Vacuum pumping system having a plurality of positive displacement vacuum pumps and method for operating the same
AssigneeAgilent Technologies, Inc.
InventorsChristian Spada, David Lukman, Roberto Carboneri, Andrea Bertallot, Pascal Martin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vacuum pumping system includes a plurality of positive displacement vacuum pumps, and more particularly a plurality of positive displacement vacuum pumps working in parallel. The vacuum pumping system includes a management unit that carries out a synchronized control of all the positive displacement vacuum pumps of the vacuum pumping system and thus allows to check possible risk of contamination of the vacuum pumping system and carry out, if needed, the necessary corrective actions without requiring any modification to the construction of the vacuum pumping system.
Claims20
A vacuum pumping system, comprising:
- a plurality of positive displacement vacuum pumps, comprising at least two positive displacement vacuum pumps separately connected to at least one vacuum chamber;
- and
- a management unit configured to control respective operations of the positive displacement vacuum pumps individually, and to perform an operation comprising:
- detecting, for each of the positive displacement vacuum pumps individually, a value or a condition of one or more operating parameters related to a risk of contamination of the vacuum pumping system by one or more of the positive displacement vacuum pumps;
- comparing, for each of the positive displacement vacuum pumps individually, the detected values or conditions of the one or more operating parameters with corresponding threshold values or ranges of values or threshold conditions;
- based on the comparing, determining that at least one of the positive displacement pumps is a malfunctioning pump, by determining that the detected value of at least one of the one or more operating parameters of the malfunctioning pump deviates from the corresponding threshold value or range of values, or the detected condition of at least one of the one or more operating parameters of the malfunctioning pump is not consistent with the corresponding threshold condition;
- and
- automatically performing a shutdown procedure on the malfunctioning pump and one or more of the other positive displacement vacuum pumps in a synchronized manner effective to avoid a backflow-inducing pressure condition in the vacuum pumping system that induces a backflow of contaminant-bearing gas from the malfunctioning pump into the at least one vacuum chamber.
A method of operating a vacuum pumping system, the vacuum pumping system comprising a plurality of positive displacement vacuum pumps, the plurality of positive displacement vacuum pumps comprising at least two positive displacement vacuum pumps separately connected to at least one vacuum chamber, the method comprising:
- operating and controlling the positive displacement vacuum pumps individually to evacuate the at least one vacuum chamber;
- and
- operating a management unit to perform or control:
- detecting, for each of the positive displacement vacuum pumps individually, a value or a condition of one or more operating parameters related to a risk of contamination of the vacuum pumping system by one or more of the positive displacement vacuum pumps;
- comparing, for each of the positive displacement vacuum pumps individually, the detected values or conditions of the one or more operating parameters with corresponding threshold values or ranges of values or threshold conditions;
- based on the comparing, determining that at least one of the positive displacement pumps is a malfunctioning pump, by determining that the detected value of at least one of the one or more operating parameters of the malfunctioning pump deviates from the corresponding threshold value or range of values, or the detected condition of at least one of the one or more operating parameters of the malfunctioning pump is not consistent with the corresponding threshold condition;
- and
- automatically performing a shutdown procedure on the malfunctioning pump and one or more of the other positive displacement vacuum pumps in a synchronized manner effective to avoid a backflow-inducing pressure condition in the vacuum pumping system that induces a backflow of contaminant-bearing gas from the malfunctioning pump into the at least one vacuum chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.