Micro Fluidic Flow Pressure Control Modules for Customer Specific Design in e.g. Analytical Applications

摘要

In this paper, a new generation of micro fluidic flow pressure control modules has been presented that is capable of meeting the size and other requirements as imposed by the analytical and other markets. Up to now, conventional mass flow and pressure sensors and controllers have needed a footprint of 1.5" (circa 40 mm). Thanks to using micro system technology (MST), we were able to halve this dimension to 0.75" (circa 20 mm), enabling the realisation of ultra compact flow pressure measurement and control instruments and systems. Available modules with the new 20 mm footprint are: 1. Flow sensor; typical flow ranges from 20 ml_n/min through 2000 ml_n/min (Full Scale values) 2. Pressure sensor; typical pressure ranges of the order of 100 psi 3. Control valve 4. Electronic circuitry 5. Three-way valve 6. Shut-off valve 7. Filter 8. Mixing chamber Thanks to the small sized modules, it has been possible to realise mass flow and pressure controllers with dimensions 20 (w) x 40 (I) x 60 (h) mm, which are currently the smallest instruments in the world! The tested mass flow controllers were capable of measuring and controlling gas flows of air, nitrogen, hydrogen, helium and argon. For air, the measurable flow range was found to be between 20 and 2000 mln/min (Full Scale values). The flow ranges for the other gases are being determined at this moment. Moreover, measurements on other gases will be performed. The measured settling time of the MFCs is of the order of t_(98%) ≈ 0.5 seconds. It has been shown that the new generation of chip flow sensors is working well in the specified flow range, they can successfully applied in the analytical and other markets.