Mass flow controller with onboard diagnostics, prognostics, and data logging

US9256228B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• HITACHI, LTD. · JP

Inventors

• Alexei V. Smirnov · Boulder, US
• Patrick Albright · Wellington, US
• Cy Jordan · Fort Collins, US
• Arun Nagarajan · San Bruno, US
• Michael J. Zolock · Longmont, US
• Ryan W. Johnson · Moore, US
• Alexander Fernandez · San Francisco, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 20, 2012
• Grant date: Feb 9, 2016
• Expiry date: Nov 18, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T137/7759
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A mass flow controller and method for operating the same is disclosed. The mass flow controller includes a mass flow control system to control the mass flow rate of a fluid, and a data logging component that obtains snapshots of condition-specific-data for each of a plurality of reoccurring condition types, and reduces each snapshot of condition-specific-data to functional parameter values that characterize each snapshot of condition-specific-data, and the data logging component generates statistical values that are stored in a short term data store that characterize multiple functional parameter values that are obtained during each separate occurrence of a specific condition type. A diagnostics component diagnoses failures using current functional parameter values and the statistical values stored in the short-term memory, and a prognostics component predicts failures based upon a collection of data sets that are stored in the long-term memory.