Vacuum Exhaust Branch Layout for High Vacuum and Large Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vacuum exhaust systems face challenges in reducing the size of pumps or valves and thinning pipe diameters while maintaining efficient exhaust performance across high vacuum to large flow rate regions.
Innovation Solution
The proposed vacuum exhaust system includes a first pump for medium vacuum regions, a second pump with lower ultimate pressure for high vacuum regions, and a bypass valve that allows exhaust gas to be evacuated through both the second pump and the bypass valve, optimizing the use of both pumps' characteristics without increasing the second pump's size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the aperture of the pipe or passage switching valve is increased to improve exhaust efficiency at large flow rates, then the exhaust performance is improved, but the system size increases and setting space becomes difficult to ensure
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust system is segmented into two independent pump units (first pump and second pump) that can operate separately or in combination. This allows the system to handle large flow rates without requiring a single oversized pump or enlarged piping, as the flow is distributed across multiple smaller units.
Solution Approach 2:
The first pump and second pump are designed with different vacuum characteristics but both can contribute to exhaust across various flow rate conditions. The system universally handles both high flow rate scenarios (using first pump primarily) and low flow rate scenarios (using second pump primarily) without requiring different system configurations.
2Device complexity
If a single pump is used to cover both high vacuum and large flow rate regions, then the system complexity is reduced, but the pump size must be increased to handle the full range
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum pump function is segmented into two specialized units: a first pump optimized for medium vacuum regions with high flow rate capability, and a second pump optimized for high vacuum regions with lower ultimate pressure. This segmentation allows each pump to be compact while maintaining excellent performance in its optimized range, avoiding the need for a single large pump that would be required to cover the entire range.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by switching between different pump configurations based on the required vacuum level and flow rate. The control unit dynamically adjusts which pump operates and at what power level, allowing the system to maintain optimal performance across varying conditions without requiring a single oversized pump capable of handling all scenarios.
3Reliability
If the second pump is sized to handle large flow rates independently, then the high vacuum performance is improved, but the pump size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust function is segmented such that the second pump is dedicated solely to high vacuum operations where it excels, while the first pump handles the bulk of large flow rate exhaust. This segmentation allows the second pump to be sized appropriately for its specific high vacuum function rather than being oversized to handle all exhaust scenarios, reducing its size and cost while maintaining excellent high vacuum performance.
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
This configuration enables efficient vacuum exhaust with reduced pump and valve sizes, and thinner pipe diameters, while maintaining high exhaust performance across the desired vacuum and flow rate ranges.
Implementation Method 1
a first pump for performing vacuum exhaust from atmospheric pressure to a medium vacuum region; a second pump connected in series with the first pump, and having a lower ultimate pressure than that of the first pump
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum exhaust system is provided which can reduce a size of a pump or a valve, and can thin the pipe diameter, and can perform highly efficient exhaust making the best use of exhaust characteristics of the pump from high vacuum to the large flow region. The process gas used in a vacuum chamber passes through a regulating valve, and reaches a first branch pipe. The passage on the side indicated with A in the drawing of the first branch pipe is connected with an inlet port of a second pump. On the other hand, the passage indicated with B in the drawing of the first branch pipe is provided with a bypass valve. Then, the downstream of an outlet port of the second pump and the downstream of the bypass valve are connected with a first pump via a second branch pipe. In the low and medium vacuum regions (at the time of large flow rate exhaust), the bypass valve is opened. At this time, the gas is exhausted through both the passage A including the second pump therethrough and a passage B. Then, when exhaust under medium and high vacuum conditions lower than that is performed, the bypass valve is closed, thereby performing exhaust through the passage A. As a result of this, the pipe of the passage B can be thinned.