Vacuum System Design with Optimal Pump Capacity Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vacuum systems often have inefficient piping configurations and pump capacities, leading to suboptimal performance and increased costs, necessitating a method to design and optimize these systems to meet user-defined process conditions.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for designing a vacuum system using visual modeling, simulation, and user interface to select optimal piping and pump specifications, displaying design screens with before-and-after simulation results for intuitive comparison and analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If large pumps with unnecessarily large capacities are used, then the vacuum system can achieve the target pressure, but the system becomes inefficient and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by systematically varying pump capacity parameters through simulation to identify the optimal capacity that satisfies process conditions. The system simulates different pump capacities (e.g., 50L/min, 100L/min, 150L/min) and compares their performance against target pressure and time requirements, selecting the parameter set that achieves reliable vacuum performance with minimal energy waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual copies of the vacuum system in a simulation environment, allowing multiple pump capacity configurations to be tested without physical prototyping. These virtual models enable comparative analysis of different pump sizes and their impact on system efficiency, facilitating selection of the optimal pump capacity before actual system deployment.
2Volume of moving object
If excessive bends, narrow pipes, and reducers are used in piping configuration, then the system can be compact, but the piping becomes low-efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent systematically varies piping parameters including bend angles, pipe diameters, and reducer dimensions through simulation to optimize the balance between compactness and efficiency. The system evaluates different piping configurations (e.g., 45-degree vs. 90-degree bends, various pipe diameters) and selects parameter sets that achieve space utilization while maintaining acceptable flow efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables dynamic adjustment of piping configuration parameters during the design process, allowing users to interactively modify bend angles, pipe sizes, and connections while the simulation engine continuously evaluates performance. This dynamic optimization facilitates finding the optimal balance between compact piping layout and maintenance of efficient gas flow characteristics.
3Ease of operation
If visual modeling and simulation tools are introduced, then the design process becomes more intuitive and efficient, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a simulation software as an intermediary between the user and the vacuum system design. This intermediary tool provides visual modeling capabilities, automatic calculation of vacuum parameters, and comparative analysis of different configurations, making the design process more intuitive while encapsulating the underlying complexity within the software interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the simulation system automatically evaluates design configurations against process conditions and provides real-time performance data. The system compares different pump and piping configurations, highlights inefficiencies, and suggests optimizations, enabling users to iteratively improve their designs with intuitive visual feedback without manually calculating complex vacuum system parameters.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for designing a vacuum system including a chamber, a pipe, and a pump according to one embodiment of the present disclosure for achieving the aforementioned problem, comprises the steps of: setting process conditions, according to a user input, of a first vacuum system disposed in a virtual region, the process conditions including the starting pressure of a chamber, the target pressure thereof, and the time to reach the target pressure thereof and including at least one of a process pressure at a maximum gas load or flow, a gas load at the maximum process pressure, and a gas load at a minimum process pressure, simulating operations of the first vacuum system on the basis of specifications of the chamber, the pipe, and the pump, and providing the set process conditions and results of the simulation.