Compact Vaporizer With Branched Thin Tubes for High Gas Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vaporizer systems are not compact enough to supply gas at high flow rates efficiently, and there is a need for effective control over the gas supply apparatus.
Innovation Solution
A vaporizer with a heat-exchanging section featuring a branched section and thin tubes, where the liquid raw material is heated and then vaporized in a vaporizing section with a tapered flow path, allowing for efficient vaporization and reduced pressure loss, combined with a gas flow rate regulator and controller to manage the supply.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the vaporizer uses a conventional heating structure, then it can heat the liquid raw material, but the device size becomes large and cannot supply gas at high flow rates efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid raw material flow path is segmented into multiple thin tubes (23) connected to a branched section (22). This segmentation increases the total heat exchange surface area within a compact volume, enabling efficient heating and high gas flow rate generation without increasing vaporizer size. The multiple thin tubes allow parallel processing of liquid material, directly improving productivity while maintaining compact dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a conventional single-channel heating structure to a multi-dimensional network of thin tubes (23) radiating from the branched section (22). This dimensional change allows the heating elements to be distributed in three-dimensional space, maximizing heat exchange surface area within a compact volume and enabling high gas flow rates without increasing overall device size.
2Volume of moving object
If the vaporizer is designed to be compact, then the device size is reduced, but the gas supply flow rate is limited
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the heating structure into multiple thin tubes (23) connected to a central branched section (22), the patent achieves a compact overall size while the segmented tubes provide sufficient total surface area for high-rate vaporization. This segmentation allows the compact vaporizer to process large volumes of liquid material in parallel, maintaining high gas flow rate output despite reduced device volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of thin tubes (23) as heating elements maximizes surface area-to-volume ratio, enabling efficient heat transfer within a compact structure. The thin-walled tubes provide large heat exchange surface area relative to their volume, allowing the vaporizer to achieve high gas flow rates while maintaining a compact form factor.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the liquid raw material flows through a long path for heating, then heat exchange efficiency improves, but pressure loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating path is segmented into multiple short thin tubes (23) rather than one long path. This segmentation maintains adequate heat exchange efficiency through distributed surface area while minimizing pressure loss by reducing the length of individual flow paths. The branched section (22) distributes liquid material to multiple tubes, creating parallel short paths that collectively provide sufficient heating without excessive pressure drop.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a three-dimensional arrangement of thin tubes (23) radiating from the branched section (22) to create multiple short heating paths in different spatial directions. This dimensional arrangement provides adequate heat exchange surface area distributed throughout a compact volume, achieving efficient heating while keeping individual flow path lengths short to minimize pressure loss.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves a compact design capable of high gas flow rates while minimizing heat-induced degradation of the raw material, ensuring efficient and controlled gas supply to the process chamber.
Implementation Method 1
a heat-exchanging section (21) that is configured to heat a liquid raw material
Implementation Method 2
thin tubes (23) each connected to the branched section (22) through which the liquid raw material flows
Implementation Method 3
a vaporizing section (24) that is configured to vaporize the heated liquid raw material to form a raw material gas
Implementation Method 4
vaporize the heated liquid raw material to form a raw material gas
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a vaporizer and a gas supply apparatus both of which are compact and capable of supplying gas at a high flow rate, and a method of controlling the gas supply apparatus. The vaporizer includes: a heat-exchanging section that is configured to heat a liquid raw material; and a vaporizing section that is configured to vaporize the heated liquid raw material to form a raw material gas. The heat-exchanging section includes: a branched section to which the liquid raw material is supplied and in which the liquid raw material is branched; and thin tubes each connected to the branched section.