[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum pump. More precisely the invention is concerned
with a vacuum pump of the turbomolecular type comprising a so-called cryogenic trap.
[0002] A vacuum pump substantially comprises a casing containing a number of gas pumping
stages formed by rotor disks secured to the rotatable shaft of the pump, cooperating
with stator rings attached to the pump casing.
[0003] The casing is further provided with a gas inlet or suction port for sucking the gases
to be pumped and an exhaust port for discharging the pumped gases.
[0004] Vacuum levels in the order of 10
-8 Pa can be obtained by using a vacuum pump of the turbomolecular type.
[0005] A turbomolecular vacuum pump is disclosed in EP-A-0 445 855 in the name of the present
applicant.
[0006] It is known that undesired vapors such as oil, water, carbon dioxide or solvents
vapors can be included in the gas to be pumped through a vacuum pump.
[0007] This implies a decrease of the pump performance and the risk of damaging the pump
components.
[0008] In order to solve the above mentioned drawback generally a selective pumping device
is disposed upstream of the suction port of the vacuum pump, with the purpose of trapping
one or more of the vapors such as oil, water and solvent vapors.
[0009] Among the selective pumping device commonly employed for the above purpose, there
are known the so-called cryopumps i.e. equipped with freeze-trapping devices in which
the above mentioned gases are condensed upon reaching a temperature in the order of
150°K.
[0010] An example of a turbomolecular pump provided with a freeze-trapping device is disclosed
in US-A-4 926 648.
[0011] US-A-4 926 648 discloses a turbomolecular pump comprising a heat exchanger located
within the suction port of the gas to be pumped and upstream of the pumping stages
of the turbomolecular pump.
[0012] Such heat exchanger is connected with a refrigerator outside the turbomolecular pump,
through a double pipe, i.e. a delivery and a return pipes, adapted to supply a very
low temperature refrigerant fluid from the refrigerating device to the heat exchanger
and viceversa.
[0013] More precisely, through the delivery pipe the "cold" refrigerant from the refrigerator
is supplied to the heat exchanger inside the pump and then, through the "warm" return
pipe, the refrigerant fluid is returned to the refrigerator.
[0014] However the solution teached in the above mentioned document has the drawback of
requiring a twofold connecting pipe, located between the refrigerator and the heat
exchanger, and since this pipe must be thermally insulated its length must be as short
as possible.
[0015] This involves an increase of both the manufacturing cost and the system complexity,
and prevents the use of a twofold connecting pipe of a desired length.
[0016] Other examples of a turbomolecular pump equipped with a cryogenic trap are disclosed
in US-A-5 062 271 and US-A-5 483 803.
[0017] US-A-5 062 271 and US-A-5 483 803 disclose a turbomolecular pump comprising a heat
exchanger disposed inside the suction port of the gas to be pumped.
[0018] Such heat exchanger is associated with a single-stage Gifford-McMahon cycle helium
refrigerator located adjacent the suction port of the turbomolecular pump and connected
to a separate compressor unit through a twofold (delivery and return) pipe.
[0019] One of the major advantages when using a Gifford-McMahon refrigerator is that the
delivery and return pipes of the refrigerant are "warm" and consequently do not require
thermal insulation.
[0020] The apparatus disclosed in the last mentioned document has nevertheless the shortcoming
of requiring a Gifford-McMahon refrigerator which notoriously comprises moving parts
and is particularly complex and expensive, and requires a helium refrigerating mixture.
[0021] A further example of a turbomolecular pump equipped with a cold trap is disclosed
in EP 061066.
EP 061066 discloses a vacuum pump provided at the inlet thereof within the pump casing
with a cold trap, said cold trap being connected to the cooling unit of a refrigerating
system through a thermal conductor made of copper and housed in a holding case which
forms an integral unit with the pump case.
[0022] US-A-5 337 572 discloses a closed circuit refrigerator provided with a single stage
rolling piston compressor for obtaining low temperatures in the range from 65°K to
150°K.
[0023] The apparatus disclosed in US-A-5 337 572 permits to obtain very low temperatures
on small surfaces and is particularly applicable in the field of cryosurgery instruments.
[0024] In applications where turbomolecular pumps are used together with cryopumps, the
temperature to be reached on the cryopump surface is generally above 150°K.
