JP6622144B2 - Liquid supply system and method for controlling liquid supply system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid supply system that supplies liquid using a pump.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a chemical liquid supply system that partitions a pump working chamber and a pump chamber with a diaphragm, changes the volume of the pump chamber by supplying and discharging the working air to the working chamber, and discharges and sucks the chemical liquid (patent) Reference 1). In the thing of this patent document 1, when filling with the chemical | medical solution to a pump chamber is started, the hydraulic head pressure of a chemical | medical solution is estimated. Specifically, in a state where the working chamber is a closed space, the opening / closing valve of the suction side passage and the opening / closing valve of the discharge side passage leading to the pump chamber are closed, and then the opening / closing valve of the suction side passage is opened. And the pressure of the working chamber which rises with the inflow of the chemical liquid into the pump chamber is detected, and the maximum value of the detected pressure is estimated as the water head pressure.

Japanese Patent No. 534289

  However, in the thing of patent document 1, it is necessary to wait until the pressure of a working chamber becomes the maximum value, and estimation of a hydraulic head pressure cannot be performed rapidly.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and a main object thereof is to provide a liquid supply system capable of quickly estimating the head pressure of the liquid.

  The first means is a liquid supply system, in which a pump chamber into which liquid supplied from a liquid container flows in and out and a working chamber from which working gas is supplied and discharged are partitioned by a variable member, A pump that sucks and discharges the liquid based on a change in the volume of the pump chamber due to fluctuations, a supply / discharge portion that supplies and discharges the working gas to and from the working chamber, and a liquid that flows into the pump chamber A suction side valve that opens and closes an inflow passage, a discharge side valve that opens and closes an outflow passage that allows the liquid to flow out of the pump chamber, a pressure sensor that detects the pressure of a space including the working chamber, and the working chamber A flow rate sensor for detecting a flow rate of the working gas flowing in and out, and a control unit for controlling the supply / exhaust unit, the suction side valve, and the discharge side valve, wherein the suction side valve is closed and the suction side valve is closed. Opened The volume change of the working chamber is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, the supply / exhaust unit is controlled so that the volume change becomes 0, and the volume change becomes 0 And the controller that estimates the pressure detected by the pressure sensor as the head pressure on the liquid suction side.

  According to the above configuration, in the pump, the pump chamber and the working chamber are partitioned by the variable member. The liquid supplied from the liquid container flows into and out of the pump chamber. The working gas is supplied to and discharged from the working chamber by the supply / discharge section. Then, the liquid is sucked and discharged based on the change in the volume of the pump chamber due to the change of the changing member.

  The suction side valve opens and closes an inflow passage through which liquid flows into the pump chamber. The discharge side valve opens and closes the outflow passage through which the liquid flows out from the pump chamber. The pressure in the space including the working chamber is detected by the pressure sensor. The flow rate of the working gas flowing into and out of the working chamber is detected by the flow rate sensor.

  Here, the control unit controls the supply / discharge unit, the suction side valve, and the discharge side valve. Specifically, since the controller closes the discharge side valve and opens the suction side valve, the liquid flows into the pump chamber from the inflow passage. Then, the variable member is changed by the liquid in the pump chamber, and the volume of the working chamber is changed. At this time, the volume change of the working chamber is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor. For example, the flow rate integrated value (volume) of the working gas flowing into the working chamber can be regarded as being equal to the volume increase amount of the working chamber.

  Further, the supply / discharge unit is controlled by the control unit so that the volume change of the working chamber becomes zero, and the working gas is supplied to and discharged from the working chamber by the supply / discharge unit. As a result, the volume change of the working chamber is quickly reduced to zero. In the state where the discharge side valve is closed and the suction side valve is opened, and the volume change of the working chamber is zero, the pressure in the space including the working chamber is equal to the water head pressure on the liquid suction side. For this reason, the pressure detected by the pressure sensor when the volume change of the working chamber becomes zero is estimated as the head pressure on the liquid suction side. Accordingly, it is possible to quickly estimate the liquid head pressure of the liquid.

  In the second means, the control unit closes the discharge side valve and opens the suction side valve, and controls the supply / exhaust unit to change the pressure in the space including the working chamber. , Calculating a pressure change amount based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor and calculating a flow rate change amount based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, and based on the pressure change amount and the flow rate change amount, A relationship coefficient on the suction side representing the relationship between the pressure in the space including the working chamber and the flow rate of the liquid is estimated.

  According to the said structure, it is set as the state which closed the discharge side valve and opened the suction side valve by the control part, the supply / exhaust part is controlled, and the pressure of the space containing a working chamber is changed. As a result, the volume of the working chamber, and hence the volume of the pump chamber, changes according to the pressure change in the space including the working chamber, and the liquid flows into and out of the pump chamber. At this time, in a state where the discharge side valve is closed and the suction side valve is opened, the pressure change amount in the space including the working chamber and the liquid flow rate change amount have a predetermined relationship reflecting the pressure loss on the liquid suction side. Have.

  Therefore, the control unit calculates the pressure change amount based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor, and calculates the flow rate change amount based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor. The flow rate of the working gas detected by the flow sensor has a correlation with the flow rate of the liquid flowing into and out of the pump chamber. For example, the flow rate of the working gas flowing into the working chamber can be regarded as being equal to the flow rate of the liquid flowing out of the pump chamber. Therefore, based on the pressure change amount of the space including the working chamber and the flow rate change amount of the working gas flowing into and out of the working chamber, the relationship on the suction side that represents the relationship between the pressure of the space including the working chamber and the flow rate of the liquid The coefficient can be estimated.

  In the third means, the control unit is configured to target the pressure of the space including the working chamber when the liquid is sucked based on the estimated water head pressure on the suction side and the estimated relation coefficient on the suction side. A value is set, and the supply / discharge unit is controlled so that the pressure detected by the pressure sensor becomes the pressure target value.

  When the amount of liquid in the liquid container changes as the liquid is used, the head pressure on the liquid suction side changes. Further, when the operation period of the liquid supply system becomes longer, the pressure loss on the liquid suction side, and thus the relationship coefficient, changes. In the pump, the relationship between the pressure in the space including the working chamber and the liquid suction amount changes according to the liquid head pressure on the liquid suction side and the relationship coefficient on the suction side.

  In this regard, according to the above-described configuration, the pressure target value of the space including the working chamber when sucking the liquid is calculated by the control unit based on the estimated suction-side hydraulic head pressure and the estimated suction-side relationship coefficient. Is set. Then, the supply / discharge unit is controlled by the control unit so that the pressure detected by the pressure sensor becomes the pressure target value. Therefore, even when the water head pressure on the liquid suction side and the relationship coefficient on the suction side change, the liquid suction amount can be accurately controlled.

  In the fourth means, the liquid filter is provided in the inflow passage, and the control unit notifies the deterioration of the filter based on the estimated relation coefficient on the suction side.

  When a liquid filter is provided in the inflow passage, the pressure loss on the suction side, and thus the relation coefficient, changes according to the degree of deterioration of the filter. In this regard, the control unit notifies the deterioration of the filter based on the estimated relationship coefficient on the suction side. For this reason, it is possible to prompt the user to replace the filter at an appropriate time.

  In a fifth means, the control unit closes the suction side valve and opens the discharge side valve, calculates the volume change of the working chamber based on the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor, The supply / discharge unit is controlled so that the volume change becomes zero, and the pressure detected by the pressure sensor in the state where the volume change becomes zero is estimated as the head pressure on the liquid discharge side.

  The sixth means is a liquid supply system, in which a pump chamber into which liquid supplied from a liquid container flows in and out and a working chamber from which working gas is supplied and discharged are partitioned by a variable member, A pump that sucks and discharges the liquid based on a change in volume of the pump chamber due to fluctuations, a supply / discharge portion that supplies and discharges the working gas to and from the working chamber, and a liquid that flows into the pump chamber A suction side valve for opening and closing the inflow passage, a discharge side valve for opening and closing the outflow passage for the liquid flowing out from the pump chamber, a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure in the space including the working chamber, and the working chamber. A flow rate sensor that detects a flow rate of the working gas, and a control unit that controls the supply / discharge unit, the suction side valve, and the discharge side valve, and closes the suction side valve and opens the discharge side valve. And The volume change of the working chamber is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, the supply / exhaust unit is controlled so that the volume change becomes zero, and the pressure is changed in a state where the volume change becomes zero. And the control unit that estimates the pressure detected by a sensor as a water head pressure on the liquid discharge side.

  According to the above configuration, the controller closes the suction side valve and opens the discharge side valve, so that the liquid flows out from the pump chamber to the outflow passage. Then, the variable member is changed by the liquid in the pump chamber, and the volume of the working chamber is changed. At this time, the volume change of the working chamber is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor.

  Further, the supply / discharge unit is controlled by the control unit so that the volume change of the working chamber becomes zero, and the working gas is supplied to and discharged from the working chamber by the supply / discharge unit. As a result, the volume change of the working chamber is quickly reduced to zero. In a state where the suction side valve is closed and the discharge side valve is opened, and the volume change of the working chamber is zero, the pressure in the space including the working chamber is equal to the head pressure on the liquid discharge side. For this reason, the pressure detected by the pressure sensor when the volume change of the working chamber becomes zero is estimated as the head pressure on the liquid discharge side. Accordingly, it is possible to quickly estimate the liquid head pressure of the liquid.

  According to the first means and the sixth means, in short, a liquid supply system comprising: a pump chamber into which liquid supplied from a liquid container flows in and out; and a working chamber into which working gas is supplied and discharged. A pump that partitions by a variable member, sucks and discharges the liquid based on a change in the volume of the pump chamber due to a change in the variable member, and a supply / discharge unit that supplies and discharges the working gas to and from the working chamber; A suction side valve that opens and closes an inflow passage through which the liquid flows into the pump chamber, a discharge side valve that opens and closes an outflow passage through which the liquid flows out from the pump chamber, and a pressure that detects the pressure in the space including the working chamber A sensor, a flow rate sensor for detecting a flow rate of the working gas flowing into and out of the working chamber, and a control unit for controlling the supply / exhaust unit, the suction side valve, and the discharge side valve, wherein the suction ~ side The first valve which is one of the discharge side valves is closed and the second valve which is the other is opened, and the volume change of the working chamber is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, and the volume The supply / exhaust unit is controlled so that the change becomes zero, and the pressure detected by the pressure sensor in a state where the volume change becomes zero is estimated as the head pressure of the liquid on the second valve side It is possible to employ a means characterized by comprising a control unit.

  In a seventh means, the control unit closes the suction side valve and opens the discharge side valve, and controls the supply / exhaust unit to change the pressure in the space including the working chamber. , Calculating a pressure change amount based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor and calculating a flow rate change amount based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, and based on the pressure change amount and the flow rate change amount, A relationship coefficient on the discharge side representing the relationship between the pressure of the space including the working chamber and the flow rate of the liquid is estimated.

