阅读说明：本技术 气体调节器 (Gas regulator ) 是由 小林智裕 山川达也 吉村昌也 藤田凉 于 2019-06-25 设计创作，主要内容包括：在气体调节器(60)中设有：壳体(62),形成有供气体流通的气体流路(61)；和树脂构件(80),配置于气体流路(61)并且具有透水性。树脂构件(80)由封入有水的密闭状的中空体构成。(A gas regulator (60) is provided with: a housing (62) in which a gas flow path (61) through which gas flows is formed; and a resin member (80) that is disposed in the gas flow path (61) and has water permeability. The resin member (80) is formed of a closed hollow body in which water is sealed.)

1. A gas regulator that imparts moisture into a gas, the gas regulator comprising:

a housing having a gas flow path through which the gas flows; and

a resin member disposed in the gas flow path and having water permeability,

the resin member is a sealed hollow body in which water is sealed.

2. The gas regulator according to claim 1, comprising a support portion that detachably supports the plurality of resin members.

3. The gas regulator according to claim 1 or 2,

the resin member has a cylindrical peripheral wall portion and closing portions for closing both ends of the peripheral wall portion,

the closing portion is constituted by a welded portion of a resin material.

4. The gas conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the resin member is formed in a spiral shape.

5. The gas conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the casing is made of a metal material and is disposed in an air conditioning space that conditions the temperature of air.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a gas regulator.

Background

Ozone generators that generate ozone gas using oxygen as a raw material are widely used in semiconductor manufacturing processes and the like.

As such an ozone generating device, patent document 1 discloses an ozone generating device including a humidifying unit (gas conditioner) for adding moisture to oxygen. Specifically, in the ozone generator, the humidifying unit 4 is connected in series between the oxygen source and the ozone generator. The oxygen gas supplied from the oxygen gas source 2 is supplied with a very small amount of moisture in the humidifying unit 4, and then supplied to the ozone generator 9. Thus, the amount of water in the oxygen gas supplied to the ozone generator 9 is adjusted to a target range (for example, 0.05 to 40 ppm). In this way, by adding a very small amount of moisture to the oxygen gas, the decrease in the ozone concentration of the generated ozone gas is suppressed.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent No. 4166928

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

In the gas conditioner as described in patent document 1, it is necessary to convey water added to the gas by a pump or the like. In addition, when an extremely small amount of moisture is supplied to the gas by the gas regulator, the amount of moisture supplied to the gas greatly varies with the change in the water temperature. Therefore, temperature management of the transported water is required. As a result, there is a problem that the gas regulator and its accompanying equipment become complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a gas regulator that can stably adjust the amount of moisture to be added to a gas with a relatively simple configuration.

Means for solving the technical problem

In order to solve the above-described problem, in the present invention, a resin member formed of a closed hollow body in which water is sealed is disposed in a gas flow path.

That is, the present invention is directed to a gas regulator for imparting moisture to a gas, the gas regulator including: a housing having a gas flow path through which gas flows; and a resin member having water permeability and disposed in the gas flow path, the resin member being formed of a closed hollow body in which water is sealed.

In the present invention, when the gas flowing through the gas flow path flows through the periphery of the hollow body, water inside the resin member permeates the resin member and moves into the gas. This makes it possible to add a very small amount of moisture to the gas. The resin member is a sealed hollow body in which water is sealed, and is not a structure to which water is appropriately supplied. Therefore, a pump or the like for transporting water is not required, and temperature control of water is not required. Therefore, simplification of the structure of the gas regulator can be achieved. Since the amount of moisture to be supplied to the gas is extremely small, the rate of decrease in moisture inside the resin member is also extremely small. Therefore, the period until the water in the resin member is consumed is sufficiently long.

Preferably, the gas regulator includes a support portion that detachably supports the plurality of resin members.

With this configuration, the number of resin members disposed in the gas flow path can be easily changed. When the number of the resin members is changed, the amount of water to be added to the gas can be adjusted. Therefore, an optimum amount of moisture can be supplied to the gas in accordance with the gas flow rate and the target moisture concentration. Since the resin member is detachably formed on the support portion, the number of resin members can be easily changed and exchanged.

Preferably, the resin member has a cylindrical peripheral wall portion and closing portions for closing both ends of the peripheral wall portion, respectively, and the closing portions are formed by welding portions of a resin material.

By welding both ends of the peripheral wall portion of the resin member, the openings at both ends of the peripheral wall portion can be closed by the closing portions (welded portions). This enables the production of a sealed hollow body in which water is sealed.

