Mass Flow Controller Pressure Sensor Orientation for Compact Width
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mass flow controllers face a bottleneck in downsizing due to reduced pressure sensor sensitivity when attempting to minimize width direction size, which limits their compactness and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The pressure sensor is attached to the body unit with its pressure-sensitive surface vertical to the component attachment surface, increasing its size and improving sensitivity, while the fluid resistance member is sandwiched between the pressure sensor and the body unit to reduce the internal flow path length and enhance responsiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the pressure sensor is arranged with its pressure sensitive surface parallel to the component attachment surface, then the width direction size can be reduced, but the area of the pressure sensitive surface is reduced which causes a reduction in sensitivity
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure sensor is reoriented from a parallel arrangement to a vertical arrangement relative to the component attachment surface. This dimensional change allows the pressure sensitive surface to extend in the width direction, simultaneously achieving compact width direction size while maintaining sufficient pressure sensitive surface area for high sensitivity measurements.
2Measurement precision
If the pressure sensitive surface area is increased to improve sensitivity, then the width direction size increases, which prevents further downsizing
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of expanding the pressure sensitive surface in the width direction, the sensor is oriented vertically so that the pressure sensitive surface extends in the length direction (parallel to the flow path). This allows large area and high sensitivity while keeping the width direction footprint minimal.
3Speed
If the internal flow path length is shortened to improve responsiveness, then the arrangement of components becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure sensor is integrated directly onto the body unit with the fluid resistance member positioned between them. This merging of components eliminates intermediate connections and shortens the internal flow path, improving responsiveness while the straightforward integration keeps the overall structure simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid resistance member serves as an intermediary component that connects the upstream and downstream flow paths while allowing the pressure sensor to be positioned optimally for short flow path length. This mediator enables compact component arrangement without sacrificing flow path efficiency.
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
This configuration allows for a dramatic reduction in width direction size without compromising pressure measurement sensitivity, enabling more compact and responsive mass flow controllers.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor that receives pressure of fluid with a pressure sensitive surface provided on a diaphragm or the like, and, on the basis of a displacement of the pressure sensitive surface, measures a value of the fluid pressure
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is a flow rate measuring mechanism provided with: a body unit that has an internal flow path through which a target fluid to be measured is configured to flow; and a pressure sensor that is attached to the body unit and senses a pressure of the internal flow path, and configured to calculate a flow rate of the fluid on the basis of the fluid pressure sensed by the pressure sensor, wherein the body unit has a length direction and a surface parallel to the length direction, which is set as a component attachment surface, and to the component attachment surface, the pressure sensor is attached such that a pressure sensitive surface thereof is substantially vertical to the component attachment surface and substantially parallel to the length direction, and thereby, without causing a reduction in pressure measurement sensitivity, makes a width direction size dramatically smaller than before.