Vacuum Pump

1) Working principle of Diffusion Pump

The working principle of a diffusion pump is based on the momentum transfer of gas
molecules from a low-pressure region to a high-pressure region by a high-speed jet of vapor.

Diffusion pumps consist basically (see above Fig.) of a pump body (3) with a cooled wall (4) and a
three, four or five-stage nozzle system (A - D). The oil serving as pump fluid is in the boiler (2) and is
vaporized from here by electrical heating (1). The pump fluid vapor streams through the riser tubes
and emerges with supersonic speed from the ring-shaped nozzles (A - D). Thereafter the jet so-
formed widens like an umbrella and reaches the wall where condensation of the pump fluid occurs.
The liquid condensate flows downward as a thin film along the wall and finally returns into the boiler.
Because of this spreading of the jet, the vapor density is relatively low. The diffusion of air or any
pumped gases (or vapours) into the jet is so rapid that despite its high velocity the jet becomes
virtually completely saturated with the pumped medium. Therefore, over a wide pressure range
diffusion pumps have a high pumping speed. This is practically constant over the entire working
region of the diffusion pump (≤ 10 -3 mbar) because the air at these low pressures cannot influence
the jet, so its course remains undisturbed. At higher inlet pressures, the course of the jet is altered.
As a result, the pumping speed decreases until, at about 10-1 mbar, it becomes immeasurably small.

Pump fluids
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diffusion-pump-work

Which oil is used in diffusion pumps?

The suitable pump fluids for oil diffusion pumps are mineral oils and silicone oils. Severe demands
are placed on such oils which are met only by special fluids. The properties of these, such as vapor
pressure, thermal and chemical resistance, particularly against air, determine the choice of oil to be
used in a given type of pump or to attain a given ultimate vacuum. The vapor pressure of the oils
used in vapor pumps is lower than that of mercury. Organic pump fluids are more sensitive in
operation than mercury, because the oils can be decomposed by long-term admission of air. Silicone
oils, however, withstand longer lasting frequent admissions of air into the operational pump.

Cooling diffusion pumps

The heater power that is continuously supplied for vaporizing the pump fluid in fluid entrainment
pumps must be dissipated by efficient cooling. The energy required for pumping the gases and
vapors is minimal. The outside walls of the casing of diffusion pumps are cooled, generally with
water. Smaller oil diffusion pumps can, however, also be cooled with an air stream because a low wall
temperature is not so decisive to the efficiency as for mercury diffusion pumps. Oil diffusion pumps
can operate well with wall temperatures of 86°F (30°C), whereas the walls of mercury diffusion
pumps must be cooled to 59°F (15°C). To protect the pumps from the danger of failure of the cooling
water - insofar as the cooling-water coil is not controlled by thermally operated protective
switching - a water circulation monitor should be installed in the cooling water circuit; hence,
evaporation of the pump fluid from the pump walls is avoided.

Can mercury be used in diffusion pumps?

Mercury can be used as a pump fluid. It is a chemical element that during vaporization neither
decomposes nor becomes strongly oxidized when air is admitted. However, at room temperature it
has a comparatively high vapor pressure of 10 -3 mbar. If lower ultimate total pressures are to be
reached, cold traps with liquid nitrogen are needed. With their aid, ultimate total pressures of 10 -
10
mbar can be obtained with mercury diffusion pumps. Because mercury is toxic, as already
mentioned, and because it presents a hazard to the environment, it is nowadays hardly ever used
as a pump fluid.

Components of a Diffusion Pump

1. Pump Body: A cylindrical chamber with an outlet port and a series of nozzles.
 2. Heater: Located at the bottom, it heats the pump fluid to generate vapor.

3. Pump Fluid: Usually a specialized oil or mercury.

4. Nozzles: Direct the vapor in a downward jet.

5. Cooling System: Maintains the temperature gradient, condensing the pump fluid vapor.

Working Steps

1. Heating the Pump Fluid:

o The heater at the base of the pump heats the pump fluid to its boiling point,
converting it into a vapor.

2. Vapor Jet Formation:

o The vapor rises and is ejected at high velocity through the specially designed nozzles.

o These nozzles direct the vapor downward toward the walls of the pump.

3. Momentum Transfer:

o Gas molecules from the chamber above enter the pump and collide with the high-
speed vapor jet.

o During these collisions, the gas molecules are directed downward, gaining
momentum toward the bottom of the pump.

4. Trapping and Compression:

o The gas molecules are compressed and directed toward the base of the pump,
where the pressure is higher.

o A mechanical backing pump removes these gas molecules from the system.

5. Condensation and Recirculation:

o The pump walls are cooled, causing the vaporized pump fluid to condense on the
walls.

o The condensed fluid flows back to the heater, completing the cycle.

Key Features

 No Moving Parts: Diffusion pumps rely entirely on vapor dynamics and have no moving
mechanical components.

 High Vacuum: They can achieve pressures as low as 10−710^{-7}10−7 to 10−910^{-9}10−9

 Backing Pump Requirement: A mechanical pump (e.g., rotary vane pump) is required to
handle the exhaust and maintain the necessary pressure at the pump's outlet.
Limitations

1. Oil Backstreaming:

o Some vaporized pump fluid may travel back into the vacuum chamber,
contaminating the system.

o Using cold traps or baffles can minimize this effect.

2. Non-Suitable for Reactive Gases:

o Reactive gases can degrade the pump fluid or interact with the pump surfaces.

3. Cooling Requirement:

o Adequate cooling is essential to condense the pump fluid.

Applications

 High-vacuum systems for metallurgy, coating, and electronics.

 Research labs for particle accelerators and vacuum experiments.

 Semiconductor manufacturing processes.

By utilizing vapor momentum transfer, diffusion pumps effectively remove gas molecules, creating a
high-vacuum environment essential for numerous advanced technologies.