Current trends of high-vacuum pumps

POWER AND TRANSPORT ENGINEERING

CURRENT TRENDS OF HIGH-VACUUM PUMPS

K.E. Demikhov

Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow, Russian Federation

e-mail:

Turbomolecular vacuum pumps are widely used in various fields of science and

technology, which continually stimulates the interest in creating new kinds of pumps.

The theory of operating process in the flow channel of turbomolecular vacuum pumps

under various operating conditions is developed; one of its key features is a fairly

accurate estimation of their main parameters and characteristics, thereby various

influencing factors can be analyzed. Thus, the flow channel of a single high-vacuum

pump could be optimized by various optimization criteria. An extensive database is

accumulated enabling scientists to develop efficient turbomolecular vacuum pumps

with various initial parameters. Consequently, a relevant issue today is the search

for perspectives for turbomolecular vacuum pumps further development. The paper

considers current trends in designing the improvement of turbomolecular vacuum

pumps with hybrid flow channels. Advantages of certain designs are specified. The

guidelines for their applications are given. The results of the comparative analysis

are presented, which show an application efficiency of various flow channel design

arrangements.

Keywords

flow channel, rotor wheel, agility, pumping parameters, ultimate vacuum.

From the moment of their appearance (1960-s), vacuum turbomolecular

pumps (TMP) have occupied an important position among other high-

vacuum pumping devices. Due to a number of their significant advantages,

TMP posed a serious threat to the recognized leaders in vacuum pumping

systems, such as oil-vapour vacuum pumps, which cannot be referred to

as oil-free pumping systems (not “polluting” the volume with organic

compounds). All of these make TMP the focus of attention for researchers

from different countries. This resulted in a number of research papers

devoted to the processes occuring in the TMP flow channel [1, 2].

At present, it can be justifiably stated that TMP are ones of few

high-vacuum pumps that have adequate theoretical scientific support for

developing state-of-art pumps without any subsequent experimental testing

and refinement.

BMSTU researchers have made a significant contribution to this field,

which leads to software for upgrading the flow channel of high-vacuum

mechanical pumps (HVMP) [3]. It founded the basis for the first of its kind

HVMP CAD system created in close cooperation with the Special Design

and Engineering Bureau

Vector

. No analogous system has appeared in the

field of vacuum engineering until now.

The system being put into operation in 1985 allowed developing

and launching the manufacturing production of a whole range of the

ISSN 0236-3941. HERALD of the BMSTU. Series Mechanical Engineering. 2014. No. 5