Vacuum Pump

What is Vacuum Pump?

A vacuum pump is a type of pump device that draws gas particles from a sealed volume in order to leave behind a partial vacuum. The predecessor to the vacuum pump was the suction pump.

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How do Vacuum Pumps Work?

A vacuum pump is a device that removes gas molecules or air particles from a sealed volume in order to achieve difference in pressure creating a partial vacuum. Vacuum pumps are designed in a variety of technologies based on the pressure requirements and the application it services. When setting up a vacuum pump system, sizing to the correct parameters is crucial to achieve optimum efficiency.

Vacuum is a space devoid of matter where the gaseous pressure inside this volume is below atmospheric pressure. A vacuum pump's main function is to change the pressure in a contained space to create a full or partial vacuum either mechanically or chemically. Pressure will always try to equalize across connected regions as gas molecules flow from high to low to fill the entire area of that volume. Therefore, if a new low-pressure space is introduced, gas will naturally flow from high-pressure area to the new area of low-pressure until they are of equal pressure. Notice this vacuum process is created not by “sucking” gases but pushing molecules. Vacuum pumps essentially move gas molecules from one region to the next to create a vacuum by changing high and low-pressure states.

As molecules are removed from the vacuum space, it becomes exponentially harder to remove additional ones, thus increasing the vacuum power required. The pressure ranges are placed into several groups:

Rough/Low Vacuum: 1000 to 1 mbar / 760 to 0.75 Torr
Fine/ Medium Vacuum: 1 to 10-3 mbar / 0.75 to 7.5-3 Torr
High Vacuum: 10-3 to 10-7 mbar / 7.5-3 to 7.5-7 Torr
Ultra-High Vacuum: 10-7 to 10-11 mbar / 7.5-7 to 7.5-11 Torr
Extreme High Vacuum: < 10-11 mbar / < 7.5-11 Torr

Vacuum pumps are classified by the pressure range they can achieve to help distinguish their capabilities. These classifications are:

Primary (Backing) Pumps which handle rough and low vacuum pressure ranges.
Booster Pumps handle low and medium pressure ranges.
Secondary (High Vacuum) Pumps handle high, very high and ultra-high vacuum pressure ranges.
Depending on the pressure requirements and operating application, vacuum pump technologies are considered either wet or dry. Wet pumps use oil or water for lubrication and sealing, while dry pumps have no fluid in the space between the rotating mechanisms or static parts that are used to isolate and compressing gas molecules. Without lubrication, dry pumps have very tight tolerances to operate effectively without wear.

Advantages of Vacuum Pump

01.

Efficiency

Vacuum pumps can improve efficiency and save time. For example, they can help with distillation to maximize yield and process time.

02.

Material transfer

Vacuum pumps can efficiently transport materials like water waste, fuel, chemicals, mud, sediment-bearing fluids, and more viscous liquids. They are used in many industries, including manufacturing, wastewater treatment, pharmaceutical production, and chemical processing.

03.

Gentle processes

Vacuum pumps can be used for gentle processes in the printing industry, such as in presses, bindery equipment, and newspaper production. They can also be used in the rubber and plastics industry for thermoforming, extruder barrel degassing, mold degassing, and material handling.

04.

Other uses

Vacuum pumps can also be used for dewatering saturated materials, filtering liquid from slurries, evaporative drying, and pneumatic conveying. These types of vacuum systems are used in paper making, food processing, and steam turbine power.

Types of Vacuum Pumps, Uses and Applications

Types of Vacuum Pumps

There are many types of vacuum pumps for a wide range of applications in numerous industries. Vacuum pumps work by removing and discharging gas or liquid from a sealed space, leaving behind a partial vacuum. The pressure differential created, gas or liquid removal rate, and power supply required may differ from one vacuum pump to the next.

Different pump technologies support a multitude of applications, from chemical processing to electronics production to foodservice systems. Most pumps fall into one of these three categories—positive displacement, momentum transfer, or entrapment.

Positive Displacement Vacuum Pump Uses & Applications

Positive displacement pumps provide a steady, moderate flow of suction power. They create a low vacuum by confining and compressing a specific amount of gas or liquid at a constant rate. In a process that repeats over and over, part of the vacuum chamber is closed off, and gases or fluids are pumped to the target area. Here are some of the most common types of positive displacement pumps:

Piston pumps and plunger pumps are most often used for pumping water. Applications include pressure washing, spray painting, and oil production.
Diaphragm pumps are useful for metering and dispensing water, paints, oils, and corrosive liquids. They are also designed in such a way that they avoid oil contamination.
Gear pumps move high viscosity fluids—including oils, paints, and foodstuffs—in the petrochemical, chemical, and food service industries.

