Flow-Through Control Plate for Leak-Tight High-Conductance Valves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid control valves struggle to provide high purity fluid delivery with leak-tight shut-off and proportional control, particularly in applications like semiconductor manufacturing, where fluid stagnation and dead spaces within the valve can lead to contamination issues.
Innovation Solution
A high-conductance valve design featuring a moveable control plate with nested orifice ridges and a flow-through passage, allowing for a continuous uninterrupted flat portion to bridge adjacent orifice segments, enhancing fluid sweep and reducing internal dead spaces while maintaining leak-tight shut-off.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional valve design with solid control plate is used, then leak-tight shut-off is achieved, but fluid stagnation and dead spaces occur leading to contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The control plate is segmented by incorporating flow-through passages that divide the plate into multiple regions while maintaining structural integrity. This segmentation allows fluid to pass through the control plate, eliminating dead spaces and preventing stagnation while the surrounding structural elements maintain the seal for leak-tight operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow-through passages are nested within the control plate structure, creating internal fluid pathways that traverse the control plate thickness. This nested design allows fluid flow through the control plate without compromising the external sealing surfaces needed for leak-tight shut-off.
2Productivity
If high conductance is achieved through large control gap, then fluid flow increases, but valve size and actuator movement requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The valve design transitions from a single-plane control gap to a three-dimensional flow path by incorporating flow-through passages in the control plate. This dimensional change allows fluid to flow through the control plate thickness, effectively increasing the control gap length and conductance without increasing the valve's external dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
Nested orifice ridges are positioned within the valve body to create multiple flow pathways. These nested structures provide additional flow area and increased conductance while occupying minimal space within the valve body, avoiding an increase in overall valve size.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple flow pathways are added to reduce dead spaces, then fluid sweep improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control plate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a sealing element for shut-off, provides structural support for the valve, and incorporates flow-through passages to create fluid pathways. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while still achieving improved fluid sweep.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow-through passages are merged directly into the control plate structure rather than being separate components. This integration combines the sealing function and the fluid guidance function into a single element, reducing the number of parts and simplifying the overall valve structure while eliminating dead spaces.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1D
Figure 2A~2D
Figure 3A~3D
AI summary
A high purity fluid control valve includes a moveable control plate having a flow-through passage to enhance fluid sweep of the internal valve volume. The valve is of jet and seat type using nested orifice ridges to achieve high conductance with small actuator movement. Enhanced leak tightness in the valve shut-off condition may additionally be provided by selectively incorporating into the control plate materials softer than the material comprising the orifice ridge. The control plate is especially useful in high conductance, fast acting, and proportional control applications such as gas delivery in semiconductor manufacturing.