This invention relates generally to fluid control systems. More particularly, this invention relates to a modular mounting system for chemical fluid control components of a chemical fluid control system.
Fluid control components are used to control the delivery of a fluid (i.e., a gas or liquid) in industrial processes. These components are arranged so that fluid is carried through each of the components. Chemical delivery systems are used in numerous industries to control the flow of fluids, including gas reactants and other chemicals (e.g., liquids). In general, process control of fluid production requires the selection, conditioning, and metering of specific fluids, which are then routed to analytical equipment. The fluid control system is known as a sampling system, reflecting its main function of drawing a small portion of the main fluid being produced and returning it the main stream after analysis is complete.
In the production of petrochemicals, a fluid is sampled on demand and analyzed to identify the presence and quantity of its constituents. This sampling analysis is used as process control in a feedback manner to keep desired results constants.
In other industries, it is required that a mixture of precisely metered amounts of chemicals be delivered to a reactor vessel. A variety of fluid control components are configured to control the delivery of various fluids during processing. In these industries the fluid control system is known as a gas panel containing a plurality of gas sticks, or components linked together to process each gas species or constituent.
Filtering, pressure regulation, flow metering, valving, and other flow control functions are needed to design a fluid flow control systems. It is common practice to link discrete components performing each of these functions using piping and fluid connectors. Most of these systems require custom design, welding, and machining.
Those skilled in the art recognize a number of problems associated with prior art gas sticks of the type illustrated in
Another problem associated with fluid control assembly is that the numerous fittings and pipe sections produce a relatively long and heavy device. The attachment of the fluid control assembly to a substrate also produces problems since the entire fluid assembly must be removed from the substrate in order to repair the gas stick.
In addition, for each part of the substrate assembly, a distinctly different substrate component is often required for each type of function required for the process. This forces the user to purchase many different types of fluid control components in preparation for multiple options at the time of assembly. This increases the amount of in-house stock required for daily operation, resulting in higher operation costs and an increase in the complexity of the assembled system.
Another problem experienced with existing systems is the inability to purge individual components and fluid passages without purging the surrounding components and fluid passages. Purging is necessary when dealing with reactive chemicals that need to be removed from the system before introducing an additional fluid.
Additionally, when face seal or compression-type fittings are utilized to connect the various fluid control components, undesirable torque can be transmitted throughout the gas stick. The operator can “chase” a leak in the gas stick by tightening one fitting, only to find that the resulting torque has loosened another fitting, causing it to leak. This process is lengthy and often ineffective.
What is needed is a fluid control system that is relatively easy to configure and assemble, lightweight, minimizes the required number of parts, does not substantially transmit torque throughout the system, allows for purging between sticks, allows purging of specific component assemblies while avoiding surrounding components, and requires no welding for assembly.
In accordance with the present invention, an interconnection assembly for the transport of a fluid between an external fluidic means and a mounting block of a modular fluid distribution system is provided, comprising:
The present invention provides a unique means to quickly connect two adjacent mounting blocks within a modular fluid distribution system. Fluid is introduced into the system through a standard industry connector formed into one end of the cylindrical flow element. The opposite end of this cylindrical flow element is inserted into a cylindrical cavity on a lateral or bottom face of the mounting block.
This cylindrical cavity is designed for receiving and forming a hermetic connection with the cylindrical flow element using the annular sealing means made of a suitable compressive medium such as elastomer material, for the purpose of transporting a fluid from the cylindrical flow element to the mounting block. The annular sealing means can be any suitable seal, such as an o-ring, and the like.
The o-ring can be situated in various configurations, to allow a hermetic seal to be formed between the cylindrical flow element and the mounting block. A boss can be formed at the terminus of the cylindrical flow element, the boss being configured to receive the o-ring. As the cylindrical flow element is inserted into the cylindrical cavity, the o-ring is compressed between the cylindrical flow element and the cylindrical cavity, forming a leak tight seal. Other standard o-ring sealing configurations are additionally available.