Vane pumps move low viscosity fluids and are designed to allow variable output. They are used in applications as diverse as automotive transmissions and drink dispensers.
Lobe pumps are used in sanitation, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology applications.
Screw pumps are capable of high flow rates, making them useful in oil production, fuel transfer, injection, and irrigation applications.

Momentum Transfer Vacuum Pump Uses & Applications

Also known as kinetic or molecular pumps, momentum transfer pumps create powerful vacuums using a rotating component that propels liquid or gas from the vacuum side to the exhaust side of the system. Put very simply, they convert kinetic energy from a motor to force liquid or gas out of the sealed chamber. Consider the two primary classes of momentum transfer pumps:

Centrifugal pumps are widely used in applications that involve liquids and metering, including food service, distilleries, laboratories, and chemical processing plants.
Regenerative pumps are used for low-flow, high-pressure applications in the chemical and mechanical engineering sectors.

Entrapment Vacuum Pump Uses & Applications

When ultra-high vacuums are required, entrapment pumps, also known as capture pumps, are the most effective choice. They use chemical reactions and cold temperatures rather than moving parts to displace as many gas particles as possible from the sealed chamber. Here are some uses for the most common subcategories of entrapment vacuum pumps:

Cryopumps are typically used in settings with large surfaces where water vapor contamination is a concern. Examples include space simulation chambers, coating devices, semiconductor production, electron beam welding, and high-vacuum furnaces.
Sputter ion pumps are ultra-high vacuum pumping units useful in accelerators, analytical instruments, and electron beam irradiators.
Ion getter pumps are frequently used in ultra-high vacuum systems such as molecular-beam epitaxy, scanning tunnel microscopes, and colliders and synchrotrons used in high-energy physics.

Other Types of Vacuum Pumps

A few other types of vacuum pumps include Scroll, Diffusion, and Direct Drive pumps. Scroll pumps are oil-free and include two spiral coils that compress air and vapors. Dry scroll pumps are often used in degassing, distillation, and for various concentrate applications. Diffusion pumps do not have any moving parts and work by diffusion. These pumps heat the oil to produce gas molecules to create an extremely high and reliable and are frequently used for a mass spectrometer or other similar applications. Direct drive pumps are powered by gas or electric motors and achieve a deep vacuum used for vacuum oven, centrifugal concentrator, and freeze dryer applications.

Vacuum Pump Maintenance

Regardless of what types of vacuum pumps you use or the industry you work in, it’s vital to maintain your manufacturing equipment to sustain optimal output. Your facility’s vacuum pumps require occasional service to prevent corrosion and water damage from the liquids and gases flowing through them.

Measuring the Performance of Vacuum Pumps

Pumping Speed/Rate

Pumping speed, that is, the rate at which gas and air can be removed from a volume is the main factor that defines a vacuum pump’s performance. More specifically, pumping speed refers to the volume flow rate of a pump at its inlet, often measured in volume per unit of time.

It is important to note that the pumping rate depends on the chemical composition of the gas being pumped as well as the type of pump that is being used. For example, momentum transfer and entrapment pumps are more effective on some gases than others.

Throughput

Another measure of a vacuum pump’s performance is its throughput. Throughput measures pumping speed multiplied by the gas pressure at the inlet by calculating the number of molecules pumped out per unit of time at a constant temperature.

Throughput is also useful when assessing a leak in the system. It allows you to measure the volume leak rate multiplied by the pressure at the vacuum side of the leak. This way the leak throughput can be compared to the pump throughput.

In addition, positive displacement and momentum transfer pumps maintain a constant pumping speed. However, as the chamber's pressure drops, and the volume contains less and less mass, the throughput and mass flow rate drop exponentially although the pumping speed remains constant. Meanwhile, the leakage, evaporation, sublimation and backstreaming rates continue to produce a constant throughput into the system.

How To Choose a Vacuum Pump?

When choosing a vacuum pump, you must take into account several factors. First of all, your choice should be adapted to your intended use, as this will allow you to determine the technology, lubrication, chemical resistance, vacuum level and necessary flow rate.

The determining factor that should guide your choice of a vacuum pump is the quality and desired vacuum level. There are several types of vacuum: a rough or low vacuum, a high vacuum and an ultrahigh vacuum. The difference between the three lies in the scarcity of the number of molecules obtained, which is measured by the pressure of the residual gases. The weaker the pressure, the more the number of molecules per cm³ is weak. As a result, the vacuum quality is higher.

We refer to:

Vacuum type	Maximum pressure (in mbars)	Minimum pressure (in mbars)	Molecules per cm³
Rough vacuum	1	10-3	1016 – 1013
High vacuum	10-3	10-7	1013 – 109
Ultrahigh vacuum	10-7	10-12	109 – 104

You will also have to take into account the following characteristics:
The pump’s flow rate: The flow rate is related to the draining time of the machine. It is therefore necessary to evaluate the capacity of the vacuum pump to produce both the required pumping speed (volume flow rate) and the mass flow rate according to the process requirements. Generally, the higher the flow rate, the shorter the draining time. The table above shows the number of remaining molecules per cm³ depending on the type of vacuum chosen.

