Rapidly pumping out an enclosure while limiting energy consumption
AssigneeAlcatel
InventorJean-Luc Rival
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vacuum pumping device of the invention comprises a motor (1) driving a multi-stage dry mechanical pump (2) in which the stages (5, 6, 7, 8) are connected successively in parallel and then in series in a plurality of successive configurations, each of which is selected to optimize the pumping speed in the current pressure range. This makes it possible to lower pressure inside an enclosure (100) quickly while reducing the volume of the pump and the energy consumed by the pump by about 40% compared with a traditional pump having a speed that is sufficient to obtain the same rapidity of pumping.
Claims15
A vacuum pumping device for lowering the pressure of an enclosure (100), the device comprising a motor (1) driving a multi-stage dry mechanical vacuum pump (2), each stage (5-8) having an intake (5c-8c) and an outlet (5d-8d), and the pump including pipes (9-11) for interconnecting the stages (5-8) in the circuit for pumping gas out from the enclosure, the device being characterized in that it includes fluid flow connection means (12-19) that interconnect the stages (5-8) so as to pass from a first configuration in which the stages are connected in parallel at least in pairs during a first pumping step (E1), to a last configuration in which the stages are connected in series in a last pumping step (E3), and passing via at least one intermediate configuration, during an intermediate pumping step (E2), pumping speed being optimized in each current pressure range, and in which at least one stage (5) is connected in parallel with at least one other stage (6), while at least one stage (7) is connected in series with at least one other stage (8).
A vacuum pumping method using a multi-stage dry mechanical pump (2) for lowering the pressure inside an enclosure, in which the stages (5-8) of the pump (2) are interconnected in a plurality of successive configurations to pass from a first configuration in which the stages are connected in parallel at least in pairs during a first pumping step (E1) to a last configuration in which the stages are connected in series during a last pumping step (E3), and passing via at least one intermediate configuration (E2), each configuration being selected to optimize pumping speed in the current pressure range, and in which in the or each intermediate configuration at least one intake stage (5) is connected in parallel with at least one other intake stage (6) and at least one outlet stage (7) is connected in series with at least one other stage (8).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.