Vacuum pump system

Abstract

The present invention discloses a vacuum pump system (100) comprising: a plurality of vacuum pumps (102a to 102d), each vacuum pump (102a to 102d) being associated with a respective speed limit or a respective power limit; a plurality of motors (104a to 104d), each motor (104a to 104d) configured to drive one of the plurality of vacuum pumps (102a to 102d); and one or more controllers (108), or the like, configured to control the plurality of vacuum pumps (102a to 102d). The motors (104a to 104d) of the vacuum pumps (102a to 102d) cause the speed of the vacuum pumps (102a to 102d) to be sequentially increased to above their respective speed limits and then decreased to below their respective speed limits; or the power supplied by the motors (104a to 104d) to the vacuum pumps (102a to 102d) to be sequentially increased to above their respective power limits and then decreased to below their respective power limits. A vacuum pump system (100) comprising: a plurality of vacuum pumps (102a-d), each vacuum pump (102a-d)being associated with a respective speed threshold or a respective power threshold; a plurality of motors (104a-d), each motor (104a-d) being arranged to drive a respective one of the plurality of vacuum pumps (102a-d); and one or more controllers (108) configured to control the motors (104a-d) of the plurality of vacuum pumps (102a-d) such that either: sequentially, the speeds of the vacuum pumps (102a-d) are increased above their respective speed thresholds and subsequently decreased below their respective speed thresholds; or sequentially, the powers supplied to the vacuum pumps (102a-d) by the motors (104a-d) are increased above their respective power thresholds and subsequently decreased below their respective power thresholds.

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