[0025] At temperature lower than 150°K the cryopump would trap other gases having a larger
molecular weight than that of water vapor, and such gases should be removed from the
turbomolecular pump, with a consequent quick exhaustion of the pumping capability
of the cryopump.
[0026] Particularly in presence of corrosive gases, such as those employed in the manufacturing
of integrated circuits, the purpose of the cryogenic pumping stage located upstream
of the inlet port for sucking the gases into the turbomolecular pump, is to remove
only the water vapor, if present, from the pumped gas mixture, while the other gases
are to be removed by the turbomolecular pump.
[0027] Moreover the design of the condensing surface in a cryopump has to provide for a
sufficiently large area for intercepting as much as possible of the water vapor present
in the sucked gas mixture.
[0028] It is therefore an object of the present invention to realize a vacuum pump provided
with a cryogenic trapping device that is free from the shortcomings of the prior apparatuses,
and that employs a single compression stage refrigerator.
[0029] This object of the present invention is accomplished through a vacuum pump as claimed
in claim 1.
[0030] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become evident from
the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a vacuum pump, illustrated
as an example only and without limiting purposes in the attached drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a partially sectional front view of a vacuum pump in accordance with the
invention;
Figure 2 is a block diagram of a refrigerating circuit used in a vacuum pump according
to the invention;
Figure 3a is a perspective view of a heat exchanger according to a first embodiment
of the invention;
Figure 3b is a perspective view of a heat exchanger according to a second embodiment
of the invention;
Figure 3c is a partial sectional front view of a heat exchanger according to a third
embodiment of the invention;
Figure 4a is a sectional view of the cryogenic assembly according to a first embodiment
of the invention;
Figure 4b is a sectional view of a cryogenic assembly according to a second embodiment
of the invention;
Figure 5 is a sectional view of a vacuum pump of the turbomolecular type improved
in accordance with the known art.
[0031] Figure 1 illustrates a vacuum pump 1 of the turbomolecular type comprising a casing
2, an axial inlet or suction port 3 for the gas to be pumped, and a radial exhaust
port 4 of the pumped gases.
[0032] As better shown in Figure 5, a plurality of pumping stages 10, 10a, formed by rotors
11, 11a secured to a rotatable shaft 13, and alternate stators 12, 12a are provided
inside the casing 2 of the turbomolecular pump.
[0033] The known turbomolecular pump shown in Figure 5 has a special design comprising one
or more pumping stages 10a with a tangential flow, in addition to conventional pumping
stages 10 with an axial flow.
[0034] Each tangential flow stage 10a comprises a rotor 11a formed as a flat disk and associated
with a coplanar annular stator 12a spaced from each other so as to form an annular
free channel 14 therebetween, with the pumped gas flowing along a tangential path
in the direction shown by the arrow E in Figure 5, corresponding to the counterclockwise
direction of rotation of the shaft 13, indicated in Figure 5 by the arrow C.
[0035] A baffle 15 closes the channel 14 between a suction opening 17 and an exhaust opening
18, provided in an upper closing plate 16 and in a lower closing plate 19, respectively.
[0036] Returning to Figure 1, a flanged collar 20 is fastened upstream of the plurality
of pumping stages 10, 10a and houses a heat exchanger 21.
[0037] The flanged collar 20 and the casing 2 are axially aligned and can be formed as an
integral component.
[0038] Thus the casing is divided into a first portion containing the pumping stages 10,
10a and a second portion containing the heat exchanger 21.
[0039] In a first embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 3a, the heat exchanger
21 is preferably formed by a thin wall cylindrical element that is substantially coaxial
to the flanged collar 20, and laterally secured to the cold end 22 of a cryogenic
assembly 30 that is part of a closed circuit refrigerating system.
[0040] The cryogenic assembly 30 is preferably of the Joule-Thomson type, in which the temperature
of a compressed gas that is allowed to expand decreases as a function of the energy
absorbed to overcome the molecular coesion forces.
[0041] With reference to Figure 4a, said cryogenic assembly 30 is housed within a high vacuum
casing 31 and comprises a (heat transfer) coil 32 in which a refrigerant flows, made
up by a first high pressure inlet section 33, defining the condensing unit of such
cryogenic assembly, a throttling portion 34, disposed downstream of said first section
33, at the outlet of which the gas mixture is quickly cooled by letting it to expand,
an intermediate section 35 in contact with the cold end 22 of the cryogenic assembly
30, and a low pressure outlet section 36, defining the evaporating unit of such cryogenic
assembly 30.
