In the world of vacuum systems, scroll pumps hold a valuable place as one of the few pumps that are traditionally employed in low (i.e. 1000 mbar to 1 mbar) and medium (i.e. 1 mbar to 10-3 mbar) systems, and yet are now also frequently being employed as fore (or backing) pumps in high and ultra-high (i.e. 10-3 to 10-12 mbar) vacuum systems.
Vacuum simulation (or modelling) is an essential part of vacuum system design. It is now a well-established practice and is primarily concerned with the prediction and calculation of how vacuum pumps and systems will perform in specific scenarios.
These simulations enable engineers to identify anomalies in the design stage and acquire the right components, rather than building a vacuum system that later needs to be redesigned.
Sharing knowledge and expertise on all things vacuum science and technology is our foundation. We are delighted to share this opportunity to learn from international researchers and innovators in the Renewable Energy and Vacuum Insulation community at the International Conference on Renewable Energy and Vacuum Insulation for Nearly Zero Energy Buildings.
Vacuum science has been integral to major scientific advancements. One of the most prominent of these is gravitational wave detectors. Gravitational waves are ripples in space-time that are caused by violent processes such as exploding stars, collisions between neutron stars or the merging of black holes – a concept predicted by Einstein’s theory of General Relativity in 1915.
One of the most discussed concepts amongst the astrophysics community is black holes. A black hole is a volume of space where the presence of gravity is so extreme that fast moving particles or light cannot escape.
For a vacuum pump system, a vital consideration in its design is the conductance. Conductance in vacuum systems is the characteristic of a vacuum component or system to readily allow the flow of gas and can be thought of as the inverse of resistance to flow. Its units are that of the volumetric capacity of gas flow in a passive component (or aggregate component of a vacuum system), such as an opening or a pipe, divided by time.
When working with high vacuum (HV) and ultra-high vacuum (UHV), there are specific aspects to consider to ensure an efficient and safe system.
To clarify, the pressure range of UHV conditions are defined as between 10-7 and 10-12 mbar, whereas HV conditions are defined as between 10-3 and 10-7 mbar. Some of the main applications of HV include metallurgical processes, nuclear physics, space simulation and analytical instruments. On the other hand, UHVs are used for surface analysis, in high-energy physics and Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE).
In this blog, we discuss the three main considerations you need to bear in mind when working under HV or UHV conditions.
Ion getter pumps (also called sputter ion pumps or simply ion pumps) produce ultra-high vacuum (UHV) without the aid of moving parts or valves. This makes them highly effective, quiet and low maintenance.
Anyone without a deep understanding or knowledge of pumps might think that vacuum generation is simply a question of “plugging in a pump”, starting it up and waiting for the vacuum to drop to the required level.
When it comes to choosing a vacuum gauge, understanding the application and vacuum pressure measurement required is crucial to making the right choice.
But while pressure measurement plays an important role in all vacuum applications, there’s no universal vacuum gauge that will respond accurately throughout the range from atmospheric pressure to 10-12 mbar.