  According to the said structure, it is set as the state which closed the suction side valve and opened the discharge side valve by the control part, the supply / exhaust part is controlled, and the pressure of the space containing a working chamber is changed. As a result, the volume of the working chamber, and hence the volume of the pump chamber, changes according to the pressure change in the space including the working chamber, and the liquid flows into and out of the pump chamber. At this time, in a state where the suction side valve is closed and the discharge side valve is opened, the pressure change amount in the space including the working chamber and the liquid flow rate change amount have a predetermined relationship reflecting the pressure loss on the liquid discharge side. Have.

  Therefore, the control unit calculates the pressure change amount based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor, and calculates the flow rate change amount based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor. The flow rate of the working gas detected by the flow sensor has a correlation with the flow rate of the liquid flowing into and out of the pump chamber. Therefore, based on the pressure change amount of the space including the working chamber and the flow rate change amount of the working gas flowing into and out of the working chamber, the relationship on the discharge side representing the relationship between the pressure of the space including the working chamber and the liquid flow rate. The coefficient can be estimated.

  In an eighth means, the control unit is configured to target a pressure in a space including the working chamber when discharging the liquid based on the estimated water head pressure on the discharge side and the estimated relation coefficient on the discharge side. A value is set, and the supply / discharge unit is controlled so that the pressure detected by the pressure sensor becomes the pressure target value.

  When the amount of liquid existing in the flow path downstream of the pump chamber changes, the head pressure on the liquid discharge side changes. Further, when the operation period of the liquid supply system becomes longer, the pressure loss on the liquid discharge side, and thus the relationship coefficient, changes. In the pump, the relationship between the pressure in the space including the working chamber and the liquid discharge amount changes according to the head pressure on the liquid discharge side and the relationship coefficient on the discharge side.

  In this regard, according to the configuration described above, the pressure target value of the space including the working chamber when the liquid is discharged is determined by the control unit based on the estimated discharge-side hydraulic head pressure and the estimated discharge-side relationship coefficient. Is set. Then, the supply / discharge unit is controlled by the control unit so that the pressure detected by the pressure sensor becomes the pressure target value. Therefore, even if the head pressure on the liquid discharge side and the relationship coefficient on the discharge side change, the liquid discharge amount can be accurately controlled.

  In the ninth means, the control unit increases the pressure of the working chamber when the volume of the working chamber is reduced when controlling the supply / exhaust unit so that the volume change becomes zero. The supply / exhaust unit is controlled so that the volume of the working chamber is increased, and the supply / exhaust unit is controlled to reduce the pressure of the working chamber.

  According to the above configuration, when the supply / exhaust unit is controlled so that the volume change becomes zero, the supply / exhaust unit is controlled to increase the pressure of the working chamber when the volume of the working chamber is reduced. The Further, when the volume of the working chamber is enlarged, the supply / discharge section is controlled so as to reduce the pressure of the working chamber. For this reason, the supply / discharge section can be controlled in accordance with the tendency of the volume of the working chamber to change, and the volume change can be quickly reduced to zero.

  In the tenth means, when the control unit controls the supply / exhaust unit so that the volume change becomes zero, the pressure of the working chamber increases as the volume of the working chamber decreases. The supply / exhaust unit is controlled to be raised, and the supply / exhaust unit is controlled so that the pressure of the working chamber is greatly decreased as the volume of the working chamber increases.

  According to the above configuration, when the supply / exhaust unit is controlled so that the volume change becomes zero, the supply / exhaust unit controls the pressure of the working chamber to be increased more as the volume of the working chamber decreases. Is done. Further, the higher the speed at which the volume of the working chamber expands, the more the supply / exhaust unit is controlled so that the pressure in the working chamber is greatly reduced. For this reason, the supply / discharge unit can be controlled in accordance with the tendency of the volume of the working chamber to change and the change speed, and the volume change can be made zero more quickly.

  In the eleventh means, the control unit closes the discharge side valve and the suction side valve, and controls the supply / exhaust unit to change the pressure of the space including the working chamber. A pressure change amount is calculated based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor, a flow rate integrated value is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, and the operation is performed based on the pressure change amount and the flow rate integrated value. A current volume of a space including the chamber is calculated, and a maximum volume of the liquid that can be discharged at the current time when the liquid is discharged is estimated based on the current volume.

  According to the said structure, it is set as the state which closed the discharge side valve and the suction side valve by the control part, the supply / exhaust part is controlled, and the pressure of the space containing a working chamber is changed. As a result, the working gas flows into and out of the space including the working chamber. At this time, the working gas flowing into and out of the space including the working chamber contributes to a pressure change in the space including the working chamber when the discharge side valve and the suction side valve are closed. The amount of pressure change in the space including the working chamber due to the working gas flowing in and out varies depending on the current volume of the space including the working chamber. For this reason, the relationship between the pressure change amount of the space including the working chamber and the flow rate integrated value of the working gas (that is, the inflow / outflow amount) reflects the current volume of the working chamber. Therefore, the current volume of the space including the working chamber can be calculated based on the pressure change amount of the space including the working chamber and the integrated flow rate of the working gas flowing into the working chamber.

  In the pump, the sum of the volume of the space including the working chamber and the volume of the pump chamber is constant. The maximum volume of the liquid that can be discharged by the pump by one discharge operation is determined by the volume of the liquid sucked into the pump chamber at the present time, that is, the current volume of the pump chamber. For this reason, the maximum volume of liquid that can be discharged at the time of discharging the liquid can be estimated based on the current volume of the space including the working chamber.

  In the twelfth means, the control unit can discharge the required volume when the estimated maximum volume is smaller than the required volume of the liquid required to be discharged when the liquid starts to be discharged by the pump. Then, the liquid is sucked by controlling the supply / discharge section.

  When the maximum volume of liquid that can be discharged by the pump at present is smaller than the required volume of liquid that is required to be discharged, the required volume of liquid cannot be discharged in the discharge operation from the current state. In this regard, when starting the discharge of the liquid by the pump, if the estimated maximum volume is smaller than the required volume of the liquid that is required to be discharged, the supply / discharge unit is configured so that the required volume can be discharged by the control unit. The liquid is sucked by being controlled. Therefore, when the volume of the liquid sucked into the pump chamber at present is smaller than the required volume, the required volume of liquid can be discharged after supplementing the liquid in the pump chamber.

  In the thirteenth means, the control unit controls the supply / exhaust unit to change the hydraulic head pressure on the condition that the variable member is changed to a position where a tension generated in the variable member becomes smaller than a predetermined value. Is estimated.

  When the fluctuation amount of the variable member is large, the influence of the tension generated on the variable member becomes large. And when the tension | tensile_strength which generate | occur | produces in a fluctuation | variation member is large, there exists a possibility that the hydraulic head pressure of a liquid cannot be estimated correctly by the influence of the tension | tensile_strength.

  In this regard, according to the above configuration, the hydraulic head pressure is estimated on the condition that the control member controls the supply / exhaust unit and the variable member fluctuates to a position where the tension generated in the variable member becomes smaller than a predetermined value. The For this reason, the influence of the tension | tensile_strength which generate | occur | produces in a fluctuation | variation member can be made small, and a hydraulic head pressure can be estimated correctly.

  When bubbles are contained in the liquid in the pump chamber, even when the eleventh means is used, there is a possibility that the maximum volume of the liquid that can be discharged at this time cannot be accurately estimated when the liquid is discharged. is there.

  Therefore, the control unit closes the discharge side valve and the suction side valve, and controls the supply / exhaust unit to change the pressure of the space including the working chamber to the first pressure. A pressure change amount is calculated based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor, a flow rate integrated value is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, and the operation is performed based on the pressure change amount and the flow rate integrated value. A first current volume of the space including the chamber is calculated, the discharge side valve and the suction side valve are closed, and the pressure in the space including the working chamber is controlled by controlling the supply / discharge unit. When the pressure is changed, a pressure change amount is calculated based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor, and a flow rate integrated value is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor. Based on integrated flow rate A second current volume of the space including the working chamber is calculated, and the first pressure is calculated based on the first pressure, the second pressure, the first current volume, and the second current volume. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the volume of bubbles in the pump chamber at or the volume of bubbles in the pump chamber at the second pressure is estimated.

  According to the above configuration, the calculation of the current volume in the eleventh means is executed at the first pressure and the second pressure, respectively. Here, Boyle's law is established for the working gas in the working chamber. For this reason, the relationship that the product of the first pressure and the first current volume is equal to the product of the second pressure and the second current volume is established. Further, the relationship that the difference between the volume of bubbles in the pump chamber at the first pressure and the volume of bubbles in the pump chamber at the second pressure is equal to the difference between the first current volume and the second current volume. Is established. Therefore, by using these relationships, the volume of bubbles in the pump chamber at the first pressure, or the second pressure, based on the first pressure, the second pressure, the first current volume, and the second current volume. The volume of bubbles in the pump chamber can be estimated. As a result, the maximum volume of the liquid that can be discharged at the time of discharging the liquid can be accurately estimated.

  The fourteenth means partitions the pump chamber into which the liquid supplied from the liquid container flows in and out and the working chamber into which the working gas is supplied and discharged by a variable member, and the volume of the pump chamber due to the variation of the variable member A pump that sucks and discharges the liquid based on changes, a supply / discharge portion that supplies and discharges the working gas to and from the working chamber, and a suction-side valve that opens and closes an inflow passage of the liquid flowing into the pump chamber A discharge side valve that opens and closes an outflow passage for the liquid flowing out from the pump chamber, a pressure sensor that detects a pressure in a space including the working chamber, and a flow rate of the working gas supplied to the working chamber A flow rate sensor that controls the liquid supply system, the step of closing the discharge side valve and opening the suction side valve, and the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor. Accordingly, the step of calculating the volume change of the working chamber, the step of controlling the supply / exhaust unit so that the calculated volume change becomes zero, and the pressure sensor in a state where the volume change becomes zero. And a step of estimating the pressure detected by the above as a head pressure on the suction side of the liquid.

  According to the said process, there can exist an effect similar to a 1st means.

  The fifteenth means divides the pump chamber into which the liquid supplied from the liquid container flows in and out and the working chamber into which the working gas is supplied and discharged by a variable member, and the volume of the pump chamber due to the variation of the variable member A pump that sucks and discharges the liquid based on changes, a supply / discharge portion that supplies and discharges the working gas to and from the working chamber, and a suction-side valve that opens and closes an inflow passage of the liquid flowing into the pump chamber A discharge side valve that opens and closes an outflow passage for the liquid flowing out from the pump chamber, a pressure sensor that detects a pressure in a space including the working chamber, and a flow rate of the working gas supplied to the working chamber A flow rate sensor for controlling a liquid supply system, the step of closing the suction side valve and opening the discharge side valve, and the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor Based on the step of calculating the volume change of the working chamber, the step of controlling the supply / exhaust unit so that the calculated volume change becomes zero, and the pressure sensor in a state where the volume change becomes zero And a step of estimating the pressure detected by the above as a water head pressure on the liquid discharge side.

