Flow rate control device, diagnostic device for use in flow rate measuring mechanism or for use in flow rate control device including the flow rate measuring mechanism and recording medium having diagnostic program recorded thereon for use in the same

1. A flow rate control device including a flow rate measuring mechanism configured to measure a flow rate of fluid flowing through a flow channel, a flow rate control valve provided on the flow channel, and a valve control part configured to control an opening degree of the flow rate control valve so as to reduce an error between a target flow rate value and a measurement flow rate value measured by the flow rate measuring mechanism, the flow rate control device comprising:

a fluid resistor provided on the flow channel;

a pressure sensor provided in any one of an upstream side or a downstream side of the fluid resistor;

a pressure calculating part configured to calculate a pressure in a side where the pressure sensor is not provided with respect to the fluid resistor based on a measurement flow rate value measured by the flow rate measuring mechanism and a measurement pressure value measured by the pressure sensor;

a flow rate calculating part configured to calculate a flow rate of the fluid flowing through the flow channel based on the measurement pressure value and a calculation pressure value calculated by the pressure calculating part; and

an abnormality diagnosing part configured to diagnose an abnormality of the measurement flow rate value based on the measurement flow rate value and a calculation flow rate value calculated by the flow rate calculating part.

2. The flow rate control device according to claim 1 further comprising a stable state judging part configured to judge whether or not a state of the fluid flowing through the flow channel is in a stable state, based on the measurement flow rate value or a measurement pressure value measured by the pressure sensor, wherein

the pressure calculating part is configured to calculate the pressure in the side where the pressure sensor is not provided with respect to the fluid resistor when the stable state judging part judges the state of the fluid to be in a stable state.

3. The flow rate control device according to claim 1 , wherein the stable state judging part is configured so as to judge that the state of the fluid is in a stable state when a state of an absolute value of the error between the measurement flow rate value and the target flow rate value being equal to or smaller than a predetermined value continues for a predetermined time period or more.

4. The flow rate control device according to claim 1 , wherein the abnormality diagnosing part is configured to diagnose that there is an abnormality in the measurement flow rate value when an absolute value of an error between the measurement flow rate value and the calculation flow rate value becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

5. The flow rate control device according to claim 1 , wherein the flow rate calculating part is configured to calculate the calculation flow rate value based on the measurement pressure value and a predetermined specified pressure value until the stable state judging part judges the state of the fluid to be in a stable state.

6. The flow rate control device according to claim 1 , wherein the flow rate measuring mechanism is a thermal type flow rate sensor.

7. The flow rate control device according to claim 6 , wherein the thermal type flow rate sensor includes a laminar flow element provided on the flow channel and the fluid resistor is provided separately from the laminar flow element.

8. A diagnostic device for use in a flow rate measuring mechanism configured to measure a flow rate of fluid flowing through a flow channel or in a flow rate control device including the flow rate measuring mechanism, the diagnostic device comprising:

a fluid resistor provided on the flow channel;

a pressure sensor provided in any one of an upstream side or a downstream side of the fluid resistor;

a pressure calculating part configured to calculate a pressure in a side with respect to the fluid resistor where the pressure sensor is not provided based on a measurement flow rate value measured by the flow rate measuring mechanism and a measurement pressure value measured by the pressure sensor;

a flow rate calculating part configured to calculate a flow rate of the fluid flowing through the flow channel based on the measurement pressure value and a calculation pressure value calculated by the pressure calculating part; and

an abnormality diagnosing part configured to diagnose an abnormality of the measurement flow rate value based on the measurement flow rate value and a calculation flow rate value calculated by the flow rate calculating part.

9. A recording medium having a diagnostic program recorded thereon, the diagnostic program for use in a flow rate control device including the flow rate measuring mechanism or a flow rate measuring mechanism including a fluid resistor provided on a flow channel and a pressure sensor provided in any of an upstream side or a downstream side of the fluid resistor, and measuring a flow rate of the fluid flowing through the flow channel, the diagnostic program when executed by a CPU of a computer, causing the computer to execute the following functions:

a pressure calculating part configured to calculate a pressure in a side with respect to the fluid resistor where the pressure sensor is not provided based on a measurement flow rate value measured by the flow rate measuring mechanism and a measurement pressure value measured by the pressure sensor;

a flow rate calculating part configured to calculate a flow rate of the fluid flowing through the flow channel based on the measurement pressure value and a calculation pressure value calculated by the pressure calculating part; and

an abnormality diagnosing part configured to diagnose an abnormality of the measurement flow rate value based on the measurement flow rate value and a calculation flow rate value calculated by the flow rate calculating part.