The resin member is preferably formed in a spiral shape. By forming the resin member in a spiral shape, the volume and surface area of the resin member can be increased. When the volume of the resin member is increased, the period until the water in the resin member is consumed can be extended. When the surface area of the resin member is increased, the amount of moisture that can be imparted to the gas in one resin member can be increased. Therefore, the resin member and the housing can be downsized.

Preferably, the casing is made of a metal material and is disposed in an air conditioning space for conditioning the temperature of air.

When the case is made of a metal material, the thermal conductivity of the case becomes large. Therefore, the temperature of the gas inside the casing becomes easy to approach the temperature around the casing. The temperature around the housing can be adjusted by air conditioning, so that the temperature of the gas inside the housing can be adjusted indirectly. Since the temperature of water in the resin member is not controlled, the water temperature is governed by the gas temperature of the gas flow path and the temperature around the housing. Thus, the water temperature can be managed in the resin member by air conditioning, and the amount of water added to the gas can be accurately adjusted. Further, by using a metal material for the housing, gas leakage from the gas flow path can be suppressed.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a gas regulator that can stably adjust the amount of moisture added to gas with a relatively simple configuration.

Drawings

Figure 1 is the embodiment of the ozone generating device outline structure.

Fig. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a gas regulator according to an embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the moisture adding unit of the embodiment.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the fixing tool in a state where the end portion of the resin pipe is fixed.

Fig. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a gas regulator according to a modification.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are essentially preferred examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of applications or uses of the present invention.

Modes for carrying out the invention

The gas regulator of the embodiment is suitable for the ozone generating apparatus 10. As shown in fig. 1, the ozone generator 10 uses oxygen gas supplied from an oxygen gas source 5 as a raw material, and supplies ozone gas generated using the raw material to a predetermined supply target. The oxygen source 5 is constituted by, for example, an oxygen cylinder filled with oxygen. The oxygen cylinder is filled with, for example, 99.9999% high-purity oxygen. The water content in the oxygen gas is, for example, in the range of 50ppb to 1000 ppb. The supply target of the ozone gas is, for example, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

The ozone generating device 10 has a dehumidifying part 27 and a device main body 20. The apparatus main body 20 includes a humidifying unit 60, a discharge unit 28, a control unit 50, and a power supply 51 as main constituent elements. The dehumidification section 27 may be omitted. The apparatus main body 20 includes a supply passage 30 as a main gas flow passage. The supply passage 30 includes a first passage 31 from the outside of the apparatus main body 20 to the humidifying unit 60 and a second passage 32 from the humidifying unit 60 to the discharge cell 28.

An inflow end of the supply passage 30 is connected to a dehumidifier 27 connected to the oxygen source 5. The outflow end of the supply path 30 is connected to the discharge cell 28. The dehumidification section 27 is constituted by, for example, an adsorption dehumidifier that selectively adsorbs moisture in oxygen. In the dehumidifying unit 27, the moisture is removed so that the moisture content in the oxygen gas becomes 10ppb or less. That is, the moisture content in the oxygen gas passing through the dehumidifier 27 is substantially zero.

The oxygen gas from which moisture has been removed by the dehumidifier 27 is sent through the first flow path 31. A humidifying unit 60 for adding moisture to the oxygen gas is connected to the outflow end of the first flow path 31. The second flow path 32 located on the downstream side of the humidifying unit 60 is configured to allow the oxygen gas passing through the humidifying unit 60 to flow out. That is, the inflow end of the first flow path 31 is connected to the dehumidifying part 27, and the outflow end of the first flow path 31 is connected to the humidifying part 60. The inflow end of the second flow path 32 is connected to the humidifying unit 60, and the outflow end of the second flow path 32 is connected to the discharge cell 28.

The humidifying section 60 constitutes a gas regulator that imparts moisture to the oxygen gas. The humidifying unit 60 adds water in the resin pipe 80 having water permeability to the gas. The oxygen gas to which moisture has been added in the humidifying unit 60 flows out to the second flow path 32. The oxygen gas humidified in the humidifying unit 60 contains a moisture content in the range of, for example, 300ppb to 2000 ppb.

The first flow path 31 is provided with a flow rate control valve 43. The flow rate control valve 43 adjusts the flow rate of the oxygen gas (i.e., the raw material gas supplied to the apparatus main body 20) flowing out from the dehumidifying section 27.

The discharge unit 28 generates ozone gas using the oxygen gas flowing out of the second flow path 32 as a raw material. The discharge unit 28 is constituted by, for example, a silent discharge type ozone generator that generates ozone gas by silent discharge. The ozone gas generated in the discharge unit 28 is supplied to a predetermined supply target.

