US 12,282,323 B2
Vacuum system with diagnostic circuitry and a method and computer program for monitoring the health of such a vacuum system
Derrick Gordon, Chelmsford, MA (US); Rajesh Melkote, Chelmsford, MA (US); Andrew Ellis Longley, Chelmsford, MA (US); and John Peter Nordquist, Chelmsford, MA (US)
Assigned to Edwards Vacuum LLC, Sanborn, NY (US)
Appl. No. 17/625,231
Filed by Edwards Vacuum LLC, Sanborn, NY (US)
PCT Filed Jul. 7, 2020, PCT No. PCT/IB2020/056366
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 6, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/005502, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 14, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 1909762 (GB), filed on Jul. 8, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0269257 A1, Aug. 25, 2022
Int. Cl. G05B 23/02 (2006.01); A47L 9/28 (2006.01); F04B 37/08 (2006.01)
CPC G05B 23/0237 (2013.01) [A47L 9/2852 (2013.01); A47L 9/2889 (2013.01); F04B 37/08 (2013.01); G05B 23/024 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vacuum system, comprising:
at least one cryopump;
a plurality of sensors associated with said at least one cryopump each of said plurality of sensors being configured to sense an operating condition of said at least one cryopump;
diagnostic circuitry configured to receive signals sampled from at least some of said plurality of sensors and to receive a step of regeneration when the sampled signals were sampled from the plurality of sensors, said diagnostic circuitry comprising a diagnostic model of said cryopump, said diagnostic model being derived from historical data of a plurality of cryopumps of a same type operating over a plurality of regeneration and servicing time periods and being configured to relate values of said sampled signals from said at least some sensors and the steps of regeneration when the sampled signals were sampled to a probability of said pump failing within a predetermined time, said diagnostic circuitry being configured to apply said sampled signals and said step of regeneration when said sampled signals were sampled to said diagnostic model and to determine said probability of said at least one cryopump failing within said predetermined time from an output of said model.