It is desirable to keep the cylindrical flow elements secured in their corresponding cylindrical cavity. In the preferred approach, the cylindrical flow elements are kept from disengaging by the retaining means, such as locking or keying dowel pins, or the like. The dowel pins are inserted through the mounting block substantially normal to the central axis of the cylindrical flow element, a concentric retaining groove is formed in the cylindrical flow element, receiving the pin, locking the cylindrical flow element in the cylindrical cavity.
No substrate is necessary to maintain engagement between the cylindrical flow element and the mounting block. As opposed to existing technology, that utilizes fasteners to engage and hold adjacent mounting blocks together on a substrate, the present invention relies on dowel pins or similar technology to retain engagement and hold mounting blocks in an adjacent relationship.
An additional benefit of the retaining means is the minimization of transferred torque from one part of a modular fluid distribution system to another. The cylindrical flow element is not substantially prevented from axially rotating about the axis of the cylinder. Therefore, torque cannot be transmitted through the connection to a significant degree.
The interconnection assembly of the present invention is used within the construction of more complex modular fluid distribution systems of two or more mounting blocks connected to one another by cylindrical flow elements or a direct connection from port to port, through a seal. The mounting blocks are generally comprised of: a mounting face, a bottom face, and a plurality of lateral faces, the mounting face being configured to receive a mounted fluidic control component; a first cylindrical cavity; a second cylindrical cavity; a first port, the first port formed in the mounting face, the first port being configured to receive a first gasket; a second port, the second port formed in the mounting face; the second port being configured to receive a second gasket; a first fluid passage, the first fluid passage fluidly communicating between the first cylindrical cavity and the first port; a second fluid passage, the second fluid passage fluidly communicating between the second cylindrical cavity and the second port.
A single fluidic control component assembly can be created comprising, a first fluidic control component is mounted on said mounting face, the first fluidic control component having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the inlet being hermetically connected with the first port, the first gasket being compressively interposed; the outlet being hermetically connected with the second port, the second gasket being compressively interposed; and wherein a fluid is introduced into the cylindrical flow element installed in the first cylindrical cavity, flowing through the first passage, into the first port, being conditioned by the first fluidic control component, entering the second port, flowing through the second passage, exiting through a second cylindrical flow element installed in the second cylindrical cavity.
A dual fluidic control component assembly can be further created comprising, a second fluidic control component being mounted on a second mounting face of a second mounting block, said second cylindrical flow element having a secondary terminus installed in a third cylindrical cavity formed in said second mounting block, said second mounting block being generally similar to said mounting block, and wherein said fluid is received from said second cylindrical flow element, flowing through a third passage of said second mounting block, into a third port, being conditioned by said second fluidic control component, entering a fourth port, flowing through a fourth passage, exiting through a third cylindrical flow element installed in said fourth cylindrical cavity.
More than two mounting blocks with a fluidic control component mounted on each, can be joined using the cylindrical flow elements of the present invention in a manner similar to that described above. A plurality of component mounting blocks and fluid control components can be assembled in this way, forming an array of fluidic control components, all interconnected using a standardized set of mounting blocks and cylindrical flow elements, without utilizing welds or other permanent fusing means. The first and the last component mounting blocks in the array may have tubular elements that incorporate industry standard connectors at one terminus for inlet and outlet of fluid from the system.
In another aspect of the invention, a mounting block may contain a port at the bottom face for access to a second level of interconnection between component arrays that may not be immediately adjacent to each other. In this case, a fluid passage from one of the ports on the top of the mounting block is routed to a port on the bottom face of the mounting block for routing to a second level mounting block, thereafter routing the fluid to nonadjacent mounting blocks using a cylindrical flow element.
The mounting block further comprising: at least one bottom port, the bottom port formed in the bottom face, the bottom port being configured to receive a bottom gasket; the bottom port being configured to hermetically connect with a port of an adjacent mounting block, the bottom gasket being compressively interposed.