The control unit 50 is configured to control the power supply 51 and the flow rate adjustment valve 43, respectively. The control unit 50 is configured using a microcomputer and a storage device (specifically, a semiconductor memory) that stores software for operating the microcomputer. The flow rate control valve 43 may be controlled by another control unit outside the apparatus main body 20.

For example, the control unit 50 adjusts the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve 43 so that the flow rate of the raw material gas supplied to the apparatus main body 20 approaches the target flow rate. Further, the control unit 50 controls the power supply 51 to apply an ac voltage to the discharge cells 28.

Detailed structure of gas regulator

The structure of the gas regulator (humidifying unit 60) will be described in detail with reference to fig. 2 to 4. The humidifying unit 60 includes a housing 62, and a moisture adding unit 70, the housing 62 having a gas flow path 61 through which gas flows, and the moisture adding unit 70 being provided in the gas flow path 61.

The housing 62 is composed of a metal material. The housing 62 is a material having high thermal conductivity, and is made of, for example, a stainless steel material. The housing 62 includes a housing main body 63, a flange 64, and a closing plate 65. The housing main body 63 is formed in a cylindrical shape (strictly, a cylindrical shape) with both ends open. The flange 64 is attached to one end (left end) of the housing main body 63 in the axial direction, and closes the opening on the one end side. The closing plate 65 is attached to the other end (right end) in the axial direction of the housing main body 63 and closes the opening on the other end side. A first air tube 66 is connected to a central portion of the flange 64. A second gas pipe 67 is connected to the center of the blocking plate 65. For example, the first gas pipe 66 constitutes a gas inflow pipe for allowing the gas in the first flow path 31 to flow into the gas flow path 61, and the second gas pipe 67 constitutes a gas outflow pipe for allowing the gas in the gas flow path 61 to flow out to the second flow path 32. The second gas pipe 67 may be a gas inflow pipe, and the first gas pipe 66 may be a gas outflow pipe.

The housing 62 is disposed in the air-conditioned space S. The air-conditioning space S is provided in the semiconductor manufacturing facility into which the air-conditioning apparatus is introduced. Therefore, with this air-conditioning apparatus, the air temperature of the air-conditioning space S is maintained at the target temperature.

As shown in fig. 2, the moisture adding unit 70 is disposed inside the case main body 63. As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the moisture adding unit 70 includes a first partition plate 71, a second partition plate 72, one support column 73, and a plurality of resin tubes 80 (resin members).

The first partition plate 71 and the second partition plate 72 are formed in a circular plate shape. The outer diameters of the first partition plate 71 and the second partition plate 72 are slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the housing main body 63. Therefore, the first partition plate 71 and the second partition plate 72 are fitted to the case main body 63 inside the case main body 63. The first partition plate 71 is disposed adjacent to the first gas pipe 66, and the second partition plate 72 is disposed adjacent to the second gas pipe 67. A plurality of circular holes 74 axially penetrate through the first partition plate 71 and the second partition plate 72.

The support column 73 is interposed between the first partition plate 71 and the second partition plate 72. The support 73 is a columnar elongate member. One end of the strut 73 in the longitudinal direction is fastened to the axial center portion of the first partition plate 71. The other end of the strut 73 in the longitudinal direction is fastened to the axial center portion of the second partition plate 72.

A first header space 75 is formed between the flange 64 and the first partition plate 71. A second header space 76 is formed between the blocking plate 65 and the second separator 72. A humidification flow path 77 is formed between the first separator 71 and the second separator 72. The humidification flow path 77 is a part of the gas flow path 61, and constitutes a housing chamber housing the resin tube 80.

As shown in fig. 3, the moisture adding unit 70 includes three resin tubes 80. The number of the resin tubes 80 is merely an example. One or two resin tubes 80 may be provided, or four or more resin tubes may be provided.

The resin tube 80 of the present embodiment is made of a water-permeable resin material that allows moisture to pass therethrough. For example, the resin tube 80 is made of a fluorine resin material such as PTFE, PFA, ETFE, FEP, or the like. The resin tube 80 is a sealed hollow body in which water is sealed.

