Geometrically Permeable Cold Trap Using Peltier Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foreign matter separating devices in vacuum technology face challenges in effectively separating gaseous contaminants like hydrocarbons and mercury, as they often require cooling resources that are inconvenient to manage and maintain, such as liquid nitrogen, which can lead to contamination and operational inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A foreign matter separating device utilizing Peltier cooling elements to create a geometrically permeable passage with cooled sorption surfaces that allow direct rectilinear connections while effectively filtering out gaseous contaminants, using a configuration that includes multiple Peltier elements arranged sequentially or in parallel to achieve low temperatures and increase cooling capacity, and incorporating design features like undercut areas and intermediate walls to enhance sorption efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If liquid nitrogen is used to cool the cold trap, then gaseous contaminants are effectively separated, but the device requires continuous manual refilling and has operational interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The cold trap system uses an automatic refilling mechanism that periodically replenishes liquid nitrogen without requiring manual intervention. The system monitors the liquid nitrogen level and automatically refills it from an external reservoir, enabling continuous operation and eliminating the need for operator intervention every 30 minutes.
2Reliability
If the cooled surface temperature is lowered to freeze hydrocarbons, then contaminant separation is improved, but the passage becomes blocked and gas flow is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The cold trap employs a temperature gradient design where different regions of the cooled surface operate at different temperatures. The inlet region maintains a higher temperature to allow smooth gas flow, while the outlet region operates at a lower temperature to effectively freeze and trap hydrocarbons. This local differentiation of thermal conditions optimizes both flow and separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooled surface is divided into multiple zones with different cooling intensities. The first zone (inlet side) has reduced cooling to prevent condensation and maintain flow, while the second zone (outlet side) has intense cooling for effective contaminant trapping. This segmentation allows simultaneous optimization of gas flow and contaminant separation.
3Reliability
If a partition is added to isolate water from heating coils, then electrical safety is improved, but fluid connection between sections is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The cold trap uses a thin-walled cylindrical structure that provides electrical isolation between the water-cooled heating section and the vacuum chamber while allowing thermal conduction. The thin wall acts as both an electrical insulator and a thermal conductor, enabling the system to maintain both electrical safety and thermal coupling between sections.
4Loss of substance
If Peltier elements are used for cooling, then operating resource consumption is reduced, but the cooling temperature achieved is comparatively high
Solution Approach 1:
The cold trap divides the cooling function into two independent systems: Peltier elements provide baseline cooling to reduce resource consumption and eliminate consumable materials, while liquid nitrogen provides supplemental cooling to achieve the required low temperatures for effective hydrocarbon trapping. This segmented approach combines the advantages of both cooling methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges two different cooling mechanisms (Peltier effect and liquid nitrogen evaporation) into a single integrated cold trap system. The Peltier elements provide continuous baseline cooling, while liquid nitrogen is added periodically to achieve the necessary temperature drop for effective contaminant separation, combining the resource efficiency of solid-state cooling with the low-temperature capability of cryogenic cooling.
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 provides a reliable and efficient means of separating gaseous contaminants, reducing the risk of contamination in vacuum areas, improving operational reliability, and allowing for quicker setup and maintenance, as it does not rely on consumable cooling resources and can maintain high vacuum standards.
Implementation Method 1
The cold case 1 has a plurality of Peltier elements 7, in particular two Peltier elements 7, which are arranged one behind the other in the flow direction of the gas to be treated
Implementation Method 2
The temperature of the cooled surface is selected in such a way that the material that must not pass through the cold trap condenses as far as possible on the cooled surface and possibly freezes to it
Implementation Method 3
hydrocarbons in particular freeze out to a large extent and, moreover, freeze sufficiently 'firmly' on the relevant cooled surface of the cold trap
Implementation Method 4
the at least one cooled sorption surface forms at least one geometrically permeable passage device which is arranged between two connection regions of the cold case 1
Data Source
Figure 1~2a
Figure 2b~2c
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to an impurities removing device (1, 16) for separating gaseous impurities by sorption. The impurities removing device (1, 16) comprises a transit device (12, 17) which is permeable in geometrical terms and has cooled sorption surfaces (12, 13), wherein the cooling device (7) is designed as a cooling device (7) functioning without the consumption of operating resources.