Fluid pump having low pressure metering and high pressure delivering

Abstract

A pumping apparatus ( 1 ) adapted for delivering fluid against pressure. The pumping apparatus has a plurality of metering devices ( 3,5 ) adapted for metering a plurality of different fluids, and has a booster device ( 7 ) adapted for increasing the pressure of the fluids metered by the plurality of metering devices ( 3,5 ) to said high pressure, and has a damping device ( 9 ) adapted for compensating fluctuations of the fluids metered by the plurality of metering devices ( 3,5 ). Each device ( 3,5,7,9 ) has an inlet ( 41 ) and an outlet ( 43 ). The outlets of the metering devices are coupled to the inlet ( 41 ) of the booster device ( 7 ), and the outlet of the booster device ( 7 ) is coupled to the inlet of the damping device ( 9 ).

1 - 50 . (canceled) 
   
   
       51 . A pumping apparatus adapted for delivering fluid against pressure, comprising:
 a plurality of metering devices adapted for metering a plurality of different fluids,   a booster device adapted for increasing the pressure of the fluids metered by the   plurality of metering devices to said high pressure, and   a damping device adapted for compensating fluctuations of the fluids metered by the plurality of metering devices and compressed by booster device,   each device having an inlet and an outlet,   wherein   the outlets of the metering devices are coupled to the inlet of the booster device, and   the outlet of the booster device is coupled to the inlet of the damping device.   
   
   
       52 . The pumping apparatus of  claim 51 , comprising at least one of:
 the pumping apparatus is adapted for blending at least two different fluids and for delivering the blended fluid against high pressures at which compressibility of the fluid becomes noticeable;   the damping device is an active damping device;   the plurality of metering devices comprises a first metering device and a second metering device;   the metering devices are adapted for delivering fluid synchronously to the booster device.   
   
   
       53 . The pumping apparatus of  claim 51 , wherein the outlets of the metering devices are coupled to the inlet of the booster device via a mixing device. 
   
   
       54 . The pumping apparatus of  claim 53 , comprising at least one of:
 the mixing device comprises at least one mixing inlet per metering device and one outlet;   the outlet of the first metering device is coupled to a first mixing inlet of the mixing device via a third connection conduit and the outlet of the second metering device is coupled to a second mixing inlet of the mixing device via a fourth connection conduit;   the outlet of the mixing device is coupled to the inlet of the booster device via a fifth connection conduit;   the mixing device is provided by a branch tee.   
   
   
       55 . The pumping apparatus of  claim 51 , wherein the outlet of the booster device is coupled to the inlet of the damping device. 
   
   
       56 . The pumping apparatus of  claim 55 , wherein the outlet of the booster device is coupled to the inlet of the damping device via a sixth connection conduit. 
   
   
       57 . The pumping apparatus of  claim 51 , wherein the metering devices are adapted for delivering fluid concurrently to the inlets of the mixing device. 
   
   
       58 . The pumping apparatus of  claim 51 , wherein the pumping apparatus comprises—when operated—three different pressure values:
 a sucking pressure,   a mixing pressure,   an output pressure.   
   
   
       59 . The pumping apparatus of  claim 58 , comprising at least one of:
 the first and the second metering devices each are adapted for letting in fluid at the sucking pressure and for delivering fluid, in particular to the mixing device, at the mixing pressure;   the first and the second metering devices each are adapted for delivering fluid to the inlet of the booster device via the mixing device at the mixing pressure;   the booster device is adapted for letting in fluid at the mixing pressure and for delivering fluid to the damping device at the output pressure;   the damping device is adapted for letting in fluid and for delivering fluid at the output pressure.   
   
   
       60 . The pumping apparatus of  claim 51 , comprising at least one of:
 the first metering device of the pumping apparatus comprises a first piston for reciprocation in a first pump chamber;   the second metering device of the pumping apparatus comprises a second piston for reciprocation in a second pump chamber;   the booster device of the pumping apparatus comprises a third piston for reciprocation in a booster chamber;   the damping device of the pumping apparatus comprises a fourth piston for reciprocation in a damping chamber;   the booster device comprises a booster pressure sensor;   the damping device comprises a damping pressure sensor.   
   
   
       61 . The pumping apparatus of  claim 51 , wherein the pumping apparatus comprises a valve arrangement with a plurality of valves adapted for allowing flow of fluid into the inlets of the metering devices and the booster devices, and for inhibiting flow in the opposite direction. 
   
   
       62 . The pumping apparatus of  claim 61 , wherein the valve arrangement of the pumping apparatus comprises at least one or more of the following:
 a flow check valve,   an on-off valve, and   a flow control valve.   
   
   
       63 . The pumping apparatus of  claim 51 , comprising at least one of:
 a first inlet valve coupled upstream to the first pump chamber of the first metering device, wherein the first inlet valve is adapted for allowing flow of fluid into the first pump chamber of the first metering device and for inhibiting flow in the opposite direction;   a second inlet valve coupled upstream to the second pump chamber of the second metering device, wherein the second inlet valve is adapted for allowing flow of fluid into the second pump chamber of the second metering device and for inhibiting flow in the opposite direction;   an inlet valve coupled upstream to the booster chamber of the booster device, wherein the inlet valve is adapted for allowing flow of fluid into the booster chamber of the booster device and for inhibiting flow in the opposite direction;   a booster outlet valve coupled upstream to the damping chamber of the damping device, wherein the booster outlet valve is adapted for allowing flow of fluid into the damping chamber of the damping device and for inhibiting flow in the opposite direction.   
   
