Gas heating control system and gas heating control method

Abstract

A gas heating control system and a gas heating control method, the system comprising: a signal acquisition module configured to collect internal environmental information of a pump body to be purged; a gas circuit module; and a control module configured to acquire internal environmental information, determine a target gas temperature based on the internal environmental information, control a heater to heat the gas flowing through a gas passage to the target gas temperature, and control a valve body to open when the temperature of the gas flowing through the gas passage reaches the target gas temperature.

Description

Cross - reference to related applications

[0001] This application claims the priority of the Chinese patent application with application number 202310391599.5 filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on April 13, 2023, and all the contents of the above application are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the technical field of vacuum pumps, and in particular, to a gas heating control system and a gas heating control method.

Background Art

[0003] After the use of a vacuum pump, in order to ensure the cleaning inside the vacuum pump, it is necessary to perform maintenance and cleaning on the vacuum pump. In the cleaning process of the vacuum pump, it is necessary to flow nitrogen gas into the vacuum pump to remove residual gas or impurities inside the pump. Generally, the gas flowing into the vacuum pump is likely to condense on the inner wall or rotor of the vacuum pump. In order to ensure the cleaning effect, it is necessary to heat the nitrogen gas for purging during the process of flowing nitrogen gas into the vacuum pump for purging, so as to avoid the gas from condensing, thereby smoothly removing the residual gas and impurities. However, in the prior art, nitrogen gas is usually heated to a unified predetermined temperature, and such a method has poor adaptability and cannot guarantee that a good purging effect can be obtained in any different operating conditions.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a gas heating control system and a gas heating control method.

[0005] The present invention provides a gas heating control system comprising: a signal acquisition module configured to collect information on the internal environment of a pump body to be purged; a gas circuit module comprising a gas passage and a heater and valve body provided in the gas passage, wherein the gas passage is configured to communicate a gas source with the pump body to be purged, and the heater is provided upstream of the valve body along the direction of gas flow in the gas passage; and a control module connected to the signal acquisition module, the heater and the valve body, which acquires the internal environment information, determines a target gas temperature based on the internal environment information, controls the heater to heat the gas flowing through the gas passage to the target gas temperature, and controls the valve body to open when the temperature of the gas flowing through the gas passage reaches the target gas temperature.

[0006] The present invention further provides a gas heating control method applicable to a control module in a gas heating control system, the gas heating control system further includes a signal acquisition module and a gas circuit module, the signal acquisition module being configured to collect internal environmental information of a pump body to be purged, the gas circuit module including a gas passage and a heater and valve body provided in the gas passage, the gas passage being configured to communicate a gas source and the pump body to be purged, the heater being provided upstream of the valve body along the direction of gas flow in the gas passage, the control module being connected to the signal acquisition module, the heater and the valve body, and the gas heating control method including the steps of acquiring the internal environmental information, determining a target gas temperature based on the internal environmental information, controlling the heater to heat the gas flowing through the gas passage to the target gas temperature, and controlling the valve body to open. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention determines the target gas temperature based on the internal environmental information of the pump body to be purged, and then heats the purge gas to the target gas temperature before flowing it into the pump body to perform purging. This further adapts the temperature of the purge gas to the actual conditions of the pump body to be purged, thereby improving the effect of preventing gas condensation and improving the purging effect. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a structural block diagram of a gas heating control system provided in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a gas circuit module provided in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a valve body switch circuit provided in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of the signal acquisition circuit provided in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a temperature collection circuit provided in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart of a gas heating control method provided in one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Referring to Figure 1, one embodiment of the present invention provides a gas heating control system 10. The gas heating control system 10 is configured to control the heating process of a purge gas (i.e., a gas that flows into the pump body and is configured to remove residual gas or impurities from the pump body, such as nitrogen gas) within the pump body.

[0010] The gas heating control system 10 may include a signal acquisition module 11, a gas circuit module 13, and a control module 15.

[0011] The signal acquisition module 11 is configured to collect information on the internal environment of the pump body to be purged. This information on the internal environment of the pump body to be purged includes, but is not limited to, the type of gas flowing into the pump body, the gas pressure inside the pump body, the ambient temperature inside the pump body, or the gas flow rate inside the pump body.

[0012] Referring to Figure 2, the gas circuit module 13 may include a gas passage 131, a heater 135, and a valve body 137. The gas passage 131 is configured to connect a gas source with the pump body to be purged. The heater 135 is provided in the gas passage 131 and is configured to heat the gas flowing through the gas passage 131. The valve body 137 is provided in the gas passage 131 and is located downstream of the heater 135 along the direction of gas flow within the gas passage 131.

