Vacuum Pump Liquid Cooling With Chamber Heat Recovery
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air cooling of vacuum pumps in scientific instruments generates excessive noise, vibrations, and waste heat, limiting the efficiency of vacuum systems and requiring additional energy to achieve low pressures in vacuum chambers.
Innovation Solution
A liquid cooling system is integrated into the instrument housing, routing coolant liquid through channels in the vacuum pump motor and potentially the vacuum chamber walls to extract heat, which is then transferred to an external heat exchanger, reducing the need for noise-generating fans and enhancing evacuation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If air cooling fans are used to cool the vacuum pump, then the pump temperature is reduced, but noise and vibrations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful function of air cooling fans (noise and vibrations) is extracted and removed from the system. Instead of using fans, the patent employs liquid cooling channels integrated into the pump housing to cool the vacuum pump silently and without mechanical vibration, while the heat is efficiently dissipated through the liquid cooling system.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical air cooling system (fans) is replaced with a liquid cooling system. The patent integrates cooling channels within the pump housing that circulate liquid coolant to absorb and remove heat from the vacuum pump, eliminating the need for mechanical fans and their associated noise and vibrations.
2Productivity
If large vacuum pumps are used to achieve low pressure quickly, then evacuation speed improves, but heat generation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful heat generated by the vacuum pump is converted into a beneficial cooling effect. The patent integrates cooling channels within the pump housing that capture the generated heat and use it to pre-cool the liquid coolant, which then circulates through the pump to maintain optimal operating temperature, effectively converting waste heat into a useful cooling function.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the heat generated by the vacuum pump, the system recovers and utilizes it. The cooling channels capture the heat from the pump operation and transfer it to the circulating liquid coolant, which then carries this thermal energy away from the pump, maintaining efficient operation without waste.
3Temperature
If multiple cooling fans are installed to cool the pump and surrounding components, then cooling coverage increases, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid cooling system serves multiple functions simultaneously. The integrated cooling channels not only cool the vacuum pump but also cool surrounding components and electronics within the housing, providing universal cooling coverage for multiple heat-generating elements with a single system rather than requiring separate fans for each component.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple cooling functions are merged into a single integrated system. The patent combines the cooling of the vacuum pump, surrounding components, and electronics into one liquid cooling circuit with interconnected channels, eliminating the need for multiple separate fans and complex ducting systems.
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 approach effectively manages heat without additional energy, reduces noise and vibrations, and improves the efficiency of vacuum pumping by utilizing heat to increase molecular energy within the chamber, thereby shortening the time to reach target pressures.
Implementation Method 1
routing coolant liquid through channels in the vacuum pump motor... to extract heat
Implementation Method 2
heat which is then transferred to an external heat exchanger
Implementation Method 3
routing heated coolant liquid through channels in the vacuum chamber walls to raise the temperature of the chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A method comprises: heating a flow of coolant liquid by passing the flow through one or more fluidic tubing lines, channels or conduits that are in thermal contact with a housing of a vacuum pump; apportioning the flow of heated coolant liquid between a bypass fluid tubing line and a channel within a wall of a vacuum chamber; recombining the first and second partial flows of the heated coolant liquid; passing the recombined flow of the coolant liquid through a heat exchanger that cools the coolant liquid; and recirculating the cooled coolant liquid through the one or more fluidic tubing lines, channels or conduits that are in thermal contact with the vacuum pump housing, wherein the apportionment of the flow of the heated coolant liquid is automatically performed under the control of an electronic controller or computer in response to a temperature measurement received by the electronic controller or computer.