Purge Stocker Gas Flow Control via Actuator Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional purge stocker configurations are complex and costly due to the need for electromagnetic valves or mass flow controllers, leading to unnecessary purge gas consumption and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A purge stocker with a first and second supply unit, each with supporting units, supply pipes, and a transferring device, where the second supply unit only supplies purge gas to supported containers, reducing gas discharge and eliminating the need for purge nozzles, and featuring a main pipe with a single flow rate adjusting unit to control gas flow efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If electromagnetic valves or mass flow controllers are provided to the supply pipe of the secondary storage unit to eliminate purge nozzles, then the configuration becomes simpler, but the cost of the device increases and the configuration becomes more complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the purge nozzle component from the system by using the existing actuator's gas channel and supply pipe connection. The actuator itself serves as the purge gas delivery mechanism when the container is placed, removing the need for separate purge nozzles and their associated control valves, thereby simplifying the configuration and reducing cost.
2Loss of substance
If the purge valve supplies purge gas upon placement of a container in the secondary storage unit, then unnecessary discharge of purge gas is prevented and consumption is reduced, but the configuration becomes more complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator serves a dual function: it not only moves the container but also automatically supplies purge gas when the container is placed. The gas channel within the actuator connects to the supply pipe upon container placement, triggering purge gas supply without requiring external control mechanisms, thus reducing purge gas consumption while maintaining configuration simplicity.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple flow rate adjusting units are provided in the first supply unit, then accurate purging is achieved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple flow rate adjusting units into a single flow rate adjusting unit that controls the total purge gas flow to the second supply unit. This single unit replaces what would otherwise be multiple individual flow rate controllers, reducing device complexity and cost while maintaining accurate purging control through centralized flow management.
Data Source
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AI summary
To provide a purge stocker and a purging method allowing a simple configuration of the device while reducing the consumption of the purge gas. A purge stocker 1 includes a first supply unit 20 including N first purge apparatuses 21 each having a first supply unit 22 configured to support a storage container F, a first supply pipe 23 configured to supply the purge gas into the storage container F supported by the first supporting unit 22, and a first flow rate adjusting unit 24 configured to adjust the flow rate of the purge gas in the first supply pipe 23; and a second supply unit 30 including M second purge apparatuses 31 each having a second supporting unit 32 configured to support the storage container F and a second supply pipe 34 configured to supply the purge gas into the storage container F supported by the second supporting unit 32. When a certain number of second supporting units 32 are provided with storage containers F, the second supply unit 30 supplies the storage containers F with the purge gas through the respective second supply pipes 34.