The resin tube 80 of the present embodiment is formed in a spiral shape. More specifically, each resin tube 80 includes a spiral peripheral wall portion 81 and a pair of closing portions 82 and 82 that close both ends of the peripheral wall portion 81. The peripheral wall portion 81 is formed in a spiral shape that turns around an axial center along the extending direction of the first gas pipe 66 and the second gas pipe 67. In other words, the peripheral wall portion 81 is formed in a spiral shape that turns along the inner peripheral surface of the housing 62. The pair of closing portions 82, 82 close openings at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the peripheral wall portion 81, respectively. The opening edges at both ends of the peripheral wall 81 are melted by heat and then closed, thereby forming a pair of closing portions 82, 82. That is, the closing portion 82 constitutes a welded portion in which opening edges at both ends of the peripheral wall portion 81 are welded. This makes it possible to easily manufacture the resin tube 80 in which moisture is sealed.

As schematically shown in fig. 4, the plurality of resin tubes 80 are detachably attached to the first separator 71 and the second separator 72. That is, the first partition plate 71 and the second partition plate 72 constitute a support portion that detachably supports the plurality of resin tubes 80.

Specifically, the first partition plate 71 and the second partition plate 72 are provided with a fixing member 90 for fixing the resin pipe 80. The fixing member 90 is formed in a cylindrical shape having a plurality of through holes 91 extending in the radial direction. A male screw portion (not shown) is formed on the proximal end side of the fixing member 90. The male screw portion of the fixing member 90 is fastened to screw holes (not shown) formed in the first and second separators 71, 72, whereby the fixing member 90 is fixed to the separators 71, 72.

The outer diameter of the end of the resin tube 80 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the through hole 91 of the fixing member 90. The end of the resin tube 80 is inserted into the through hole 91 of the fixing member 90, whereby the end of the resin tube 80 is fixed to the fixing member 90. By fixing both ends of the resin pipe 80 to the fixing member 90 in this manner, the resin pipe 80 is held between the separators 71 and 72. On the other hand, the resin pipe 80 is removed from the respective separators 71, 72 by pulling out both ends of the resin pipe 80 from the through-holes 91.

Operation work-

The operation (ozone generation method) for generating ozone in the ozone generator 10 will be described in detail.

When the ozone generating device 10 is operated, the oxygen of the oxygen source 5 passes through the dehumidification section 27. In the dehumidification section 27, a dehumidification step of removing the moisture in the oxygen gas from the oxygen gas source 5 to 10ppb or less is performed. Therefore, even if the oxygen gas of the oxygen gas source 5 contains a certain amount of moisture or the moisture amount of the oxygen gas changes, the moisture amount of the oxygen gas obtained through the removal step is substantially zero.

In the dehumidification step, oxygen having a moisture content of 10ppb or less flows from the first flow path 31 into the humidifying unit 60. In the humidifying unit 60, a humidifying step (details will be described later) of adding moisture to the oxygen gas is performed. Here, oxygen gas whose moisture is substantially zero by the dehumidification section 27 is supplied to the humidification section 60. Therefore, even if the moisture content of the oxygen gas supplied from the oxygen gas source 5 slightly changes, for example, the moisture content of the oxygen gas supplied to the humidifying unit 60 hardly changes (remains zero). Therefore, since the external factors that affect the humidifying ability of the humidifying unit 60 are reduced, the change in the moisture content of the oxygen gas supplied from the first channel 31 to the second channel 32 can be suppressed.

Details of humidification Process

In the humidification step, the oxygen gas flows through the first gas pipe 66 and then flows into the first header space 75. The oxygen in the first header space 75 is branched into the plurality of holes 74 of the first separator 71, and then flows into the humidification flow path 77.

In the humidification flow path 77, oxygen gas flows around the plurality of resin tubes 80. At this time, the water in the resin tube 80 permeates the resin tube 80 and moves into the oxygen gas. Thereby, a very small amount of moisture is added to the oxygen gas. The oxygen gas to which moisture has been added is branched into the plurality of holes 74 of the second separator 72, and then merged in the second header space 76. The oxygen in the second header space 76 is supplied to the second flow path 32 after passing through the second gas tubes 67.

In such a humidification step, the temperature of the air in the air-conditioned space S around the casing 62 can be adjusted by the air-conditioning apparatus. The housing 62 is made of a stainless steel material having high thermal conductivity, and therefore the temperature of the gas flowing through the gas flow path 61 is close to the temperature of the air in the air-conditioned space S. Since the resin pipe 80 is disposed in the gas flow path 61, the temperature of the water in the resin pipe 80 is close to the temperature of the gas flowing through the gas flow path 61. Thus, the water temperature in the resin pipe 80 is close to the temperature of the air in the air-conditioned space S, and therefore the water temperature can be managed by the air-conditioning apparatus. Therefore, the water temperature in the resin pipe 80 does not greatly vary, and therefore, it is possible to suppress the amount of moisture released into the gas from varying due to such a change in the water temperature.

