roughing pump

A roughing pump is any vacuum pump (typically mechanical) used to initially evacuate a vacuum system, as a first stage towards achieving high vacuum or ultra high vacuum. The term "roughing pump" derives from the vacuum range it works in, "rough vacuum", above 1x10⁻³ torr (0.1 Pa). Pumps that operate in the high vacuum ranges typically don't operate, or only operate inefficiently, at atmospheric pressures, whereas pumps that work efficiently at atmospheric pressure usually cannot produce a vacuum lower than approximately 1x10⁻³ torr.

One consideration for choosing a roughing pump is whether the pump uses lubricating oil that's exposed to the vacuum. This concern of "hydrocarbon backstreaming" where pump oil as a gas makes its way into the vacuum chamber, has led to oil-free pump designs on the market.

Types

Two main types of roughing pumps are oil-sealed roughing pumps and dry roughing pumps. Within the two categories are various kinds of designs with differences among them based on maintenance issues, initial costs, pump lifespan and vacuum level. Early in their manufacture, dry pumps were significantly more expensive than oil-based pumps, however over time the cost gap has closed.

The advantages and disadvantages of each are as follow:

class="wikitable"
colspan="3" \|Oil Sealed Pumps
Type ! Advantages ! Disadvantages
Rotary Vane \| Low ultimate pressure Low cost Long pump life \| Backstreams oil Produce hazardous waste
Rootes Lobe \| Very high pumping speed \| Frequent maintenance Requires a purge gas Requires a backing pump Must be absolutely horizontal
Rotary Piston \| High volume Low cost \| Noise Vibration Safety valve
colspan="3" \|Dry Roughing Pumps
Scroll \| Clean Low "dry" ultimate pressure Easily servicable Quiet Evolved from air conditioning compressor so technology is well known \| Limited bearing life Limited scroll life Permeable to small gases Not hermetically sealed Clean applications only
Diaphragm \| Low cost Quiet Easily serviced \| Low pumping speed High ultimate pressure Frequent service required
Hook & Claw \| No backstreaming Low ultimate pressure \| Expensive
Screw Rotor \| Low ultimate pressure Less maintenance than Hook & Claw \| Expensive
Dry Piston \| Low ultimate pressure \| Expensive
Sorption \| Clean No moving parts \| Requires Liquid nitrogen Requires regeneration Limited capacity

class="wikitable"

colspan="3" |Oil Sealed Pumps

Type

! Advantages

! Disadvantages

Rotary Vane

| Low ultimate pressure
Low cost
Long pump life

| Backstreams oil
Produce hazardous waste

Rootes Lobe

| Very high pumping speed

| Frequent maintenance
Requires a purge gas
Requires a backing pump
Must be absolutely horizontal

Rotary Piston

| High volume
Low cost

| Noise
Vibration
Safety valve

colspan="3" |Dry Roughing Pumps

Scroll

| Clean
Low "dry" ultimate pressure
Easily servicable
Quiet
Evolved from air conditioning compressor so technology is well known

| Limited bearing life
Limited scroll life
Permeable to small gases
Not hermetically sealed
Clean applications only

Diaphragm

| Low cost
Quiet
Easily serviced

| Low pumping speed
High ultimate pressure
Frequent service required

Hook & Claw

| No backstreaming
Low ultimate pressure

| Expensive

Screw Rotor

| Low ultimate pressure
Less maintenance than Hook & Claw

| Expensive

Dry Piston

| Low ultimate pressure

| Expensive

Sorption

| Clean
No moving parts

| Requires Liquid nitrogen
Requires regeneration
Limited capacity

Sources

[http://drum.lib.umd.edu/handle/1903/6581 The Essentials of a Vacuum System], Hasina Jamal, University of Maryland

References

[https://web.archive.org/web/20060527141750/http://www.ee.ualberta.ca:80/~schmaus/vacf/pumptab.html Comparison of Roughing Pumps], Roy Schmaus, University of Alberta. Archived from [http://www.ee.ualberta.ca:80/~schmaus/vacf/pumptab.html the original] on May 27, 2006.

Category:Vacuum pumps