  According to the said process, there can exist an effect similar to a 6th means.

  According to the fourteenth and fifteenth means, in short, the pump chamber into which the liquid supplied from the liquid container flows in and out and the working chamber into which the working gas is supplied and discharged are partitioned by the variable member, and the fluctuation A pump that sucks and discharges the liquid based on a change in volume of the pump chamber due to a change in a member, a supply / discharge portion that supplies and discharges the working gas to and from the working chamber, and the liquid flows into the pump chamber A suction-side valve that opens and closes an inflow passage, a discharge-side valve that opens and closes an outflow passage that allows the liquid to flow out of the pump chamber, a pressure sensor that detects the pressure of a space including the working chamber, and the working chamber And a flow rate sensor for detecting the flow rate of the working gas flowing in and out by the control unit, wherein the control unit controls the liquid supply system, which is one of the discharge side valve and the suction side valve. Closing the valve and opening the other second valve, calculating the volume change of the working chamber based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, and calculating the volume change A step of controlling the supply / exhaust unit so as to be zero, and the pressure detected by the pressure sensor in a state where the volume change is zero is estimated as a head pressure of the liquid on the second valve side A process characterized by comprising a process can be adopted.

The circuit diagram which shows a chemical | medical solution supply system. Sectional drawing which shows a diaphragm pump. The time chart which shows the basic operation | movement aspect of a chemical | medical solution supply system. The flowchart which shows the process which estimates the water-side pressure on the suction side. The flowchart which shows the process which moves a diaphragm to a neutral position. A calculation formula that calculates the working chamber volume of the pump based on the pressure and flow rate of the operating air. The flowchart which shows the process which estimates the relationship coefficient on the suction side. The flowchart which shows the process which estimates the dischargeable amount. The flowchart which shows the example of a change of the process which moves a diaphragm to a neutral position. The schematic diagram which shows the relationship between the bubble volume in a resist liquid, and a working chamber pressure. The schematic diagram which shows the relationship between discharge liquid volume, bubble volume, and operation chamber volume. The flowchart which shows the process which estimates bubble volume and dischargeable quantity.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment embodied as a chemical supply system used in a semiconductor production line or the like will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a chemical liquid supply system 10 (that is, a liquid supply system). As shown in the figure, the chemical solution supply system 10 supplies a resist solution R as a chemical solution (that is, a liquid) from the tip nozzle 47 n near the center of the semiconductor wafer W placed on the rotating plate 48. The resist solution R is spread from the vicinity of the center of the semiconductor wafer W to the outer edge of the semiconductor wafer W by centrifugal force.

  The chemical liquid supply system 10 includes a diaphragm pump 13, a pump drive unit 59, a chemical liquid supply system 49, a suction pipe 41, a discharge pipe 47, a discharge side valve 46, a flow rate sensor 71, a pressure sensor 72, a position A sensor 73, a controller 70, and the like are provided.

  The pump 13 includes a diaphragm 23 that partitions the pump chamber 25 and the working chamber 26. The resist solution R is sucked into the pump chamber 25 from the suction pipe 41, and the resist solution R is discharged from the pump chamber 25 into the discharge pipe 47. Operation air is supplied to and discharged from the working chamber 26. In addition, in FIG. 1, the outline of the pump 13 is shown typically.

  The pump drive unit 59 (that is, the supply / discharge unit) includes a supply source 53 that supplies pressurized operation air (that is, working gas), a vacuum generation source 61 that generates negative pressure, an electropneumatic regulator 51, and the like. I have.

  Operation air is supplied from the supply source 53 to the electropneumatic regulator 51 through the supply pipe 52. Operation air is discharged from the electropneumatic regulator 51 to the vacuum generation source 61 through the exhaust pipe 60. The electropneumatic regulator 51 includes an electromagnetic valve or the like, and switches the connection between the supply source 53 and the vacuum generation source 61. Then, operating air is supplied and discharged from the electropneumatic regulator 51 to the working chamber 26 of the pump 13 through the air pipe 50 (that is, the working gas passage). The electropneumatic regulator 51 controls the pressure of the operating air to a set pressure as a pressure target value based on a first command signal (for example, a pressure target value) from the controller 70. The pump drive unit 59 is not limited to the one provided with the electropneumatic regulator 51, and may be another circuit that controls the pressure of the working gas.

  The chemical solution supply system 49 includes a resist bottle 42 that stores the resist solution R, a suction side valve 40, a supply source 44 that supplies pressurized operation air, a pressure adjustment valve 45, a switching valve 43, and the like. I have.

  The resist bottle 42 (that is, the liquid container) is connected to the suction side valve 40 via the filter 41a by the suction pipe 41 (that is, the inflow passage). The resist bottle 42 may be above or below the pump chamber 25. The filter 41a removes impurities such as fine particles contained in the resist solution R. The suction side valve 40 (suction side valve) opens and closes the suction pipe 41. Operation air is supplied from the supply source 44 to the suction side valve 40 via the pressure adjustment valve 45 and the switching valve 43. The pressure adjustment valve 45 adjusts the pressure of the operation air supplied from the supply source 44 to a pressure for operating the suction side valve 40. The switching valve 43 is an electromagnetic valve that switches the connection state of the flow path by an electromagnetic switching unit 43a having an electromagnetic solenoid. The switching valve 43 switches between supply of operating air to the suction side valve 40 and release to the atmosphere based on a second command signal (for example, an ON command or an OFF command) from the controller 70. Then, when the suction side valve 40 is opened, the resist solution R flows into the pump chamber 25 of the pump 13 through the suction pipe 41.

  The pump chamber 25 of the pump 13 is connected to the tip nozzle 47n via a discharge side valve 46 by a discharge pipe 47 (that is, an outflow passage). The discharge side valve 46 (discharge side valve) has the same configuration as the suction side valve 40. The discharge side valve 46 is switched between an open state and a closed state based on a third command signal (for example, an on command or an off command) from the controller 70. Then, when the discharge side valve 46 is opened, the resist solution R flows out from the pump chamber 25 of the pump 13 through the discharge pipe 47. That is, the resist solution R is supplied to the tip nozzle 47n through the discharge pipe 47.

  The flow sensor 71 detects the flow rate of the operating air flowing through the air pipe 50, that is, the flow rate of the operating air flowing into and out of the working chamber 26 of the pump 13.

  The pressure sensor 72 detects the pressure of the operating air in the air pipe 50, that is, the pressure in the space including the working chamber 26 and the air pipe 50. Specifically, the pressure sensor 72 detects the pressure at the pressure detection point 72 p set between the pump 13 and the flow rate sensor 71 in the air pipe 50.

  The position sensor 73 detects the position of the diaphragm 23. Specifically, the position sensor 73 is turned off when the diaphragm 23 changes from the neutral position toward the pump chamber 25 (that is, the discharge side). The position sensor 73 is turned on when the diaphragm 23 is in the neutral position and when the diaphragm 23 is moving to the working chamber 26 side (that is, the suction side) from the neutral position. The neutral position is a position where the tension generated in the diaphragm 23 due to the fluctuation of the diaphragm 23 becomes smaller than a predetermined value (for example, the tension becomes 0), that is, a position where the tension generated in the diaphragm can be ignored.

  The controller 70 (that is, the control unit) is an electronic control device mainly composed of a microcomputer including a CPU and various memories. The controller 70 controls the state of suction and discharge of the resist solution R by the pump 13. An input signal (for example, a suction command signal or a discharge command signal) is input to the controller 70 from a management computer (not shown) that manages the entire system. The controller 70 receives a flow detection signal from the flow sensor 71, a pressure detection signal from the pressure sensor 72, and a position detection signal from the position sensor 73. Then, the controller 70 controls the open / close state of the suction side valve 40 and the discharge side valve 46 and the state of the electropneumatic regulator 51 (that is, the pump drive unit 59) based on the input signal. In the present embodiment, the controller 70 estimates the water head pressure and the relation coefficient on the suction side of the resist solution R, the dischargeable amount of the resist liquid R, and the water head pressure and the relation coefficient on the discharge side of the resist liquid R.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the diaphragm pump 13. As shown in the figure, the pump 13 has a pair of pump housings 21 and 22. Each pump housing 21, 22 is formed with a concave section 21 a, 22 a having a circular cross section at the center of the opposed surfaces. The diaphragm 23 is formed in a circular shape by a flexible film made of fluororesin or the like. The outer edge portion of the diaphragm 23 is sandwiched between the pump housing 21 and the pump housing 22. The pump housings 21 and 22 are fixed to each other by a plurality of screws 24.

  Diaphragm 23 partitions the space formed by both concave portions 21 a and 22 a inside pump housings 21 and 22. A space on the pump housing 21 side (left side of the diaphragm 23 in FIG. 2) partitioned by the diaphragm 23 constitutes the pump chamber 25. The space on the pump housing 22 side (the right side of the diaphragm 23 in FIG. 2) partitioned by the diaphragm 23 constitutes the working chamber 26. The pump chamber 25 is a space filled with the resist solution R. The working chamber 26 is a space filled with operating air that deforms (that is, fluctuates) the diaphragm 23.

  In the pump housing 21, a suction passage 21b (that is, an inflow passage) that communicates with the pump chamber 25 and a discharge passage 21c (that is, an outflow passage) are formed. The suction passage 21b is connected to the suction pipe 41. The discharge passage 21c is connected to the discharge pipe 47. In the pump housing 22, a supply / discharge passage 22 b communicating with the working chamber 26 is formed. The supply / discharge passage 22 b is connected to the air pipe 50.

  FIG. 3 is a time chart showing a basic operation mode of the chemical liquid supply system 10. The chemical solution supply system 10 operates by repeating a cycle including discharge and suction of the pump 13. The operation of the chemical solution supply system 10 is controlled by the controller 70.

  As shown in the figure, before the time t1, the suction side valve 40 is opened and the discharge side valve 46 is closed. The pressure in the working chamber 26 is a negative set pressure. In this state, the pump chamber 25 is expanded to the maximum, and the working chamber 26 is contracted to the minimum.

  At time t1, the suction side valve 40 is also closed while the discharge side valve 46 remains closed. After the suction side valve 40 is closed, the set pressure of the electropneumatic regulator 51 is switched to a positive pressure. As a result, the electropneumatic regulator 51 quickly controls the pressure of the working chamber 26 to the set positive pressure. In this state, since both the suction side valve 40 and the discharge side valve 46 are closed, the pump chamber 25 is in a state where a positive set pressure is applied from the working chamber 26 side via the diaphragm 23 (specifically, a stationary state). ).

