temperature difference signals and raw data, and output fidelity signals. The characteristic identification module can receive digital fidelity signals through the SPI interface, and perform characteristic analysis and model matching, automatically calling corresponding curves from the memory. The virtual panel module can enable the operator to remotely bind specific device data sources for each component and display them on the intelligent display control module.

2. The smart mass flow controller with integrated display unit of claim 1, wherein, The double-screen display unit is composed of LED nixie tube, liquid crystal display and ambient light sensor.

3. The smart mass flow controller with integrated display unit of claim 1, wherein, The LED nixie tube can display instantaneous flow and cumulative flow in high-contrast red and green respectively.

4. The smart mass flow controller with integrated display unit of claim 1, wherein, The dual micro-electro-mechanical system sensor array consists of a micro-heater and temperature sensors symmetrically distributed upstream and downstream thereof for measuring the upstream temperature and the downstream temperature respectively, and calculating the temperature difference .

5. The smart mass flow controller with integrated display unit of claim 1, wherein, The liquid crystal display can present PID parameters, device status and setting menu in graphical interface. The ambient light sensor is integrated on the edge of the display panel and uses a silicon-based photodiode to detect ambient illumination in real time. The correction unit can normalize the measurement result of the temperature probe unit, and output a normalized temperature difference signal .

6. The smart mass flow controller with integrated display unit of claim 1, wherein, The touch setting unit works based on the principle of capacitive sensing and is directly controlled by the GPIO pin of the processor, which can continuously detect the small changes in the display screen capacitive field. The micro mass flow sensor module includes temperature probe unit and correction unit.

7. The smart mass flow controller with integrated display unit of claim 1, wherein, The temperature probe unit is arranged at the fluid inlet and outlet respectively to monitor the overall temperature rise and drop of the fluid in real time, taking the inlet temperature as the reference. The signal processing module uses parallel sampling architecture and timestamp marking technology to ensure that the temperature difference signals and raw data of all channels are converted and processed in the same clock cycle. The feature extraction algorithm based on thermal flow measurement is started, and the equivalent mass transfer factor and the equivalent thermal efficiency S are calculated, respectively. The calculation formula of the equivalent mass transfer factor is as follows: ， where L is the sensor characteristic length, is the heating time constant, is the fluid thermal conductivity, is the density, n is the exponent, is the upstream temperature and downstream temperature temperature difference, is the constant pressure specific heat capacity; The digital filtering processing suppresses high-frequency random noise in the signal through a power frequency notch filter. ， wherein, P heater is the heater power; The specific content of the characteristic identification module is as follows: The real-time calculated [ , ] two-dimensional vector is taken as the thermal characteristic data set, and is matched with the pre-stored database through a matching algorithm. The matching algorithm is as follows: ， wherein, are weight coefficients, is a pre-stored equivalent mass transfer factor, is a pre-stored equivalent thermal efficiency.

8. The smart mass flow controller with integrated display unit of claim 1, wherein, 1) Parameter extraction The calculation formula of equivalent thermal efficiency S is as follows: 2) Thermal characteristic fingerprint generation and database matching The virtual panel module includes layout design unit and execution unit. The layout design unit runs on the PC end to provide a graphical integrated development environment and serializes the graphical layout into a lightweight, structured JSON format configuration file uploaded to the cloud server. The execution unit is embedded in the main processor, which can download the JSON configuration file from the cloud server and call the graphics library to drive the controller of the liquid crystal display and display on the intelligent display control module.

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