[0013] In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the gas passage 131 may include a main section 1311 and a plurality of branch sections 1312. The plurality of branch sections 1312 are arranged in parallel and each communicates with the main section 1311. The main section 1311 is configured to communicate with a gas source. One end of each of the plurality of branch sections 1312 that is away from the main section 1311 is configured to communicate with the pump body to be purged. A heater 135 may be provided in the main section 1311. The valve body 137 may include a plurality of solenoid valves 1371. Each solenoid valve 1371 is provided in a branch section 1312 and is configured to control the on / off state of the branch section 1312 to which it is located. By providing the heater 135 in the main pipe section 1311, the purge gas can be heated uniformly, and the gas passage 131 includes multiple branch pipe sections 1312, with one solenoid valve 1371 provided in each branch pipe section 1311, which helps to achieve precise and detailed gas flow control.

[0014] The control module 15 is connected to the signal acquisition module 11, the heater 135, and the valve body 137. It is configured to acquire internal environmental information of the pump body to be purged from the signal acquisition module 11, determine the target gas temperature based on the internal environmental information, control the heater 135 to heat the gas flowing through the gas passage 131 to the target gas temperature, and control the valve body 137 to open when the temperature of the gas flowing through the gas passage 131 reaches the target gas temperature.

[0015] For example, the control module 15 determines the target gas temperature of the purge gas based on the pressure inside the pump body to be purged, the ambient temperature inside the pump body to be purged, and the type of gas flowed inside the pump body to be purged, all of which are collected by the signal acquisition module 11.

[0016] For example, the control module 15 can be connected to each solenoid valve 1371 provided in each branch pipe section 1312 in order to control the opening and closing of the solenoid valve 1371. Furthermore, the control module 15 can be connected to each solenoid valve 1371 via a valve body switch circuit. The valve body switch circuit may be as shown in Figure 3, in which N2-CTL1-Y indicates a signal transmitted from the control module 15 to control the opening and closing of the valve body, and N2-OUT1 is a control signal output via the valve body switch circuit that is configured to control the opening and closing of the solenoid valve 1371 connected thereto.

[0017] To be understood, the gas circuit module 13 may further include a temperature sensor (not shown) connected to the control module 15. The temperature sensor is located in the gas passage 131 and between the heater 135 and the valve body 137. The temperature sensor is configured to detect the temperature of the gas flowing through the gas passage and to feed the detected temperature back to the control module 15. This helps the control module 15 to have a timely understanding of the heating status of the purge gas and to control the valve body 137 to open in a timely manner when the temperature of the purge gas reaches the target gas temperature.

[0018] As can be understood, in other embodiments, the temperature sensor provided in the gas passage 131 is triggered only when detecting that the temperature of the gas flowing through the gas passage has reached the gas target temperature, and the result can be fed back to the control module 15. This helps to save the computing power of the control module 15.

[0019] The embodiment of the present application determines the gas target temperature based on the internal environment information of the purge target pump body, heats the purge gas to the gas target temperature, and then flows the purge gas into the purge target pump body for purging. Thereby, the temperature of the purge gas is adapted to the actual situation of the purge target pump body, thereby improving the effect of preventing gas condensation and improving the purge effect.

[0020] In one embodiment, the signal collection module 11 may include at least one of a gas type sensor, a pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor.

[0021] Continuing to refer to FIG. 1, illustratively, the signal collection module 11 may include a pressure sensor 111 and a temperature sensor 112. The pressure sensor 111 is configured to detect the gas pressure within the purge target pump body. The temperature sensor 112 is configured to detect the ambient temperature within the purge target pump body. Both the pressure sensor 111 and the temperature sensor 112 may be mounted within the purge target pump body.

[0022] Furthermore, the gas heating control system 10 may further include a signal adjustment module 12. The signal adjustment module 12 is connected between the pressure sensor 111 and the temperature sensor 112 and the control module 15, and is configured to convert the signals collected by the pressure sensor 111 and the temperature sensor 112 into signals that can be recognized by the control module 15.

[0023] As will be understood, in other embodiments, by selecting the pressure sensor 111, the temperature sensor 112, and the control module 15, when the pressure sensor 111 and the temperature sensor 112 included in the signal collection module 11 are directly connected to the control module 15, the control module 15 can identify and process the signals collected by the pressure sensor 111 and the temperature sensor 112.

