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Know About Vacuum Pumps and How to Categories These Machines

Since the inception in 1650s the vacuum pumps have been exceptionally and most widely used in various industries across the globe. With each passing day, these machines have gained high popularizes for its several beneficial features. For such a long time, these pumps have served different industries well and have evolved a lot and have come a long way compared to the first prototype. As technology has advanced, scientists have contributed more features to the pumps and different variants of the machine have reached the market. In modern days, these pumps come with most contemporary designs and are absolutely fit for the ever-demanding industries.

Vacuum Pumps - What are These Machines?

These basically pump that work to generate vacuum for fluid transportation and works by removing fluids mainly gases from a confined place. As a resultant, partial vacuum is generated according to the hydraulic norms, fluids enter the confined space from external sources. These pumps are exceptionally useful in various industries including manufacturing of various products and are equally helpful for conducting scientific researches where diverse property studies of different gases are inevitable. It is equally helpful for studies that are related to electricity and the effects of it on different gas molecules.

Classification of Vacuum Pumps:

There are a number of ways in which these machines can be categorized but there are three distinguished variations that chiefly dominate the market. The details of these three versions are as follows:

  1. The Positive Displacement Model: When low vacuums are required to perform a specific task, these models come extremely handy. These are the most widely used and most popular models, as well. It is based on the principle of cyclic expansion and closing off of the required part. In this case, the chamber does not grow exponentially in volume but partial vacuum is generated for fulfilling the pumping needs. There are different variants of vacuum pumps using this displacement method such as the diaphragm pumps, liquid ring pumps, pumps with rotary vanes, scroll pumps, Wankel pumps, lobe pumps, root pumps with multi-stage units, piston pumps, screw pumps, booster pumps, toepler pumps, etc. All these variants have their own advantages and applications but they all work on the same principle of constant gas removal through a cyclic process.

  2. The Entrapment Type: This is a unique type of pump that uses extremely low temperatures to convert gases into the solid absorbable stage by which the volume is compressed. Usually, this is achieved by using chemical pumping system in which gases undergo a chemical reaction to leave behind solid residues or in case of ion pumps gases are ionized using electrical fields where the newly released free ions from the gases depending on their electrical affinities approach the solid electrodes where they are disposed of. There are other variants of this category of vacuum pumps like cryo-pumps, sorption pumps, getter pumps, etc. but they all work on the same principle basis of molecular entrapment.

  3. Momentum Transfer Type: In this type of pumps the gas molecules undergo acceleration drive due to which they are forced to leave the vacuum side of the pump and reach the exhaust side. It utilizes the laws of fluid dynamics to create a continuous viscous flow of the fluid. This type is very effective where high vacuum generation is required and the greater pumping speed is the prerequisite.

Apart from these major categories, there are other variants of vacuum pumps such as the regenerative model, the Venturi model, steam ejection models, etc. All these pumps are widely used in industries like plastic manufacturing, electrode manufacturing, vacuum tube manufacturing, semiconductor processing, etc.

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