  Here, the pressure at the pressure detection point 72p (that is, the pressure in the working chamber 26) is detected by the pressure sensor 72 in real time. The flow rate of the operation air flowing into and out of the working chamber 26 is detected by the flow rate sensor 71 in real time. Then, the above state is maintained until time t2 when the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 71 is less than a predetermined value (for example, the flow rate becomes 0). Note that the time t2 may be a time when the pressure fluctuation detected by the pressure sensor 72 becomes smaller than a predetermined value (for example, the pressure fluctuation becomes zero).

  At time t2, the discharge side valve 46 is opened. Thereby, the resist solution R can be discharged from the pump chamber 25 via the discharge side valve 46. Therefore, the discharge of the resist solution R from the pump chamber 25 is started in response to the pressing of the diaphragm 23 from the working chamber 26 side to the pump chamber 25 side by the operation air. This state is maintained for a period during which the working chamber 26 can be expanded to the maximum and the pump chamber 25 can be contracted to the minimum, that is, a period from time t2 to t3. Thereby, the discharge of the resist solution R from the pump 13 is completed.

  At time t3, the discharge side valve 46 is closed. At time t4 after a predetermined period from time t3, the suction side valve 40 is opened.

  From time t4 to t5, the set pressure of the operating air is not changed suddenly but gradually changed from positive pressure to negative pressure at a predetermined change rate. Thereby, the foaming phenomenon by the pressure of the pump chamber 25 falling rapidly can be suppressed. And the diaphragm 23 is attracted | sucked from the pump chamber 25 side to the working chamber 26 side with the fall (for example, negative pressure) of the setting pressure of operation air. This state is maintained for a period during which the pump chamber 25 can be expanded to the maximum and the working chamber 26 can be reduced to the minimum, that is, a period from time t5 to time t6. Thereby, the suction of the resist solution R to the pump 13 is completed. Thereafter, at time t6, the same control as at time t1 is executed.

(Suction side water head pressure estimation)
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process for estimating the hydraulic head pressure on the suction side (suction side valve side, second valve side). This series of processing is executed by the controller 70.

  First, the discharge side valve 46 (corresponding to the first valve) and the suction side valve 40 (corresponding to the second valve) are closed (S11, S12). That is, both the valves 46 and 40 are closed.

  Subsequently, the diaphragm 23 is moved to the neutral position (S13). The neutral position is a position where the tension generated in the diaphragm 23 due to the fluctuation of the diaphragm 23 becomes smaller than a predetermined value (for example, the tension becomes 0). Details of this processing will be described later.

  Subsequently, the set pressure in the process performed last time is read (S14). Specifically, in the process of estimating the water head pressure on the previous suction side by the controller 70, the set pressure output to the electropneumatic regulator 51 is read.

  Subsequently, the set pressure read in S14 is output to the electropneumatic regulator 51 (S15). Thereby, the electropneumatic regulator 51 starts the process which controls the pressure of the working chamber 26 to setting pressure. Then, the suction side valve 40 is opened (S16). That is, the process of estimating the hydraulic head pressure is started from the state where the pressure in the working chamber 26 is controlled to the set pressure in the previous process. In addition, when the set pressure in the process performed last time cannot be acquired, the process for estimating the hydraulic head pressure is started from a predetermined initial set pressure.

  Subsequently, the pressure of the working chamber 26 is detected by the pressure sensor 72 (S17), and the flow rate of the working air flowing into and out of the working chamber 26 is detected by the flow sensor 71 (S18).

  Subsequently, the suction side valve 40 is closed (S19). Based on the detected pressure and the detected flow rate, the volume change of the working chamber 26 is calculated (S20). Details of this processing will be described later.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the calculated volume change is 0 (S21). Specifically, it is determined whether the calculated volume change is smaller than a determination value. The determination value is set to a value by which it can be determined that the volume change of the working chamber 26 is substantially zero or substantially zero, for example, a value slightly larger than zero.

  If it is determined in S21 that the calculated volume change is not 0 (S21: NO), the diaphragm 23 is moved to the neutral position (S22). Then, the set pressure is changed (S23). Specifically, according to the calculated volume change, the volume change is changed to a set pressure that can quickly approach 0. For example, when the volume of the working chamber 26 is reduced, the set pressure is increased, and when the volume of the working chamber 26 is increased, the set pressure is decreased. Further, the higher the speed at which the volume of the working chamber 26 is reduced, the greater the set pressure is increased. The higher the speed at which the volume of the working chamber 26 expands, the more the set pressure is lowered. Thereafter, the processing is executed again from the processing of S15.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in S21 that the calculated volume change is 0 (S21: YES), the suction-side hydraulic head pressure is estimated (S24). Specifically, the set pressure of the working chamber 26 when the volume change of the working chamber 26 becomes zero, that is, the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 72 when the volume change of the working chamber 26 becomes zero, Estimated as water head pressure. Thereafter, this series of processing ends (END). This series of processing corresponds to a control method for the liquid supply system.

(Move to neutral position of diaphragm)
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the process of moving the diaphragm 23 to the neutral position (S13 in FIG. 4). This series of processing is executed by the controller 70.

  First, the set pressure of the working chamber 26 is changed (S130). Specifically, the set pressure is changed to a predetermined pressure that can rapidly change the diaphragm 23 from the neutral position toward the pump chamber 25. Then, the changed set pressure is output to the electropneumatic regulator 51 (S131). Thereby, the electropneumatic regulator 51 controls the pressure of the working chamber 26 to a set pressure.

  Subsequently, the discharge side valve 46 is opened (S132). The suction side valve 40 is closed in the process of S12 in FIG.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the position sensor 73 is turned off (S133). That is, it is determined whether the diaphragm 23 has moved to the pump chamber 25 side from the neutral position. In this determination, when it is determined that the position sensor 73 is not turned off (S133: NO), the determination of S133 is repeatedly performed to stand by.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in S133 that the position sensor 73 has been turned off (S133: YES), the discharge side valve 46 is closed (S134), and the set pressure in the working chamber 26 is changed (S135). Specifically, the set pressure is changed to a predetermined pressure that can move the diaphragm 23 to the neutral position at an appropriate speed. This predetermined pressure is set to a pressure at which the diaphragm 23 can be reliably moved to the neutral position and the diaphragm 23 does not fluctuate greatly to the working chamber 26 side than the neutral position. Then, the changed set pressure is output to the electropneumatic regulator 51 (S136). Thereby, the electropneumatic regulator 51 controls the pressure of the working chamber 26 to a set pressure.

  Subsequently, the suction side valve 40 is opened (S137).

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the position sensor 73 is turned on (S138). That is, it is determined whether the diaphragm 23 has moved to the neutral position. In this determination, when it is determined that the position sensor 73 is not turned on (S138: NO), the determination of S138 is repeatedly performed and the process waits.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in S138 that the position sensor 73 has been turned on (S138: YES), the suction side valve 40 is closed (S139). As a result, the diaphragm 23 stops at the neutral position. Thereafter, the process returns to S13 and subsequent steps in FIG. 4 (RET).

(Calculation of volume change of working chamber)
FIG. 6 is a calculation formula for calculating the working chamber volume of the pump 13 based on the pressure and flow rate of the operating air. This calculation formula is used in the process of S20 of FIG. Formulas F1 to F4 in FIG. 6 use the pressure and flow rate of the operating air supplied to the working chamber 26 in consideration of the compressibility of the operating air when both the pressure and the volume of the working chamber 26 change. This is a calculation formula for calculating the volume change of the working chamber 26.

  Formula F1 is a calculation formula for calculating the volume of the working chamber 26 at this time (n + 1). In Formula F1, the volume change Qv (n + 1) · Δt of the working chamber 26 at a predetermined sampling time Δt is added to the volume V (n) of the working chamber 26 of the previous (n), and the working chamber of this time (n + 1) This is a calculation formula for calculating the volume V (n + 1) of. That is, the volume V (n + 1) is calculated by adding the volume change Qv (k) · Δt of the working chamber 26 for each predetermined sampling time Δt to the initial volume V (0). The initial volume V (0) is an initial value of the volume of the working chamber 26 at the start of the discharge process or the suction process. For example, the initial volume V (0) in a state where the diaphragm 23 has moved to the discharge side end, a state in which the diaphragm 23 is in the neutral position, and a state in which the diaphragm 23 has moved to the suction side end is a known value. Then, the volume change ΔV at time Δt can be calculated by subtracting V (n) from V (n + 1). Note that the volume change ΔV is equal to the discharge amount of the resist solution R at the time Δt. This is because the volume change of the pump chamber 25 has the same sign and the same magnitude as the volume change ΔV of the working chamber 26.

  Formula F2 is a calculation formula for calculating the volume change Qv (n + 1) per unit time at the current detected pressure P (n + 1) of the working chamber 26 from the flow rate QM (n + 1) at the reference pressure P0. The detected pressure P (n + 1) is the pressure of the working chamber 26 detected by the pressure sensor 72. Here, the volume change per unit time means the flow rate. As a result, the flow rate detected assuming the reference pressure P0 can be converted into a flow rate at the pressure P (n + 1) and used. Then, the volume change Qv (n + 1) calculated by Formula F2 is substituted into Formula F1.

  Formula F3 is a calculation formula for calculating the flow rate QM (n + 1) at the reference pressure P0 using the detected flow rate QA (n + 1). The detected flow rate QA (n + 1) is the flow rate of the operation air detected by the flow rate sensor 71. The flow rate QM (n + 1) at the reference pressure P0 is calculated by subtracting the pressure change flow rate QP (n + 1) from the detected flow rate QA (n + 1). The pressure change flow rate QP (n + 1) is a flow rate that contributes to the pressure change of the working chamber 26 and does not contribute to the volume change. The pressure change flow rate QP (n + 1) is also called a compression flow rate. Then, the flow rate QM (n + 1) at the reference pressure P0 calculated by the formula F3 is substituted into the formula F2.

  Formula F4 is a calculation formula for calculating the flow rate QP (n + 1) corresponding to the pressure change. The pressure change flow rate QP (n + 1) is a flow rate that contributes only to the pressure change of the working chamber 26 in the flow rate of the operating air. The pressure change flow rate QP (n + 1) is a positive value when the pressure in the working chamber 26 is increasing, and is a negative value while the pressure in the working chamber 26 is decreasing. The pressure change (P (n + 1) −P (n)) is a change in the sampling time Δt of the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 72. For the pressure change (P (n + 1) −P (n)), an actual measurement value may be used as it is, or a value averaged over a certain time width may be used, for example. The calculated value of the pressure change flow rate QP (n + 1) is a value depending on the operation chamber volume V, which is the sum of the volume V (n) of the working chamber 26 and the volume of the air pipe 50 at that time. For this reason, the operation chamber volume V when calculating the pressure change flow rate QP (n + 1) is important. For example, the operation chamber volume V in a state where the diaphragm 23 has moved to the discharge side end, a state in which the diaphragm 23 is in the neutral position, and a state in which the diaphragm 23 has moved to the suction side end is a known value. Then, the flow rate QP (n + 1) corresponding to the pressure change calculated by the equation F4 is substituted into the equation F3. As described above, the volume change ΔV at the time Δt can be calculated by using the formula F1.