[0042] The casing 31 housing the cryogenic assembly 30 is partially located outside the
flanged collar 20, and its cold end 22 is disposed within the flanged collar 20 and
insulated by a high vacuum gasket fitted in the wall 25 of said flanged collar 20.
[0043] Through a high pressure delivery pipe 37 and a low pressure return pipe 38, the cryogenic
assembly 30 is connected to a compressor 39 of the refrigerating circuit illustrated
with more details in Figure 2.
[0044] The refrigerating circuit schematically illustrated in Figure 2 comprises a single
stage compressor 39 including an oil lubricated rotating piston, to which a refrigerating
mixture of gas and oil is fed through a low pressure pipe 38.
[0045] The compression ratio attainable by the compressor 39 is preferably of 5:1 and the
volumetric efficiency of said compressor is higher than 50%.
[0046] Said low pressure refrigerating mixture of gas and oil is compressed to a high pressure
by compressor 39 and then is delivered to the cryogenic assembly 30 through the high
pressure pipe 37.
[0047] Downstream of the compressor 39 there is located an oil separator 40 embodied as
a simple gas-liquid filter adapted to separate the oil from the high pressure refrigerating
mixture and to return the oil to the low pressure pipe 38, through a return pipe 42.
[0048] In the schematic diagram of Figure 2 there is further shown an air or water cooler
41, preferably downstream of the oil separator 40, for cooling the compressed gas
mixture, after the heating thereof caused by compression in the compressor 39, and
a dehydrator 43 for removing the condensate residuals from within the pipes.
[0049] The compressed mixture that has been cooled in the cooler 41 is delivered to the
cryogenic assembly 30 through the section of the high pressure 37 pipe that is located
downstream of the cooler 41.
[0050] From the above it is evident that both the pipes 37 and 38 are "warm" and do not
require a thermal insulation whereby their length can be as long as desired.
[0051] In accordance with an alternative embodiment, in the heat exchanger 21' shown in
Figure 3b, the axial extension of the cylinder wall forming the heat exchanger 21'
is maximum at the proximal portion 23 at which the cold end 22 is secured, and minimum
at the distal portion 24 diametrally opposed to the former. The axial extension of
the wall linearly decreases from the securing portion 23 to the diametrally opposed
portion 24.
[0052] The variable axial extension of the surface in the heat exchanger 21 is provided
for compensating the temperature gradient that unavoidably is generated - because
of the radiative heat - between the proximal portion 23 secured to the cold end 22
and the distal portion 24 of the heat exchanger 21, such gradient effecting the gas
condensing capability.
[0053] It is known that the condensing capability depends on both the temperature of the
cold surface and the extension of such cold surface.
[0054] Therefore, by increasing the surface in correspondence of the proximal (colder) portion
23, a more uniform spatial distribution of the temperature on the surface of the heat
exchanger 21' is achieved.
[0055] With reference to Figure 4b there is illustrated a different embodiment of the cryogenic
assembly in which the high pressure refrigerant delivery pipe 50 is disposed within
the return pipe 51 of the refrigerant and coaxially thereto.
[0056] The inner pipe 50 terminates with a throttling portion 52 in correspondence of the
expansion chamber 53 terminating the outer return pipe 51.
[0057] In the embodiment shown in Figure 4b the high pressure delivery pipe 50 is in thermal
contact relationship with the return flow of the expanded refrigerating gas mixture
that is at a lower temperature and contributes to the cooling of the delivery pipe
50.
[0058] The outer diameter of the assembly formed by the delivery and return coaxial pipes
is about 1 cm, and its overall length is of a few meters.
[0059] In order to reduce the tube overall dimensions, the tube is wound to form a coil
with only the cold end 54 protruding from the flanged collar, and fitted upstream
of the suction port of the vacuum pump, through a high vacuum gasket.
[0060] In this embodiment the heat exchanger acting as a cryogenic pump only comprises the
cold end 54 of the cryogenic assembly.
[0061] This solution can be employed also in combination with cryogenic assembies of different
type, particularly of the type illustrated in Figure 4a, and is advantageous since
it is simpler to be manufactured and eliminates every hindrance to the gas flow within
the flanged collar.
[0062] Figure 3c illustrates a third embodiment of the heat exchanger in which the heat
exchanger 61 is directly formed by two coaxial pipes, of the type illustrated in Figure
4b, helically wound and partially housed within the flanged collar 20'.