All blocks incorporate two mounting holes on the top face that allow the use of fasteners to affix the blocks to a mounting plate, directly or through spacers. The mounting plate may be heated, as it may be required in humid environments where condensation may take place. Heating may be provided through the use of standard heating elements, or the like. The modular fluid distribution system is built with mounting blocks containing fluid passages and interconnecting cylindrical flow element. The mounting blocks are placed over a base plate which serves as structural support with the cylindrical flow elements being used to route fluid from mounting block to mounting block.
In a additional approach, component mounting blocks may have cylindrical cavities for interconnection to other component mounting blocks on more than just two lateral faces allowing the distribution of one fluid to from one component mounting block to multiple component mounting blocks as well as the receipt of fluids by one component mounting block from multiple component mounting blocks from various directions. Each of the four lateral faces may have a cylindrical cavity formed therein, as dictated by the intended application.
Additionally, if one or more of the cylindrical cavities were not needed in an application, a plugging means may be employed. The cylindrical flow element having retaining grooves formed at a first terminus; the fluid passage being excluded, preventing substantial flow of fluid when installed in the cylindrical cavity.
The present invention relates to a modular architectural approach and its implementation to provide a system for enabling the sampling, conditioning, control, and distribution of fluids utilizing a standardized set of mounting blocks and interconnecting tubular elements, requiring no welds. It allows the design, assembly, installation, and maintenance of fluid control systems to be relatively inexpensive when compared to the conventional method of welding components together using metal piping.
The modular fluid distribution system receives chemical fluids at inlets and guides fluids into and out of conditioning and flow control components and delivers them to fluid analyzers or reactors such as those found in the chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and semiconductor industries. The fluid distribution system forms a modular substrate on which fluid processing components such as regulators, valves and, mass flow controllers are attached.
The invention emphasizes simplicity by covering a great majority of the requirements with as little as two types of mounting blocks and three cylindrical flow elements, while the general architecture allows for complexity as needed in the form of second level interconnection, custom interconnect elements for fluid inlet and outlet from the system, and mounting block variations in the number of lateral face connections and fluid routing options. The simplicity of the mounting block in the current modular approach allows complex systems to be designed and rapidly built without welding, specialized tools, or custom processes. Labor requirements are low in terms of specialized capability and complexity of task with minimum possibility of error.
For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently-preferred embodiments of the invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed and/or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.
In another possible configuration, prior to insertion of connector 65 into a cylindrical cavity 101 formed on the face of block 100, seal 205 is placed on sealing annular groove 71 of connector 65 whose diameter is designed to slightly stretch seal 205 to keep it from slipping off during assembly. The diameter of cavity 101 in block 100 is sized to radially compress seal 205 by approximately 45% to 65% of its original radial thickness, this ratio being accepted by those skilled in the art as optimum for effective, durable hermetic sealing. Retaining groove 73 in connector 65 is used to keep connector 65 in place after insertion into cavity 101. Retaining groove 73, more readily seen in
It should be noted that the immediately preceding discussion of connector 65 using a VCO type of connection is applicable to any type of fluid connection used to bring fluid into the fluid control system. Another embodiment is shown in
Block 100 contains a second cylindrical cavity similar to 101 on its posterior vertical face to allow routing of fluid between the two blocks. A cylindrical flow element 62 is used to route fluid between the blocks. Refer also to
Using passages internal to block 100, fluid is routed in and out of components 240 and 220 by means of ports 105. Seals 204 are used to form a hermetic connection with components, preventing fluid from leaking into the environment. Refer to
Another aspect of the invention is the incorporation of cavity 111, which in conjunction with port 242, illustrated in
There are two symmetrically opposing holes 115 in block 100, shown in
Refer to
In order to purge the fluidic components without creating a secondary layer of mounting blocks, a purge flow path 111a can be seen in
Block 130 contains all the features previously described for block 100 shown in
While the present invention has been described with regards to particular embodiments, it is recognized that additional variations of the present invention may be devised without departing from the inventive concept.