Chemically inert flow controller with non-contaminating body
View Patent ↗A flow controller including a unitary controller body with a chemically inert fluid conduit having an insertable constriction or orifice disposed within the conduit having a reduced cross-sectional area to thereby restrict the flow of fluid within the conduit allowing for reliable flow measurement. An integrated circuit or controller may be coupled to the control valve and also coupled to the pressure sensors by a lead structure including signal conductors surrounded by a Faraday cage, and a chemically inert housing coupled to the unitary controller body enclosing the control valve and the pressure sensors.
1. A fluid handling device comprising:
a body formed from chemically inert material and defining a flow passage therethrough;
a processor with associated control logic;
at least one sensor in fluid communication with the flow passage, wherein the sensor selectively delivers a signal indicative of a condition of fluid in the flow passage;
a housing substantially enclosing the processor and the at least one sensor; and
a resiliently flexible lead structure folded within the housing and electrically communicatively coupling the processor and the at least one sensor to transmit the signal from the at least one sensor to the processor, the lead structure comprising:
a trace layer presenting first and second opposing surfaces, the trace layer including at least one signal conductor disposed on the first opposing surface, and a shielding conductor disposed on the first opposing surface adjacent the at least one signal conductor and comprising a continuous strip of metallic material circumscribing the at least one signal conductor; and
a first and a second shielding layer, each shielding layer comprising conductive material on an insulative polymer substrate, the first shielding layer confronting the first opposing surface of the trace layer and the second shielding layer confronting the second opposing surface of the trace layer, the first and second shielding layers being electrically coupled with the shielding conductor of the trace layer, wherein the first and second shielding layers and the shielding conductor of the trace layer define a Faraday cage surrounding the at least one signal conductor to isolate the at least one signal conductor from electromagnetic interference.
2. The fluid handling device of claim 1 , wherein each of the shielding layers presents an outer surface and wherein the lead structure further comprises a pair of insulating layers, each of the insulating layers confronting and substantially covering the outer surface of a separate one of the shielding layers.
3. The fluid handing device of claim 2 , wherein the insulating layers are made from polymer material.
4. The fluid handling device of claim 1 , wherein the lead structure further comprises a stiffening layer.
5. The fluid handling device of claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises a second sensor in fluid communication with the flow passage, wherein the second sensor selectively delivers a signal indicative of a condition of fluid in the flow passage, and wherein the second sensor is electrically communicatively coupled with the processor through the lead structure.
6. The fluid handling device of claim 5 , wherein the device further comprises a control valve in fluid communication with the flow passage and arranged so as to be operable to modulate fluid flow through the flow passage, wherein the first and second sensors are pressure sensors that deliver a signal indicative of fluid pressure in separate portions of the flow passage, and wherein the processor and associated control logic automatically operate the control valve to modulate fluid flow through the flow passage based on the signals from the first and second sensors.
7. A flow controller comprising:
an integral body formed from chemically inert material and defining a flow passage therethrough, the flow passage having a wall surface and a pair of opposing ends, the wall surface of the flow passage defining a stop structure intermediate the opposing ends with a first portion of the flow passage extending from a first one of the opposing ends to the stop structure and a second portion of the flow passage extending from the other of the opposing ends to the stop structure;
an insert defining an orifice for constricting fluid flow through the flow passage, the insert disposed in the first portion of the flow passage abutting the stop structure and being selectively removable through the first end of the flow passage;
a first pressure sensor in fluid communication with the first portion of the flow passage;
a second pressure sensor in fluid communication with the second portion of the flow passage;
a control valve in fluid communication with the flow passage and arranged so as to be operable to modulate fluid flow through the flow passage; and
a processor and associated control logic communicatively coupled with the first and second pressure sensors and the control valve, wherein the processor automatically operates the control valve to modulate fluid flow through the flow passage based on signals from the first and second pressure sensors, and wherein the processor and at least one of the first or second pressure sensors are electrically coupled with a flexibly resilient lead structure comprising:
a trace layer including a shielding conductor comprising a continuous strip of metallic material circumscribing at least one signal conductor, the trace layer presenting a pair of opposing surfaces; and
a pair of shielding layers, each shielding layer comprising conductive material on an insulative polymer substrate, each of the shielding layers confronting a separate one of the opposing surfaces of the trace layer, the pair of shielding layers being electrically coupled with the shielding conductor of the trace layer, wherein the shielding layers and the shielding conductor of the trace layer define a Faraday cage surrounding the at least one signal conductor to isolate the at least one signal conductor from electromagnetic interference.
8. The flow controller of claim 7 , wherein the first portion of the flow passage presents a first cross-sectional area dimension and the second portion of the flow passage presents a second cross-sectional area dimension.
9. The flow controller of claim 7 , wherein the stop structure is an annular lip within the flow passage.
10. The flow controller of claim 7 , wherein the insert is substantially chemically inert polymer material.
11. The flow controller of claim 10 , wherein the chemically inert polymer material is PTFE.
12. The flow controller of claim 7 , wherein the insert is substantially sapphire.
13. A flow controller comprising:
a body formed from chemically inert material and defining a flow passage therethrough;
a processor with associated control logic;
a pair of pressure sensors in fluid communication with the flow passage, wherein each sensor selectively delivers a signal indicative of a condition of fluid in the flow passage; and
a flexibly resilient lead structure electrically communicatively coupling the processor and the pair of pressure sensors, the lead structure comprising:
a trace layer presenting first and second opposing surfaces, the trace layer including a plurality of signal conductors disposed on the first opposing surface, and a shielding conductor comprising a continuous strip of metallic material circumscribing the plurality of signal conductors; and
a first and a second shielding layer, each shielding layer comprising conductive material on an insulative polymer substrate, the first shielding layer confronting the first opposing surface of the trace layer and the second shielding layer confronting the second opposing surface of the trace layer, the first and second shielding layers being electrically coupled with the shielding conductor of the trace layer, wherein the first and second shielding layers and the shielding conductor of the trace layer define a Faraday cage surrounding the plurality of signal conductors to isolate the plurality of signal conductors from electromagnetic interference.
14. The flow controller of claim 13 , wherein each of the shielding layers presents an outer surface and wherein the lead structure further comprises a pair of insulating layers, each of the insulating layers confronting and substantially covering the outer surface of a separate one of the shielding layers.
15. The flow controller of claim 14 , wherein the insulating layers are made from polymer material.
16. The flow controller of claim 13 , wherein the lead structure further comprises a stiffening layer.
17. The flow controller of claim 13 , wherein the device further comprises a control valve in fluid communication with the flow passage and arranged so as to be operable to modulate fluid flow through the flow passage, and wherein the processor and associated control logic automatically operate the control valve to modulate fluid flow through the flow passage based on the signals from the pressure sensors.
18. The flow controller of claim 13 , wherein the flow passage has a wall surface and a pair of opposing ends, the wall surface of the flow passage defining a stop structure intermediate the opposing ends with a first portion of the flow passage extending from a first one of the opposing ends to the stop structure and a second portion of the flow passage extending from the other of the opposing ends to the stop structure, and wherein the flow controller further comprises an insert defining an orifice for constricting fluid flow through the flow passage, the insert disposed in the first portion of the flow passage abutting the stop structure and being selectively removable through the first end of the flow passage.
19. The flow controller of claim 18 , wherein the stop structure is an annular lip within the flow passage.