(Suction-side relationship coefficient estimation)
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a process of estimating a relation coefficient on the suction side (suction side valve side, second valve side). This series of processing is executed by the controller 70.

  The processes of S25 and S26 are the same as the processes of S11 and S12 of FIG.

  Subsequently, the diaphragm 23 is moved to the neutral position (S27).

  Subsequently, the set pressure of the working chamber 26 is changed (S28). Specifically, the set pressure is changed to a predetermined pressure that can change the diaphragm 23 from the pump chamber 25 side to the working chamber 26 side at an appropriate speed. This predetermined pressure is set to a pressure that can surely move the diaphragm 23 from the pump chamber 25 side to the working chamber 26 side, and can change the diaphragm 23 at a speed lower than the predetermined speed.

  Subsequently, the set pressure changed in S28 is output to the electropneumatic regulator 51 (S29). Thereby, the electropneumatic regulator 51 starts the process which controls the pressure of the working chamber 26 to setting pressure. Then, the suction side valve 40 is opened (S30).

  The processes of S31 and S32 are the same as the processes of S17 and S18 of FIG.

  Subsequently, the suction side valve 40 is closed (S33). Then, the volume change speed of the working chamber 26 is calculated (S34). The volume change speed of the working chamber 26 is calculated as the volume change Qv (n + 1) per unit time at the current detected pressure P (n + 1) of the working chamber 26 by the formula F2 in FIG.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the pressure in the working chamber 26 and the flow rate of the operating air are detected at a plurality of points (S35). Specifically, it is determined whether the pressure in the working chamber 26 and the flow rate of the operating air are detected at a plurality of positions when the diaphragm 23 is moved to a predetermined position or at a plurality of times when the diaphragm 23 is changed. The plurality of points may be at least two points, and the accuracy of the relation coefficient estimation improves as the number increases.

  In the determination of S35, when it is determined that the pressure in the working chamber 26 and the flow rate of the operating air are not detected at a plurality of points (S35: NO), the diaphragm 23 is moved to the neutral position (S36). Then, the set pressure of the working chamber 26 is changed (S37). The set pressure is further changed from the set pressure changed in S28. That is, the set pressure is changed to change the pressure in the working chamber 26 and the flow rate of the operation air. Thereafter, the process is executed again from the process of S29.

  On the other hand, in the determination of S35, when it is determined that the pressure of the working chamber 26 and the flow rate of the operating air are detected at a plurality of points (S35: YES), the suction side relation coefficient is estimated (S38). Specifically, for example, when the pressure in the working chamber 26 and the flow rate of the operating air are detected at two points with a sampling time Δt, the relationship coefficient on the suction side is calculated by the following equation. R (n + 1) = {Qv (n + 1) -Qv (n)} / {P (n + 1) -P (n)}. Here, R (n + 1) is a relation coefficient this time (that is, a coefficient reflecting pressure loss), P (n) is a detected pressure at the first point, P (n + 1) is a detected pressure at the second point, Qv (n) is the volume change speed of the working chamber 26 at the first point, and Qv (n + 1) is the volume change speed of the working chamber 26 at the second point. When the pressure in the working chamber 26 and the flow rate of the operating air are detected at more points than two points, an approximate straight line representing the relationship between the detected pressure and the volume change rate is calculated, and the relationship is determined from the inclination of the approximate straight line. A coefficient R (n + 1) is calculated.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the filter 41a has deteriorated based on the estimated relationship coefficient on the suction side (S39). Specifically, when the calculated relationship coefficient R (n + 1) is smaller than the determination value, it is determined that the filter 41a has deteriorated. The determination value is set according to the characteristics of the filter 41a.

  In the determination of S39, when it is determined that the filter 41a has not deteriorated (S39: NO), this series of processing ends (END). On the other hand, if it is determined in S39 that the filter 41a has deteriorated (S39: YES), the user is notified that the filter 41a has deteriorated (S40). Specifically, a warning lamp that prompts replacement of the filter 41a is turned on, or the degree of deterioration of the filter 41a (for example, the relation coefficient R (n + 1)) is displayed. Thereafter, this series of processing ends (END).

  In the chemical solution supply system 10, when the amount of the resist solution R in the resist bottle 42 changes as the resist solution R is used, the water head pressure on the suction side of the resist solution R changes. Further, when the operation period of the chemical solution supply system becomes long, the pressure loss on the suction side of the resist solution R, and thus the relation coefficient, change due to deterioration of the filter 41a and the like. In the pump 13, the relationship between the pressure in the space including the working chamber 26 and the air pipe 50 (that is, the operation chamber) and the suction amount of the resist solution R is the water head pressure on the suction side of the resist solution R and the relationship coefficient on the suction side. It changes according to.

  Therefore, the controller 70 sets the set pressure for suctioning the resist solution R based on the estimated suction-side hydraulic head pressure and the estimated suction-side relationship coefficient (that is, in the space including the working chamber 26 and the air pipe 50). Change the pressure target value. And the controller 70 controls the electropneumatic regulator 51 (namely, pump drive part 59) so that the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 72 may be set pressure. For example, as the water head pressure on the suction side of the resist solution R decreases, the set pressure at the time of suction of the pump 13 is decreased (that is, the negative pressure is increased). As the relation coefficient on the suction side of the resist solution R becomes smaller, the set pressure at the time of suction of the pump 13 is lowered. Specifically, the relationship of required flow rate = R (n + 1) × (water head pressure−set pressure) is satisfied (the set pressure is a negative value). For this reason, it changes to set pressure = water head pressure-required flow rate / R (n + 1).

(Estimated discharge capacity)
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process for estimating the dischargeable amount. This series of processing is executed by the controller 70.

  The processing of S41 and S42 is the same as the processing of S11 and S12 in FIG.

  Subsequently, the set pressure of the working chamber 26 is changed (S43). Specifically, in a state where the discharge side valve 46 and the suction side valve 40 are closed, that is, in a state where the diaphragm 23 does not fluctuate, the pressure is such that the change in the flow rate of the operating air accompanying the pressure change in the working chamber 26 can be detected with high accuracy. Change the set pressure. For example, the set pressure is increased from atmospheric pressure to a predetermined pressure.

  The processing of S44 to S46 is the same as the processing of S15, S17, and S18 of FIG.

  Subsequently, the volume of the operation room is calculated (S47). Specifically, Formula F4 in FIG. 6 is modified to derive Formula F5 in FIG. Here, since the diaphragm 23 is in a state that does not fluctuate, the detected flow rate QA (n + 1) at that time can be regarded as being equal to the pressure change flow rate QP (n + 1). V is the operation chamber volume that is the sum of the volume V (n) of the working chamber 26 and the air piping 50 at that time, QA (n + 1) is the current detected flow rate, P0 is the reference pressure, and ΔP (n + 1) is the pressure change. (P (n + 1) −P (n)), Δt is a predetermined sampling time. The product of the detected flow rate QA (n + 1) and the time Δt corresponds to the integrated value of the flow rate.

  Subsequently, the dischargeable amount is estimated based on the calculated operation chamber volume V (S48). Specifically, the volume (that is, the dischargeable amount) of the pump chamber 25 is calculated by subtracting the operation chamber volume V from the total of the volume of the pump chamber 25 and the operation chamber volume V. Here, the sum of the volume of the pump chamber 25 and the operation chamber volume V is a known value determined by the design of the pump 13. The dischargeable amount is the maximum volume of the resist solution R that can be discharged by the pump 13 at the present time (that is, the current state). Thereafter, this series of processing ends (END).

  Here, if the current dischargeable amount of the pump 13 is smaller than the required amount (that is, the required volume) of the resist solution R that is required to be discharged, the required amount of the resist solution R is removed in the discharge operation from the current state. Cannot be discharged. Accordingly, the controller 70 is configured to discharge the required amount when the estimated dischargeable amount is smaller than the required amount of the resist solution R when the pump 13 starts to discharge the resist solution R. And the resist solution R is sucked. For example, the resist solution R is sucked by the pump 13 until the volume of the pump chamber 25, that is, the dischargeable amount becomes equal to the required amount, or until the dischargeable amount becomes larger than the required amount.

(Bubble volume and dischargeable volume estimation)
If bubbles are contained in the resist solution R in the pump chamber 25, even if the above (Estimate dischargeable amount) is performed, the resist solution R that can be discharged at the present time when the resist solution R is discharged There is a possibility that the maximum volume cannot be estimated accurately.

  FIG. 10 shows a state in which when the resist solution R contains bubbles, the volume of the bubbles changes depending on the pressure in the pump chamber 25, that is, the pressure in the working chamber 26. As shown in the figure, the volume of bubbles in the resist solution R decreases as the pressure in the working chamber 26 increases.

  FIG. 11 shows the relationship between the discharge liquid volume VL1, which is the volume of the resist liquid R at the pressure P1 (corresponding to the first pressure), the bubble volume Vk1, and the operation chamber volume Vs1, which is the volume of the working chamber 26, in the upper stage. ing. FIG. 11 shows the relationship between the discharge liquid volume VL2, the bubble volume Vk2, and the operation chamber volume Vs2 at the lower level at the pressure P2 (corresponding to the second pressure).

  Here, Boyle's law is established for the operation air in the working chamber 26. For this reason, the relationship that the product of the pressure P1 and the operating chamber volume Vs1 is equal to the product of the pressure P2 and the operating chamber volume Vs2 is established. That is, P1 · Vk1 = P2 · Vk2 holds. The difference between the bubble volume Vk1 in the pump chamber 25 at the pressure P1 and the bubble volume Vk2 in the pump chamber 25 at the pressure P2 is the difference between the operation chamber volume Vs1 at the pressure P1 and the operation chamber volume Vs2 at the pressure P2. The relationship that is equal to the difference (the absolute value of the difference) is established. That is, Vk1-Vk2 = Vs2-Vs1 is established. By arranging these relationships, a relational expression Vk1 = {P2 / (P2-P1)} · (Vs2-Vs1) can be derived. Therefore, the bubble volume Vk1 in the pump chamber 25 at the pressure P1 can be estimated based on the pressure P1, the pressure P2, the operation chamber volume Vs1, and the operation chamber volume Vs2. Similarly, the bubble volume Vk2 in the pump chamber 25 at the pressure P2 can be estimated based on the pressure P1, the pressure P2, the operation chamber volume Vs1, and the operation chamber volume Vs2. As a result, when the resist solution R is discharged, the maximum volume of the resist solution R that can be discharged at the present time can be accurately estimated.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a process of estimating the bubble volume and the dischargeable amount. This series of processing is executed by the controller 70. About the process same as FIG. 8, the description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same step number as FIG. That is, in FIG. 12, the following points are changed from FIG. In S43A, the set pressure is changed to the pressure P1 for the first time, and the set pressure is changed to the pressure P2 for the second time. After S47, it is determined whether the operation chamber volume calculation has been executed twice or more (whether the first current volume and the second current volume have been calculated) (S47A). In this determination, when it is determined that the operation chamber volume calculation is not executed twice or more (S47A: NO), the process is executed again from the process of S43A. On the other hand, when it is determined that the volume calculation of the operation room has been executed twice or more (S47A: YES), for example, the bubble volume Vk2 is calculated based on the above relational expression. Subsequently, by subtracting the bubble volume Vk2 from the maximum volume of the dischargeable resist solution R calculated in the same manner as in S48 of FIG. 8, the maximum volume of the dischargeable resist solution R excluding the bubbles at the pressure P2 is calculated (S48A). ). Therefore, when the resist solution R is discharged, it is possible to accurately estimate the maximum volume of the resist solution R that can be actually discharged (the maximum volume of the resist solution R as a dischargeable liquid) at the present time.