[0024] In one embodiment, the signal collection module 11 may further include a gas flow sensor 113. The gas flow sensor 113 is configured to detect the gas flow rate within the purge target pump body and may be mounted within the purge target pump body. The gas circuit module 13 further includes a gas flow control unit 132 provided in the gas passage 131. Along the gas flow direction within the gas passage 131, the gas flow control unit 132 may be located upstream of the heater 135. The control module 15 is connected to the gas flow sensor 113 and the gas flow control unit 132. The control module 15 is further configured to obtain the gas flow rate from the gas flow sensor 113, determine the purge gas amount based on the gas flow rate, and control the operation of the gas flow control unit 132 based on the purge gas amount. Such an arrangement helps to conserve the purge gas, thereby reducing costs.

[0025] Furthermore, referring to Figure 2, the gas circuit module 13 may further include a flow sensor 134 located in the gas passage 131 and between the gas flow control unit 132 and the heater 135. The flow sensor 134 may be connected to a control module 15. The control module 15 may further be configured to control the operation of the gas flow control unit 132 based on the detection results of the flow sensor 134, thereby contributing to more precise and granular control of the purge gas. As shown in Figure 2, the gas circuit module 13 may further include a first check valve 1361 and a second check valve 1362 located in the main section 1311 of the gas passage 131. The second check valve 1362 is located between the flow sensor 134 and the heater 135. The flow sensor 134 and the gas flow control unit 132 are located between the first check valve 1361 and the second check valve 1362. By installing the gas flow control unit 132 and the flow sensor 134 between the first check valve 1361 and the second check valve 1362, it is possible to improve the accuracy of gas flow control.

[0026] Furthermore, in embodiments in which the gas heating control system 10 further includes a signal adjustment module 12, the signal adjustment module 12 may be further connected between the gas flow sensor 113 and the control module 15, and is configured to convert the signal collected by the gas flow sensor into a signal that the control module 15 can recognize.

[0027] Similarly, by selecting the gas flow sensor 113 and the control module 15, if the gas flow sensor 113 included in the signal acquisition module 11 is directly connected to the control module 15, the control module 15 can identify and process the signals collected by the gas flow sensor 113.

[0028] To be understood, the signal conditioning module 12 may include multiple signal conditioning units. The number of signal conditioning units may correspond to the total number of pressure sensors 111, temperature sensors 112, and gas flow sensors 113. Each of the pressure sensors 111, temperature sensors 112, and gas flow sensors 113 may be connected to one signal conditioning unit. Each signal conditioning unit is configured to convert the signals collected by the pressure sensors 111, temperature sensors 112, or gas flow sensors 113 connected to it into signals that the control module 15 can identify and process.

[0029] Furthermore, an additional signal acquisition circuit may be provided between the pressure sensor 111 and the signal adjustment unit connected thereto, or between the gas flow sensor 113 and the signal adjustment unit connected thereto. The signal acquisition circuit is configured to adjust the signal acquired by the pressure sensor 111 or the signal acquired by the gas flow sensor 113 to a predetermined range, for example, to 4 to 20 mA, thereby providing the signal with strong interference resistance. Exemplaryly, the circuit structure of the signal acquisition circuit may be as shown in Figure 4. As can be understood, the specific structure of the signal acquisition circuit can also refer to the prior art, which is not described in detail hereby.

[0030] Furthermore, a temperature acquisition circuit may be provided between the temperature sensor 112 and the signal adjustment unit connected thereto. Exemplarily, the circuit connection diagram of the temperature sensor 112 and the temperature acquisition circuit may be as shown in Figure 5, where TEMP-IN8+ indicates the output signal of the temperature sensor 112, and terminals with the same number indicate that a connection relationship exists between them. For example, two terminals both labeled TEMP-IN8+ are connected, two terminals both labeled T8+ are connected, and two terminals both labeled T8- are connected, and TEMP-ADC8 is the output signal of the temperature acquisition circuit. As can be understood, the specific structure of the temperature acquisition circuit can also be found in the prior art, which will not be elaborated upon in this application.

[0031] Furthermore, any temperature sensors appearing in this application may use PT100 as the sensing element. Platinum resistors have the characteristics of high accuracy, reliable performance, and excellent stability, and the relationship curve between the relative rate of change of their resistance and temperature is excellent. Therefore, temperature sensors using PT100 as the sensing element can measure temperature more accurately.