Chemical compatibility: It is necessary to consider the compatibility of the gases used in your application with the chosen vacuum pump by analyzing all possible problems that the device may encounter.

Lubrication: It is essential to ask yourself whether or not it is necessary to lubricate the vacuum pump. A lubricated vacuum pump has greater efficiency and resistance. It does however require very regular maintenance. In a laboratory environment, a dry vacuum pump is preferred.

Maintenance and cost : Based on the criteria listed above, it will then be necessary to analyze the frequency of maintenance cycles. This will determine the overall cost of your installation, which must take into account the purchase price as well as the operating and maintenance costs.

Our Factory

Shandong Magtech Machinery Equipment Co., Ltd is a professional manufacturer of vacuum pump, water pump, slurry pump and other industrial pumps. In line with the concept of "science and technology leading, quality oriented, and reputation first", the company has made great efforts to innovate and forge ahead, so that excellent results have been achieved in the production and operation, new product development and other aspects of the company. Main products are SZ, SZB, SK, 2BV, 2BEA, 2BEC series water ring vacuum pump, roots water ring vacuum unit, closed cycling vacuum unit, WLW vertical oil-free reciprocating vacuum pump, etc. SH, S, OS, IS, ISG, LG, DL, DA1 series water pump.

FAQ

Q: What are vacuum pumps used for?

A: Simply put, vacuum pumps are mechanical devices that enable the removal of air and gas molecules from a sealed area to create an area devoid of air and/or gas. Generally, their purpose is to clean and seal. Vacuum pumps come in wet or dry variants depending on the media being pumped through them.

Q: What are the advantages of vacuum pressure?

A: The process has the advantages of providing a void free system with high dielectric strength, mechanical resilience, chemical and moisture resistance, and good thermal capabilities.

Q: What is the advantage of a vacuum pump?

A: Advantages of a Vacuum Pump
Vacuum pumps are often utilized in transferring materials such as waste trap grease, mud, sediment-bearing fluids, wastewater, and more viscous liquids. They are used in manufacturing, wastewater treatment, pharmaceutical production, chemical processing, and a variety of other industries.

Q: Why run a vacuum pump?

A: Vacuum pumps are used to remove air and other wet gas and vapor particles from a system. Without a vacuum pump, these particles can cause a system to run inefficiently and can even corrode internal parts. Generally, the purpose of a vacuum pump is to clean and seal an area from the air or other gasses.

Q: Does a vacuum pump increase pressure?

A: The maximum change in pressure produced by a vacuum pump is limited; it can never be higher than atmospheric pressure. Plus, as vacuum increases, the volume of air passing through the pump drops continuously.

Q: What two functions does a vacuum pump perform?

A: Industrial oil flooded screw vacuum pumps have two major functions: pulling down and maintaining the required vacuum level. As a result of the two major functions, the screw vacuum pumps have to handle a great range of pressure ratios.

Q: Why do vacuum pumps go bad?

A: A loss in vacuum or pressure can often be attributed to lack of pump maintenance. If the inlet filters are not periodically cleaned and/or replaced, the pump can starve of proper airflow, resulting in performance loss and potential failure.

Q: How many psi is a vacuum pump?

A: Vacuum pressure is measured relative to ambient atmospheric pressure. It is referred to as pounds per square inch (vacuum) or PSIV. The electrical output of a vacuum pressure transducer is 0 VDC at 0 PSIV (14.7 PSIA) and full scale output (typically 5 VDC) at full scale vacuum, 14.7 (0 PSIA).

Q: Does a vacuum pump add horsepower?

A: Increased Horsepower
A vacuum pump can increase an engine's horsepower in addition to removing oil spatter. Gains of between 15 and 25 horsepower are feasible in a common street/strip performance engine combination thanks to an enhanced ring seal. Vacuum pumps remove pressure from the crankcase.

Q: What is the most efficient type of vacuum pump?

A: A reciprocating vacuum pump is around 90 percent efficient, and they are highly durable. They are ideal for high pressure, low flow applications, such as water jet cutting.

Q: What is the difference between a suction pump and a vacuum pump?

A: Definition: Vacuum is the total absence of air, while suction is the process used to achieve a vacuum. In the case of a suction pump, it creates a vacuum by removing air or fluid from a specific area, while a vacuum pump is designed to maintain a vacuum or create a vacuum in a closed system.

Q: What does a vacuum pump remove?

A: A vacuum pump removes air and moisture from the system before the system is damaged. The deeper and more complete the vacuum, the more moisture is removed, and the likelihood of system complications caused by unwanted water or other contaminants is reduced.