(Estimation of water head pressure on the discharge side)
In FIG. 4, the controller 70 opens the discharge side valve 46 instead of the process of S16, and closes the discharge side valve 46 instead of the process of S19. The other processes are the same as those shown in FIG. 4 to estimate the water head pressure on the discharge side (discharge side valve side, second valve side) in S24. This series of processing corresponds to a control method for the liquid supply system.

(Estimation of relationship coefficient on the discharge side)
In FIG. 7, the controller 70 opens the discharge side valve 46 instead of the process of S30, and closes the discharge side valve 46 instead of the process of S33. In other processes, the same process as S25 to S29, S31, S32, and S34 to 38 in FIG. 7 is performed to estimate the relation coefficient on the discharge side (discharge side valve side, second valve side) in S38. .

  In the chemical solution supply system 10, when the amount of the resist solution R existing in the discharge pipe 47 on the downstream side of the pump chamber 25 changes, the water head pressure on the discharge side of the resist solution R changes. Further, when the operation period of the chemical solution supply system 10 becomes longer, the pressure loss on the discharge side of the resist solution R, and thus the relationship coefficient, changes. In the pump 13, the relationship between the pressure in the space including the working chamber 26 and the air pipe 50 (that is, the operation chamber) and the discharge amount of the resist solution R is the water head pressure on the discharge side of the resist solution R and the relationship coefficient on the discharge side. It changes according to.

  Therefore, the controller 70 changes the set pressure for discharging the resist solution R based on the estimated discharge-side hydraulic head pressure and the estimated discharge-side relationship coefficient. Then, the controller 70 controls the electropneumatic regulator 51 so that the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 72 becomes the set pressure. For example, the set pressure at the time of discharge of the pump 13 is increased as the water head pressure on the discharge side of the resist solution R increases. As the relation coefficient on the discharge side of the resist solution R becomes smaller, the set pressure at the time of discharge of the pump 13 is increased. Specifically, the relationship of required flow rate = R (n + 1) × (set pressure−water head pressure) is satisfied. Therefore, the setting pressure is changed to the required flow rate / R (n + 1) + water head pressure.

  The embodiment described in detail above has the following advantages.

  The controller 70 controls the electropneumatic regulator 51, the suction side valve 40, and the discharge side valve 46. Specifically, since the controller 70 closes the discharge side valve 46 and opens the suction side valve 40, the resist solution R flows from the suction pipe 41 into the pump chamber 25. Then, the diaphragm 23 is changed by the resist solution R in the pump chamber 25, and the volume of the working chamber 26 is changed. At this time, the volume change of the working chamber 26 is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 71.

  Further, the electropneumatic regulator 51 is controlled by the controller 70 so that the volume change of the working chamber 26 becomes zero, and the operation air is supplied to and discharged from the working chamber 26 by the electropneumatic regulator 51. Thereby, the volume change of the working chamber 26 is quickly made zero. In the state where the discharge side valve 46 is closed and the suction side valve 40 is opened, and the volume change of the working chamber 26 is zero, the pressure in the space including the working chamber 26 is the head pressure on the suction side of the resist solution R. Are equal. For this reason, the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 72 when the volume change of the working chamber 26 becomes zero is estimated as the water head pressure on the suction side of the resist solution R. Therefore, the water head pressure of the resist solution R can be estimated quickly.

  The controller 70 closes the discharge side valve 46 and opens the suction side valve 40, and the electropneumatic regulator 51 is controlled to change the pressure in the space including the working chamber 26. As a result, the volume of the working chamber 26, and hence the volume of the pump chamber 25, changes according to the pressure change in the space including the working chamber 26, and the resist solution R flows into and out of the pump chamber 25. At this time, in a state where the discharge side valve 46 is closed and the suction side valve 40 is opened, the pressure change amount in the space including the working chamber 26 and the flow rate change amount of the resist solution R are the pressure loss on the suction side of the resist solution R. Have a predetermined relationship.

  Therefore, the controller 70 calculates the pressure change amount based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 72 and calculates the flow rate change amount based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor 71. The flow rate of the operation air detected by the flow rate sensor 71 has a correlation with the flow rate of the resist solution R flowing into and out of the pump chamber 25. Therefore, the relationship between the pressure in the space including the working chamber 26 and the flow rate of the resist solution R is determined based on the pressure variation in the space including the working chamber 26 and the flow rate variation in the operation air flowing into and out of the working chamber 26. The relationship coefficient on the suction side to be represented can be estimated.

  Based on the estimated suction-side water head pressure and the estimated suction-side relationship coefficient by the controller 70, the pressure target value (specifically, the setting) of the space including the working chamber 26 when the resist solution R is sucked Pressure) is set. Then, the electropneumatic regulator 51 is controlled by the controller 70 so that the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 72 becomes the pressure target value. Accordingly, even if the water head pressure on the suction side of the resist solution R and the relationship coefficient on the suction side change, the suction amount of the resist solution R can be accurately controlled.

  The controller 70 notifies the deterioration of the filter 41a based on the estimated relation coefficient on the suction side. For this reason, it is possible to prompt the user to replace the filter 41a at an appropriate time.

  Since the controller 70 closes the suction side valve 40 and opens the discharge side valve 46, the resist solution R flows out from the pump chamber 25 to the discharge pipe 47. Then, the diaphragm 23 is changed by the resist solution R in the pump chamber 25, and the volume of the working chamber 26 is changed. At this time, the volume change of the working chamber 26 is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 71.

  Further, the electropneumatic regulator 51 is controlled by the controller 70 so that the volume change of the working chamber 26 becomes zero, and the operation air is supplied to and discharged from the working chamber 26 by the electropneumatic regulator 51. Thereby, the volume change of the working chamber 26 is quickly made zero. In the state where the suction side valve 40 is closed and the discharge side valve 46 is opened, and the volume change of the working chamber 26 is zero, the pressure in the space including the working chamber 26 is the head pressure on the discharge side of the resist solution R. Are equal. For this reason, the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 72 when the volume change of the working chamber 26 becomes zero is estimated as the water head pressure on the discharge side of the resist solution R. Therefore, the water head pressure of the resist solution R can be estimated quickly.

  The controller 70 closes the suction side valve 40 and opens the discharge side valve 46, and the electropneumatic regulator 51 is controlled to change the pressure in the space including the working chamber 26. As a result, the volume of the working chamber 26, and hence the volume of the pump chamber 25, changes according to the pressure change in the space including the working chamber 26, and the resist solution R flows into and out of the pump chamber 25. At this time, in a state where the suction side valve 40 is closed and the discharge side valve 46 is opened, the pressure change amount in the space including the working chamber 26 and the flow rate change amount of the resist solution R are the pressure loss on the discharge side of the resist solution R. Have a predetermined relationship.

  Therefore, the controller 70 calculates the pressure change amount based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 72 and calculates the flow rate change amount based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor 71. The flow rate of the operation air detected by the flow rate sensor 71 has a correlation with the flow rate of the resist solution R flowing into and out of the pump chamber 25. Accordingly, the discharge side representing the relationship between the pressure in the space including the working chamber 26 and the flow rate of the resist solution R based on the amount of pressure change in the space including the working chamber 26 and the amount of change in the flow rate of the operating air flowing into the working chamber 26. Can be estimated.

  The controller 70 sets a pressure target value for the space including the working chamber 26 when the resist solution R is discharged, based on the estimated discharge-side hydraulic head pressure and the estimated discharge-side relationship coefficient. Then, the electropneumatic regulator 51 is controlled by the controller 70 so that the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 72 becomes the pressure target value. Therefore, even if the hydraulic head pressure on the discharge side of the resist solution R and the relationship coefficient on the discharge side change, the discharge amount of the resist solution R can be accurately controlled.

  When the electropneumatic regulator 51 is controlled so that the volume change becomes 0, the electropneumatic regulator 51 is controlled so as to increase the pressure of the working chamber 26 when the volume of the working chamber 26 is reduced. . Further, when the volume of the working chamber 26 is enlarged, the electropneumatic regulator 51 is controlled so as to reduce the pressure of the working chamber 26. For this reason, the electropneumatic regulator 51 can be controlled in accordance with the tendency of the volume of the working chamber 26 to change, and the volume change can be quickly reduced to zero.

  When controlling the electropneumatic regulator 51 so that the volume change becomes zero, the electropneumatic regulator 51 is controlled so that the pressure of the working chamber 26 is increased more as the volume of the working chamber 26 is reduced. The Further, the electropneumatic regulator 51 is controlled so that the pressure of the working chamber 26 is greatly decreased as the volume of the working chamber 26 is increased. For this reason, the electropneumatic regulator 51 can be controlled according to the tendency and the change speed of the volume of the working chamber 26, and the volume change can be made zero more quickly.

  The controller 70 causes the discharge side valve 46 and the suction side valve 40 to be closed, and the electropneumatic regulator 51 is controlled to change the pressure in the space including the working chamber 26. Thereby, the operation air flows into and out of the space including the working chamber 26. At this time, the operation air flowing into and out of the space including the working chamber 26 contributes to a pressure change in the space including the working chamber 26 in a state where the discharge side valve 46 and the suction side valve 40 are closed. The amount of pressure change in the space including the working chamber 26 due to the inflowing / outflowing operating air varies depending on the current volume of the space including the working chamber 26. For this reason, the relationship between the pressure change amount in the space including the working chamber 26 and the flow rate integrated value (that is, the inflow / outflow amount) of the operating air reflects the current volume of the working chamber 26. Therefore, the current volume of the space including the working chamber 26 can be calculated based on the pressure change amount of the space including the working chamber 26 and the integrated flow rate of the operating air flowing into the working chamber 26.

