Vacuum Pump Foreline Solid Material Trap Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vacuum systems face performance degradation and downtime due to dust and solid material accumulation, which causes pump seizure and requires system shutdown for trap emptying, leading to increased service times and delays in semiconductor processes.
Innovation Solution
A foreline design with a discharge line and trap arrangement that captures solid material outside the main flow path, maintaining a straight conductance and allowing for easy trap removal during operation, reducing service times and preventing pump damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a trap is directly beneath the inlet of the foreline with a branch connection, then solid material is captured, but the pump performance decreases due to reduced conductance
Solution Approach 1:
The trap is extracted from the main foreline path and positioned at the outlet end, connected via a discharge line. This extraction allows the trap to capture solid material without creating a branch connection in the main conductance path, thereby maintaining pump performance while still providing protection against pump damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The trap is moved from a lateral branch connection (2D plane modification) to an end-positioned component connected via a separate discharge line (3D spatial reconfiguration). This dimensional change allows the trap to function independently without interfering with the main foreline conductance to the pump inlet.
2Reliability
If the trap is positioned within the foreline, then solid material is captured, but service times increase due to system shutdown requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The trap is segmented from the main foreline system and positioned at the outlet end, connected via a separate discharge line. This segmentation allows the trap to be accessed, opened, and emptied independently without requiring shutdown of the entire vacuum system, thereby reducing service time while maintaining solid material capture capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge line acts as an intermediary connection between the trap and the foreline outlet. This intermediary structure allows the trap to be serviced independently by providing separate access points, enabling maintenance operations without interrupting the main vacuum system operation.
3Productivity
If the foreline has a straight configuration, then conductance is optimized, but solid material accumulates on internal surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The trap is extracted from the main foreline path and positioned at the outlet end. This extraction allows the foreline to maintain its straight, optimized configuration for maximum conductance, while the separately positioned trap captures solid material that accumulates during operation, preventing it from reaching the pump.
Solution Approach 2:
The straight foreline configuration, which naturally causes solid material to settle on internal surfaces, is combined with a downstream trap that captures this accumulated material. The harmful effect of accumulation is converted into a benefit by directing the settled material into the trap before it can reach the pump, maintaining both straight-line conductance and pump protection.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances vacuum pump performance by maintaining conductance while effectively capturing and storing solid material, allowing for continuous operation and reduced maintenance intervals without system shutdown.
Implementation Method 1
The inlet and the opening of the discharge line are arranged on a substantially vertical axis when mounted to a vacuum pump... solid material or dust is following the gravitational force and falling through the inlet into the opening of the discharge line and being captured
Data Source
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AI summary
A foreline for a vacuum pump with an inlet connectable to e.g. a vessel to be evacuated and an outlet connected to and inlet of the vacuum pump to evacuate the vessel. Thereby, the foreline further comprises a discharge line with a first end and a second end, wherein the first end comprises an opening and the second end comprises a solid material trap. The second end is arranged outside the foreline. The first end is arranged within the foreline between the inlet and the outlet and the opening is open towards the inlet of the foreline such that incoming solid material is collected by the opening, discharged through the discharge line and caught in the solid material trap.