   
       64 . The pumping apparatus of  claim 51 , comprising at least one of:
 a first mixing inlet valve coupled upstream to the first mixing inlet of the mixing device, wherein the first mixing inlet valve is adapted for allowing flow of fluid into the mixing device and for inhibiting flow in the opposite direction;   a second mixing inlet valve coupled upstream to the second mixing inlet of the mixing device, wherein the second mixing inlet valve is adapted for allowing flow of fluid into the mixing device and for inhibiting flow in the opposite direction.   
   
   
       65 . The pumping apparatus of  claim 51 , wherein the pumping apparatus comprising at least one of:
 a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure within any of the connection conduits and chambers of the pumping apparatus   a flow sensor for measuring the flow rate within any of the connection conduits of the pumping apparatus, and   a position sensor for measuring the position of any of the pistons of the metering devices and the booster devices.   
   
   
       66 . The pumping apparatus of  claim 51 , wherein the pumping apparatus comprises a control unit communicating for controlling with one or more than one of each of the following controllable features of the pumping apparatus:
 any one of the metering devices,   any one of the booster devices,   any one of the valves of the valve arrangement.   
   
   
       67 . The pumping apparatus of  claim 66  wherein the control unit communicates additionally with the sensors for realizing a closed feedback loop for providing at least one of:
 a pressure controller,   a position controller, and   flow controller for controlling one or more of the following:   the inlet pressure,   the mixing pressure,   the output pressure,   the switching status of any one of the valves,   the position of any one of the pistons of the metering devices,   the position of any one of the pistons of the booster devices, and   the flow within any one of the connection conduits.   
   
   
       68 . The pumping apparatus of  claim 66 , comprising at least one of:
 the control unit controls the booster device in a manner that the mixing pressure is substantially stabilized;   the control unit controls the damping device for realizing an active pulse damping unit in a manner that the output pressure is substantially stabilized;   the control unit comprises data of the fluids, in particular the compressibility, to be mixed used for calculating and controlling the optimal movement of the pistons of the pumping apparatus for realizing the substantial stabilized pressures;   the control unit is adapted for measuring the volume contraction of the metering devices, wherein the mixing pressure is substantially stabilized;   the control unit provides a drive control for all metering devices and all boosting devices of the pumping apparatus in a manner that the mixing pressure and the output pressure are substantially stabilized.   
   
   
       69 . A fluid separation system comprising
 a fluid delivery system comprising a pumping apparatus of  claim 51 , and   a separation device for separating components of the fluid delivered by the fluid delivery system.   
   
   
       70 . The fluid separation system of  claim 69 , wherein the fluid separation system is or comprises at least one of:
 a chromatographic system,   a high performance fluid chromatographic system,   an HPLC arrangement comprising a chip and an mass spectrograph,   a high throughput LC/MS system,   a purification system,   micro fraction collection/spotting system,   a system adapted for identifying proteins,   a system comprising a GPC/SEC column,   a nanoflow LC system, or   a multidimensional LC system adapted for separation of protein digests.   
   
   
       71 . The fluid separation system of  claim 69 , wherein the fluid separation system comprises a detecting device or a coupling to a detection device for at least one of analyzing and detecting components of the fluid separated by the separation device. 
   
   
       72 . A method of delivering fluid at high pressure at which compressibility of the fluid becomes noticeable comprising:
 metering a plurality of different fluids with a plurality of metering devices,   receiving the fluids from the plurality of metering devices,   increasing the pressure of the metered fluids within a booster device to said high pressure.   
   
   
       73 . The method of  claim 72 , comprising at least one of:
 mixing the plurality of different fluids;   increasing the pressure of the mixed fluid in the booster device to said high pressure and delivering it at said high pressure to the damping device;   compensating fluctuations of the mixed fluid by the damping device.   
   
   
       74 . A software program or product, embodied on a computer readable medium, for controlling the method of  claim 72 , when run on a data processing system. 
   
   
       75 . A software program or product, embodied on a computer readable medium, for at least one of:
 executing or controlling the method of  claim 72 ,   controlling the set points of the pumping apparatus while metering and mixing said plurality of fluids,   when run on a data processing system.   
   
   
       76 . A software program or product, embodied on a computer readable medium, for at least one of:
 executing or controlling a method of delivering fluid at high pressure at which compressibility of the fluid becomes noticeable including:
 metering a plurality of different fluids with a plurality of metering devices, 
 receiving the fluids from the plurality of metering devices, and 
 increasing the pressure of the metered fluids within a booster device to said high pressure, 
   controlling the set points of the pumping apparatus while metering and mixing said plurality of fluids,   when run on a data processing system,   implemented in an embedded system of the pumping apparatus of  claim 51  as firmware.