  In the pump, the sum of the volume of the space including the working chamber 26 and the volume of the pump chamber 25 is constant. The maximum volume of the resist solution R that can be discharged by the pump by a single discharge operation is determined by the volume of the resist solution R that is currently sucked into the pump chamber 25, that is, the current volume of the pump chamber 25. Therefore, the maximum volume (that is, the dischargeable amount) of the resist solution R that can be discharged at the time of discharging the resist solution R can be estimated based on the current volume of the space including the working chamber 26.

  -When starting the discharge of the resist solution R by the pump, if the estimated maximum volume is smaller than the required volume of the resist solution R that is required to be discharged, the controller 70 is electropneumatic so that the required volume can be discharged. The regulator 51 is controlled to suck the resist solution R. Therefore, when the volume of the resist solution R sucked into the pump chamber 25 at the present time is smaller than the required volume, the resist solution R of the required volume can be discharged after supplementing the resist solution R in the pump chamber 25. .

  The controller 70 controls the electropneumatic regulator 51 to estimate the hydraulic head pressure on the condition that the variable member has changed to a position where the tension generated in the diaphragm 23 becomes smaller than a predetermined value. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the influence of the tension generated in the diaphragm 23 and accurately estimate the hydraulic head pressure.

  Note that the above-described embodiment may be modified as follows.

  -The process which alert | reports deterioration of the filter 41a can also be abbreviate | omitted.

  The pressure sensor 72 may detect the pressure in the working chamber 26.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a modification example of the process of moving the diaphragm 23 to the neutral position. This series of processing is executed by the controller 70.

  First, the set pressure of the working chamber 26 is changed (S51). Specifically, the set pressure is changed to a predetermined pressure that can move the diaphragm 23 from the pump chamber 25 side to the end portion on the working chamber 26 side (that is, the end portion on the suction side). Then, the changed set pressure is output to the electropneumatic regulator 51 (S52). Thereby, the electropneumatic regulator 51 controls the pressure of the working chamber 26 to a set pressure.

  Subsequently, the suction side valve 40 is opened (S53). In addition, the discharge side valve 46 is closed in the process of S11 of FIG.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the diaphragm 23 has moved to the suction side end (S54). Specifically, when the volume change of the working chamber 26 disappears after the suction operation of the pump 13 is started, it is determined that the diaphragm 23 has moved to the end on the suction side. Note that it may be determined that the diaphragm 23 has moved to the end on the suction side when the flow rate of the operation air becomes 0 after the suction operation starts or when a predetermined time has elapsed after the suction operation starts. In this determination, when it is determined that the diaphragm 23 has not moved to the end on the suction side (S54: NO), the determination of S54 is repeated and the process waits.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in S54 that the diaphragm 23 has moved to the end on the suction side (S54: YES), the suction side valve 40 is closed (S55).

  Subsequently, the set pressure of the working chamber 26 is changed (S56). Specifically, the set pressure is changed to a predetermined pressure that can move the diaphragm 23 to the neutral position at an appropriate speed. The predetermined pressure is set to a pressure that can surely move the diaphragm 23 to the neutral position and that the diaphragm 23 does not greatly change toward the pump chamber 25 than the neutral position. Then, the changed set pressure is output to the electropneumatic regulator 51 (S57). Thereby, the electropneumatic regulator 51 controls the pressure of the working chamber 26 to a set pressure.

  Subsequently, the discharge side valve 46 is opened (S58).

  The processes of S59 to S61 are basically the same as the processes of S17, S18, and S20 in FIG. However, in the process of S61, the volume change of the working chamber 26 from the state in which the diaphragm 23 has moved to the suction side end is calculated.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the volume change of the working chamber 26 has become a predetermined amount (S62). This predetermined amount is set to an amount (known amount) by which the volume of the working chamber 26 changes from the state in which the diaphragm 23 has moved to the end on the suction side to the neutral position. In this determination, when it is determined that the volume change of the working chamber 26 is not a predetermined amount (S62: NO), the process is executed again from the process of S59.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in S62 that the volume change of the working chamber 26 has reached a predetermined amount (S62: YES), the discharge side valve 46 is closed (S63). As a result, the diaphragm 23 stops at the neutral position. Thereafter, the process returns to S13 and subsequent steps in FIG. 4 (RET).

  In the flowchart of FIG. 4, the process of moving the diaphragm 23 in S13 and S22 to the neutral position can be omitted. If the influence of the tension generated on the diaphragm 23 is small, such as when the diameter of the diaphragm 23 is sufficiently large with respect to the fluctuation amount (that is, the stroke) of the diaphragm 23, there is no problem even if the processing of S13 and S22 is omitted.

  In FIG. 6, when calculating the volume change Qv (n + 1) of the working chamber 26 per unit time, the pressure change flow rate QP (n + 1) is taken into consideration. However, simply, the volume change Qv (n + 1) can also be calculated by regarding the pressure change flow rate QP (n + 1) as 0. In that case, the flow rate QM (n + 1) at the reference pressure P0 can be regarded as being equal to the detected flow rate QA (n + 1).

  In the above embodiment, when the estimated dischargeable amount is smaller than the required amount of the resist solution R, the resist solution R is sucked by the pump 13 so that the required amount can be discharged. However, when the estimated dischargeable amount is smaller than the required amount of the resist solution R, the resist solution R may be simply sucked by the pump 13 so as to increase the dischargeable amount. Further, the process of sucking the resist solution R can be omitted.

  The process for estimating the dischargeable amount can be omitted.

  In the above-described embodiment, the controller 70 changes the set pressure for sucking the resist solution R based on the estimated suction head hydraulic head pressure and the estimated suction side relation coefficient. However, the set pressure for sucking the resist solution R may be changed based on either the estimated suction-side water head pressure or the estimated suction-side relationship coefficient. Further, the set pressure for discharging the resist solution R may be changed based on either the estimated discharge-side water head pressure or the estimated discharge-side relationship coefficient.

  In the flowchart of FIG. 4, the process of closing the suction side valve 40 in S12 and S19 and the process of moving the diaphragm 23 in S13 and S22 to the neutral position are omitted, and the process after S14 is performed with the suction side valve 40 open. Processing may be executed.

  In the above embodiment, the controller 70 performs processing such as estimation of the hydraulic head pressure, movement of the diaphragm 23 to the neutral position, estimation of the relationship coefficient, estimation of the dischargeable amount, and the like. However, these processes can also be executed by a controller (that is, a control unit) higher than the controller 70.

  In the above embodiment, the operation air (air) supplied to and discharged from the working chamber 26 has been described as an example, but other working gases such as nitrogen may be used in addition to air.

  In the above embodiment, the diaphragm pump 13 is employed, but a bellows pump, for example, may be employed. In general, it is possible to employ a pump that drives a variable member (moving member such as a deformation member or a piston) that partitions the pump chamber and the working chamber by supplying a working gas.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the resist solution R is applied as a liquid to the semiconductor wafer W has been described. However, the types of chemicals and processes are not limited thereto, and the present invention can be applied to a liquid supply system that supplies liquid.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Chemical solution supply system (liquid supply system), 13 ... Diaphragm pump (pump), 23 ... Diaphragm (variable member), 25 ... Pump chamber, 26 ... Working chamber, 40 ... Suction side valve (suction side valve), 41 ... Suction piping (inflow passage), 41a ... filter, 42 ... resist bottle (liquid container), 46 ... discharge side valve (discharge side valve), 47 ... discharge piping (outflow passage), 59 ... pump drive section (supply / discharge section) , 70 ... Controller (control unit), 71 ... Flow rate sensor, 72 ... Pressure sensor.

Claims (19)