In the humidification step, when water in the resin tube 80 is added to the gas, oxygen permeates into the resin tube 80. Therefore, even if moisture is released from the resin tube 80, the internal pressure of the resin tube 80 is not greatly reduced. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the change in the amount of moisture released into the gas due to the change in the internal pressure of the resin tube 80.

In the humidification step, a very small amount of water is supplied to the gas from the resin pipe 80. Therefore, the rate of decrease of water in the resin pipe 80 is extremely slow, and the period until the water in the resin pipe 80 is consumed is sufficiently long. Therefore, the resin tube 80 does not need to be replaced frequently.

Adjustment of moisture content

In the humidifying unit 60 of the present embodiment, the amount of moisture released into the gas can be adjusted by changing the number of the resin tubes 80. Specifically, by increasing the number of resin pipes 80 attached to the moisture adding unit 70, the amount of moisture to be added to the gas also increases. For example, if the flow rate of the gas to be treated becomes 2 times or the target moisture concentration becomes 2 times, the number of the resin tubes 80 is set to 2 times. Thus, the amount of moisture corresponding to the gas flow rate and the target moisture concentration can be added to the gas simply by changing the number of the resin tubes 80.

As a means for adjusting the moisture amount, factors other than the number of resin tubes 80 may be changed. Examples of such factors include the thickness, length, size, shape, material, and water permeability of the resin pipe 80.

Effects of the embodiment

The resin tube 80 of the above embodiment is formed of a closed hollow body in which water is sealed. Therefore, a pump for transporting water, a cooling unit for adjusting the temperature of the transported water, and the like, which are conventional examples, are not required. As a result, the structure of the humidifying unit 60 can be simplified, and the amount of water added to the gas can be stably adjusted.

The first partition plate 71 and the second partition plate 72 detachably support the plurality of resin tubes 80. Therefore, in the humidifying unit 60, the number of the resin tubes 80 can be easily changed, and the amount of moisture to be discharged can be easily adjusted. In addition, the resin tube 80 is also easily replaced.

The resin tube 80 has both ends welded with resin to form the closing portions 82 and 82. Therefore, the resin tube 80 in which water is sealed can be easily manufactured.

Since the resin tube 80 is formed in a spiral shape, the volume and the surface area of the resin tube 80 can be increased. When the volume of the resin tube 80 is increased, the time period until the water in the resin tube 80 is consumed can be extended, and the frequency of replacing the resin tube 80 can be reduced. When the surface area of the resin tube 80 is increased, the amount of moisture that can be imparted to the gas can be increased. Therefore, the resin tube 80 and the housing 62 can be downsized.

The housing 62 is made of a metal material and is disposed in the air-conditioned space S. Therefore, the temperature of the water in the resin pipe 80 is governed by the temperature of the air-conditioned space S, and therefore the water temperature can be reliably managed.

Modifications of the embodiment

As shown in fig. 5, the periphery (a part or the whole) of the case 62 may be covered with an insulating material 95. In this way, it is possible to suppress the gas temperature of the gas flow path 61 from changing due to the influence of the ambient temperature of the casing 62. Thus, the water temperature of the resin pipe 80 is governed by the gas temperature of the gas channel 61. Therefore, the temperature of the water in the resin pipe 80 can be controlled to be constant by the temperature of the gas flowing through the gas flow path 61.

Other embodiments

In the above embodiment, the resin member 80 is formed of a spiral resin pipe. However, the resin member 80 may have any configuration as long as it is a sealed hollow body in which water is sealed. For example, the resin member 80 may have a ring shape. In this case, the small-diameter annular resin member 80 may be disposed inside the large-diameter annular resin member 80. The resin member 80 may be in the form of a rod, a flat plate, an arc, a rectangular parallelepiped, or the like.

The gas regulator 60 of the above embodiment uses oxygen as a target gas. However, the target gas is not limited to this, and may be other gases such as nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, and air. The water added to the gas by the gas regulator 60 may be not pure water but water containing other components (e.g., fresh water or tap water).

Although the humidifying unit 60 of the above embodiment is provided inside the apparatus main body 20, the humidifying unit 60 may be provided outside the apparatus main body 20.

Industrial applicability

As described above, the present invention is useful for a gas regulator.

Description of the reference numerals

60 humidification part (gas regulator)

61 gas flow path

62 casing

71 first baffle (support)

72 second partition (support)

80 resin pipe (resin component)

81 peripheral wall part

82 blocking part (fusion part)

S air conditioning space