Parallel Valve Flow Controller for High Vapor-Pressure-Sensitive Gas Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flow controllers face challenges in achieving high flow rates for gases with low equilibrium vapor pressure, as increasing pressure difference is limited by the risk of gas liquefaction or solidification, and existing valve configurations result in increased fluid resistance and leakage.
Innovation Solution
A flow controller design featuring multiple flow control valves in parallel, with a branching passage configuration that increases the cross-sectional area of the gap, reducing fluid resistance and allowing stable high-flow rate delivery of gases with low equilibrium vapor pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the pressure difference between primary side and secondary side is increased to increase maximum flow rate, then the flow rate increases, but the gas may liquefy or solidify
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single flow control path into multiple parallel flow control valves. Each valve handles a portion of the total flow, allowing the system to achieve high flow rates without requiring excessive pressure difference across any single valve, thus preventing gas liquefaction or solidification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-dimensional flow control (one valve, one path) to a multi-dimensional parallel structure. By arranging multiple flow control valves in parallel, the system increases the total cross-sectional area of the gap without increasing the pressure difference, thereby maintaining gas phase stability while achieving high flow rates.
2Productivity
If a single valve seat with extended peripheral length is used to increase maximum flow rate, then the flow rate increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of extending the peripheral length of a single valve seat, the patent segments the flow control function into multiple separate valves. Each valve maintains a standard, simple valve seat structure, while the parallel arrangement of multiple valves collectively provides the required total flow capacity, avoiding structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple simple valve structures in parallel to achieve the function of a single complex valve with extended seating surface. This merging approach maintains simplicity of individual components while achieving the desired performance through parallel configuration.
3Productivity
If multiple inlet ports and outlet ports are formed in valve seat surface to increase total peripheral length, then the flow rate increases, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent avoids creating multiple ports in a single valve seat by segmenting the function into multiple separate valves. Each valve has a single, simple inlet and outlet port, eliminating the need for complex multi-port configurations and the associated high manufacturing precision requirements for port alignment and sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of creating a complex single valve with multiple ports, the patent uses multiple copies of a simple single-port valve structure. This copying approach achieves the required total flow capacity while maintaining simple, easy-to-manufacture individual components with standard port configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
In a flow controller comprising a base with a gas passage formed inside, a flow sensor which measures a flow rate of the gas flowing through the passage, and at least two flow control valves which control the flow rate of the gas flowing through the passage, the flow sensor is configured so as to detect a total flow rate of the gas flowing through the passage, a part in the middle of the passage is branched into at least two branch passages, and at least one of said flow control valves is interposed in each of these branch passages. Thereby, even when a pressure difference ΔP1 between a primary side pressure P1 and a secondary side pressure P2 cannot be increased, the maximum flow rate of the gas can be made larger than before.