The pump chamber into which the liquid supplied from the liquid container flows in and out and the working chamber from which the working gas is supplied and discharged are partitioned by a variable member, and based on the change in the volume of the pump chamber due to the variation of the variable member A pump for sucking and discharging liquid;
A supply / discharge section for supplying and discharging the working gas to and from the working chamber;
A suction-side valve that opens and closes an inflow passage through which the liquid flows into the pump chamber;
A discharge-side valve that opens and closes an outflow passage through which the liquid flows out of the pump chamber;
A pressure sensor for detecting a pressure in a space including the working chamber;
A flow rate sensor for detecting a flow rate of the working gas flowing into and out of the working chamber;
A control unit for controlling the supply / exhaust unit, the suction side valve, and the discharge side valve, wherein the first valve that is one of the suction side valve and the discharge side valve is closed and the second valve that is the other is closed The volume change of the working chamber is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, and the supply / exhaust unit is controlled so that the volume change becomes zero, and the volume change becomes zero. The control unit for estimating the pressure detected by the pressure sensor in a state of being the head pressure of the liquid on the second valve side;
Equipped with a,
The control unit detects the pressure sensor when the first valve is closed and the second valve is opened, and when the pressure in the space including the working chamber is changed by controlling the supply / exhaust unit. A space that includes the working chamber based on the pressure change amount and the flow rate change amount, and calculates a flow rate change amount based on the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor. A liquid supply system for estimating a relation coefficient on the second valve side representing a relation between a pressure of the liquid and a flow rate of the liquid. The liquid supply system according to claim 1, wherein the first valve is the discharge side valve, and the second valve is the suction side valve. The pump chamber into which the liquid supplied from the liquid container flows in and out and the working chamber from which the working gas is supplied and discharged are partitioned by a variable member, and based on the change in the volume of the pump chamber due to the variation of the variable member A pump for sucking and discharging liquid;
A supply / discharge section for supplying and discharging the working gas to and from the working chamber;
A suction-side valve that opens and closes an inflow passage through which the liquid flows into the pump chamber;
A discharge-side valve that opens and closes an outflow passage through which the liquid flows out of the pump chamber;
A pressure sensor for detecting a pressure in a space including the working chamber;
A flow rate sensor for detecting a flow rate of the working gas flowing into and out of the working chamber;
A control unit for controlling the supply / exhaust unit, the suction side valve, and the discharge side valve, wherein the first valve that is one of the suction side valve and the discharge side valve is closed and the second valve that is the other is closed The volume change of the working chamber is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, and the supply / exhaust unit is controlled so that the volume change becomes zero, and the volume change becomes zero. The control unit for estimating the pressure detected by the pressure sensor in a state of being the head pressure of the liquid on the second valve side;
With
The liquid supply system, wherein the first valve is the discharge side valve, and the second valve is the suction side valve. The control unit calculates a pressure target value of a space including the working chamber when sucking the liquid, based on the estimated water head pressure on the suction side valve side and the estimated relation coefficient on the suction side valve side. 4. The liquid supply system according to claim 2 , wherein the liquid supply system is controlled so as to set the pressure detected by the pressure sensor to be the pressure target value. 5. The inflow passage is provided with the liquid filter,
5. The liquid supply system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit notifies the deterioration of the filter based on the estimated relation coefficient on the suction side valve side. The controller closes the suction side valve and opens the discharge side valve, calculates the volume change of the working chamber based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, and the volume change becomes zero. controlling the supply and discharge unit as, according to claim 2-5 for estimating the pressure the volume change is detected by the pressure sensor in a condition that 0 as head pressure of the discharge-side valve side of the liquid The liquid supply system according to any one of the above. The liquid supply system according to claim 1, wherein the first valve is the suction side valve, and the second valve is the discharge side valve.   The control unit calculates a pressure target value of a space including the working chamber when discharging the liquid based on the estimated water head pressure on the discharge side valve side and the estimated relation coefficient on the discharge side valve side. The liquid supply system according to claim 7, wherein the liquid supply system is controlled so that the pressure detected by the pressure sensor is set as the pressure target value.   The control unit controls the supply / discharge unit so as to increase the pressure of the working chamber when the volume of the working chamber is reduced when controlling the supply / discharge unit so that the volume change becomes zero. The liquid supply according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the supply and discharge unit is controlled so as to reduce the pressure of the working chamber when the volume of the working chamber is increased by controlling the portion. system.   The control unit controls the supply / exhaust unit so that the volume change becomes zero, so that the higher the speed at which the volume of the working chamber is reduced, the higher the pressure of the working chamber is increased. The discharge part is controlled, The said supply / discharge part is controlled so that the pressure of the said working chamber may be largely reduced, so that the speed which the volume of the said working chamber expands is high. Liquid supply system. The pump chamber into which the liquid supplied from the liquid container flows in and out and the working chamber from which the working gas is supplied and discharged are partitioned by a variable member, and based on the change in the volume of the pump chamber due to the variation of the variable member A pump for sucking and discharging liquid;
A supply / discharge section for supplying and discharging the working gas to and from the working chamber;
A suction-side valve that opens and closes an inflow passage through which the liquid flows into the pump chamber;
A discharge-side valve that opens and closes an outflow passage through which the liquid flows out of the pump chamber;
A pressure sensor for detecting a pressure in a space including the working chamber;
A flow rate sensor for detecting a flow rate of the working gas flowing into and out of the working chamber;
A control unit for controlling the supply / exhaust unit, the suction side valve, and the discharge side valve, wherein the first valve that is one of the suction side valve and the discharge side valve is closed and the second valve that is the other is closed The volume change of the working chamber is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, and the supply / exhaust unit is controlled so that the volume change becomes zero, and the volume change becomes zero. The control unit for estimating the pressure detected by the pressure sensor in a state of being the head pressure of the liquid on the second valve side;
With
The control unit controls the supply / exhaust unit so that the volume change becomes zero, so that the higher the speed at which the volume of the working chamber is reduced, the higher the pressure of the working chamber is increased. The liquid supply system according to claim 1, wherein the supply / discharge unit is controlled such that the higher the speed at which the volume of the working chamber expands, the lower the pressure in the working chamber is. The control unit is detected by the pressure sensor when the discharge side valve and the suction side valve are closed and the pressure in the space including the working chamber is changed by controlling the supply / exhaust unit. A pressure change amount is calculated based on the pressure, a flow rate integrated value is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, and a current position of the space including the working chamber is calculated based on the pressure change amount and the flow rate integrated value. The liquid supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein a volume is calculated, and a maximum volume of the liquid that can be discharged at the present time when the liquid is discharged is estimated based on the current volume. The pump chamber into which the liquid supplied from the liquid container flows in and out and the working chamber from which the working gas is supplied and discharged are partitioned by a variable member, and based on the change in the volume of the pump chamber due to the variation of the variable member A pump for sucking and discharging liquid;
A supply / discharge section for supplying and discharging the working gas to and from the working chamber;
A suction-side valve that opens and closes an inflow passage through which the liquid flows into the pump chamber;
A discharge-side valve that opens and closes an outflow passage through which the liquid flows out of the pump chamber;
A pressure sensor for detecting a pressure in a space including the working chamber;
A flow rate sensor for detecting a flow rate of the working gas flowing into and out of the working chamber;
A control unit for controlling the supply / exhaust unit, the suction side valve, and the discharge side valve, wherein the first valve that is one of the suction side valve and the discharge side valve is closed and the second valve that is the other is closed The volume change of the working chamber is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, and the supply / exhaust unit is controlled so that the volume change becomes zero, and the volume change becomes zero. The control unit for estimating the pressure detected by the pressure sensor in a state of being the head pressure of the liquid on the second valve side;
With
The control unit is detected by the pressure sensor when the discharge side valve and the suction side valve are closed and the pressure in the space including the working chamber is changed by controlling the supply / exhaust unit. A pressure change amount is calculated based on the pressure, a flow rate integrated value is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, and a current position of the space including the working chamber is calculated based on the pressure change amount and the flow rate integrated value. A liquid supply system that calculates a volume and estimates a maximum volume of the liquid that can be ejected at the time of ejecting the liquid based on the current volume. The control unit, when starting the discharge of the liquid by the pump, when the estimated maximum volume is smaller than the required volume of the liquid required to be discharged, the required volume can be discharged, The liquid supply system according to claim 12 or 13 , wherein the liquid is sucked by controlling a supply / discharge portion. The said control part estimates the said hydraulic head pressure on condition that the said fluctuation | variation member was fluctuated to the position where the tension | tensile_strength which generate | occur | produces in the said fluctuation | variation member becomes smaller than predetermined value by controlling the said supply / discharge part. The liquid supply system according to any one of to 14 . The pump chamber into which the liquid supplied from the liquid container flows in and out and the working chamber from which the working gas is supplied and discharged are partitioned by a variable member, and based on the change in the volume of the pump chamber due to the variation of the variable member A pump for sucking and discharging liquid;
A supply / discharge section for supplying and discharging the working gas to and from the working chamber;
A suction-side valve that opens and closes an inflow passage through which the liquid flows into the pump chamber;
A discharge-side valve that opens and closes an outflow passage through which the liquid flows out of the pump chamber;
A pressure sensor for detecting a pressure in a space including the working chamber;
A flow rate sensor for detecting a flow rate of the working gas flowing into and out of the working chamber;
A control unit for controlling the supply / exhaust unit, the suction side valve, and the discharge side valve, wherein the first valve that is one of the suction side valve and the discharge side valve is closed and the second valve that is the other is closed The volume change of the working chamber is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, and the supply / exhaust unit is controlled so that the volume change becomes zero, and the volume change becomes zero. The control unit for estimating the pressure detected by the pressure sensor in a state of being the head pressure of the liquid on the second valve side;
With
The control unit estimates the hydraulic head pressure on the condition that the variable member is changed to a position where the tension generated in the variable member becomes smaller than a predetermined value by controlling the supply / discharge unit. And liquid supply system. When the control unit changes the pressure of the space including the working chamber to the first pressure by controlling the supply / exhaust unit to close the discharge side valve and the suction side valve, the pressure sensor A pressure change amount is calculated based on the pressure detected by the flow rate sensor, a flow rate integrated value is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, and the working chamber is adjusted based on the pressure change amount and the flow rate integrated value. A first current volume of the space including the same is calculated, the discharge side valve and the suction side valve are closed, and the pressure in the space including the working chamber is changed to the second pressure by controlling the supply / discharge section. When the pressure is changed, a pressure change amount is calculated based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor, and a flow rate integrated value is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, and the pressure change amount and the flow rate integrated value are calculated. Based on the value before A second current volume of the space including the working chamber is calculated, and the pump at the first pressure is calculated based on the first pressure, the second pressure, the first current volume, and the second current volume. bubble volume in the room, or the liquid supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 16, to estimate the volume of air bubbles in the pump chamber at the second pressure. The pump chamber into which the liquid supplied from the liquid container flows in and out and the working chamber from which the working gas is supplied and discharged are partitioned by a variable member, and based on the change in the volume of the pump chamber due to the variation of the variable member A pump for sucking and discharging liquid;
A supply / discharge section for supplying and discharging the working gas to and from the working chamber;
A suction-side valve that opens and closes an inflow passage through which the liquid flows into the pump chamber;
A discharge-side valve that opens and closes an outflow passage through which the liquid flows out of the pump chamber;
A pressure sensor for detecting a pressure in a space including the working chamber;
A flow rate sensor for detecting a flow rate of the working gas flowing into and out of the working chamber;
A control unit for controlling the supply / exhaust unit, the suction side valve, and the discharge side valve, wherein the first valve that is one of the suction side valve and the discharge side valve is closed and the second valve that is the other is closed The volume change of the working chamber is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, and the supply / exhaust unit is controlled so that the volume change becomes zero, and the volume change becomes zero. The control unit for estimating the pressure detected by the pressure sensor in a state of being the head pressure of the liquid on the second valve side;
With
When the control unit changes the pressure of the space including the working chamber to the first pressure by controlling the supply / exhaust unit to close the discharge side valve and the suction side valve, the pressure sensor A pressure change amount is calculated based on the pressure detected by the flow rate sensor, a flow rate integrated value is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor, and the working chamber is adjusted based on the pressure change amount and the flow rate integrated value. Calculating a first current volume of the space including the discharge side valve and the suction side valve, and controlling the supply / exhaust portion to change the pressure of the space including the working chamber to the second pressure. When changing, a pressure change amount is calculated based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor, and a flow rate integrated value is calculated based on the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor, and the pressure change amount and the flow rate integrated value are calculated. Based on the value before A second current volume of a space including the working chamber is calculated, and the pump at the first pressure is calculated based on the first pressure, the second pressure, the first current volume, and the second current volume. A liquid supply system that estimates a volume of bubbles in a chamber or a volume of bubbles in the pump chamber at the second pressure. The pump chamber into which the liquid supplied from the liquid container flows in and out and the working chamber from which the working gas is supplied and discharged are partitioned by a variable member, and the liquid is based on a change in the volume of the pump chamber due to the variation of the variable member. A pump for sucking and discharging
A supply / discharge section for supplying and discharging the working gas to and from the working chamber;
A suction-side valve that opens and closes an inflow passage through which the liquid flows into the pump chamber;
A discharge-side valve that opens and closes an outflow passage through which the liquid flows out of the pump chamber;
A pressure sensor for detecting a pressure in a space including the working chamber;
A flow rate sensor for detecting a flow rate of the working gas flowing into and out of the working chamber;
A method for controlling a liquid supply system comprising:
Closing the first valve that is one of the discharge side valve and the suction side valve and opening the second valve that is the other; and
Calculating the volume change of the working chamber based on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor;
Controlling the supply and discharge unit so that the calculated volume change becomes zero;
Estimating the pressure detected by the pressure sensor in a state in which the volume change is 0, as the head pressure of the liquid on the second valve side;
Equipped with a,
The method of controlling a liquid supply system, wherein the first valve is the discharge side valve and the second valve is the suction side valve .

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