[0032] Based on the same inventive concept, and referring to Figure 6, one embodiment of the present application further provides a gas heating control method which is applied to the control module 15 in the gas heating control system 10 of the above-described embodiment. The gas heating control method is Step 11 involves obtaining internal environment information, Step S12 determines the target gas temperature based on internal environmental information, Step S13 involves controlling a heater to heat the gas flowing through the gas passage to a target gas temperature, The procedure may also include step S14, which controls the valve body to open.

[0033] In one embodiment, step S12 is a step of determining a gas target temperature based on internal environmental information and a pre-set correspondence table, and may include a step in which the correspondence between different internal environmental information and the temperature to which the purge gas should reach is recorded in the pre-set correspondence table. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0034] Gas heating control system-10, signal acquisition module-11, gas circuit module-13, control module-15, gas passage-131, heater-135, valve body-137, main pipe section-1311, branch pipe section-1312, solenoid valve-1371, pressure sensor-111, temperature sensor-112, gas flow sensor-113, gas flow control unit-132, flow sensor-134, first check valve-1361, second check valve-1362.

Claims

1. A gas heating control system, A signal acquisition module configured to collect information on the internal environment of the pump body to be purged, The gas passage includes a heater and a valve body provided in the gas passage, the gas passage is configured to connect a gas source and the pump body to be purged, and the heater is located upstream of the valve body in the gas circuit module along the direction of gas flow in the gas passage. A gas heating control system comprising: a signal acquisition module, a heater and a valve body, and a control module configured to acquire internal environmental information, determine a target gas temperature based on the internal environmental information, control the heater to heat the gas flowing through the gas passage to the target gas temperature, and control the valve body to open when the temperature of the gas flowing through the gas passage reaches the target gas temperature.

2. The gas heating control system according to claim 1, wherein the signal acquisition module includes at least one of a gas type sensor, a pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor.

3. The gas heating control system according to claim 2, wherein the signal acquisition module includes a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor, and the gas heating control system further includes a signal adjustment module connected between the pressure sensor and the temperature sensor and the control module.

4. The gas heating control system according to claim 2, wherein the signal acquisition module further includes a gas flow sensor configured to detect the gas flow rate in the pump body to be purged, the gas circuit module further includes a gas flow control unit provided in the gas passage, the gas flow control unit is located upstream of the heater along the direction of gas flow in the gas passage, the control module is connected to the gas flow sensor and the gas flow control unit, and the control module is further configured to determine the amount of purge gas based on the gas flow rate and to control the operation of the gas flow control unit based on the amount of purge gas.

5. The gas heating control system according to claim 4, further comprising a signal adjustment module connected between the gas flow sensor and the control module.

6. The gas heating control system according to claim 1, wherein the gas passage includes a main pipe section and a plurality of branch pipe sections, the plurality of branch pipe sections are arranged in parallel and each communicates with the main pipe section, the main pipe section is configured to communicate with the gas source, one end of each of the plurality of branch pipe sections away from the main pipe section is configured to communicate with the purging target pump body, the heater is provided in the main pipe section, the valve body includes a plurality of solenoid valves, each of the solenoid valves is provided in the branch pipe section.

7. The gas heating control system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the gas circuit module includes a temperature sensor connected to the control module, the temperature sensor is provided in the gas passage and located between the heater and the valve body, and the temperature sensor is configured to detect the temperature of the gas flowing through the gas passage and to feed back the detected temperature to the control module.

8. A gas heating control method, applied to a control module in a gas heating control system, wherein the gas heating control system further includes a signal acquisition module and a gas circuit module, the signal acquisition module is configured to collect internal environmental information of a pump body to be purged, the gas circuit module includes a gas passage and a heater and valve body provided in the gas passage, the gas passage is configured to communicate a gas source and the pump body to be purged, the heater is provided upstream of the valve body along the direction of gas flow in the gas passage, the control module is connected to the signal acquisition module, the heater and the valve body, and the gas heating control method is The steps include: acquiring the aforementioned internal environment information, The steps include determining the target gas temperature based on the aforementioned internal environmental information, The steps include controlling the heater to heat the gas flowing through the gas passage to the target gas temperature, A gas heating control method comprising the step of controlling the valve body to open.

9. The gas heating control method according to claim 8, wherein the internal environment information includes at least one of the gas type flowing into the pump body to be purged, the pressure inside the pump body to be purged, and the internal temperature of the pump body to be purged.

10. The step of determining the target gas temperature based on the internal environmental information is: The gas heating control method according to claim 8, comprising the step of determining the target gas temperature based on the internal environment information and a pre-set correspondence table, wherein the pre-set correspondence table records the correspondence between different internal environment information and the temperature to which the purge gas should reach.

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