[0063] A first section 66 of the coaxial pipes defining the heat exchanger 61 is helically
wound around an axis substantially coincident with the pump rotation axis, and is
operatively connected through an intermediated and shaped section 64 to a second section
62 of said coaxial pipes, helically wound around a substantially radial axis and sealingly
housed in a high vacuum casing 63 that is externally secured to the flanged collar
20' and open towards the inside of the flanged collar 20' through a window 69 formed
in the flanged collar 20'.
[0064] The second helical section 62 protrudes from the casing 63 through a high vacuum
gasket in the wall 65 of casing 63 and is connected to the delivery and return pipes
37 and 38 of the closed circuit cooling system described with reference to Figure
2, through the delivery and return pipe ends 67, 68, respectively, that constitute
the inner and the outer pipes in the coaxial structure.
[0065] This embodiment is shown in Figure 3c and is advantageous in that the helical pipe
defining the heat exchanger 61 can be easily shaped in accordance with the inner geometry
of the flanged collar 20' housing the heat exchanger.
[0066] Moreover the casing 63 can be opened towards the inside of the flanged collar 20'
since the vacuum created within the inside of the flanged collar 20' has sufficient
thermal insulating capabilities.
[0067] Preferably the mixture of gases used in the cooling circuit of the present invention
comprises a combination of the following gases: nitrogen, methane, ethylene, propane
and isobutane.
[0068] In order to obtain the optimum temperature for condensing the water vapor, in the
disclosed cryogenic cycle a gas mixture comprising 0.36 of nitrogen, 0.20 of methane,
0.12 of ethylene, 0.20 of propane and 0.12 of isobutane has been advantageously employed.
[0069] However mixtures containing nitrogen, argon and/or methane in amounts comprised either
between 20% and 45% for a single component, or between 20% and 60% in any combination
whatsoever, and at least two other gases selected from ethane, ethylene, propane,
isopentane and isobutane were found to be equally effective for achieving the desired
temperatures.
1. A vacuum pump comprising:
- a substantially cylindrical casing in which a first portion (2) and a second portion
(20) are defined;
- a plurality of gas pumping stages housed within said first casing portion (2) and
formed by rotor disks (11, 11a) secured to a rotatable shaft (13) of the pump and
stator rings (12, 12a) secured to said pump casing and cooperating with said rotor
disks (11, 11a);
- a suction port (3) for sucking the gases to be pumped and an exhaust port (4) for
discharging the pumped gases;
- a selective pumping stage of the cryogenic type located on the upstream side of
said plurality of gas pumping stages;
characterized in that said selective pumping stage comprises a closed circuit refrigerating
system of the Joule-Thomson type, in which system a compressed refrigerant gas mixture
is circulated, that is cooled through expansion at the cold end (22) of said refrigerating
system located within said second casing portion (20).
2. A vacuum pump as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said refrigerating system
comprises a Joule-Thomson cryogenic assembly (30) equipped with a heat transfer coil
(32) for the flow of said refrigerant gas mixture, said coil (32) comprising a high
pressure delivery section (33), defining the condensing unit of said cryogenic assembly
(30), a throttling portion (34) downstream of said delivery section (33), at the outlet
of which the gas mixture is quicly cooled through expansion, an intermediate section
(35) in contact with the cold end (22) of said cryogenic assembly (30), and a low
pressure return section (36), defining the evaporation unit of said cryogenic assembly
(30).
3. A vacuum pump as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it provides a heat exchanger
(21; 21') formed by a thin-wall cylindrical member secured to said cold end (22).
4. A vacuum pump as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the axial extension of
the cylinder wall forming said heat exchanger (21') is maximum at the proximal portion
(23) to which the cold end (22) is secured, and minimum at the distal portion (24)
diametrally opposed in respect of the former, said axial extension linearly decreasing
from said securing portion (23) to said diametrally opposed portion (24).
5. A vacuum pump as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said refrigerating system
comprises two coaxial pipes, a first inner delivery pipe (50) and a second outer return
pipe (51) of the refrigerant gas mixture, said inner delivery pipe (50) terminating
with an expansion chamber (53) formed inside said second outer pipe (51), for expanding
said refrigerant gas mixture.
6. A vacuum pump as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that it comprises a first helically
wound section (66) of said two coaxial pipes, located in said second casing portion
(20), and operatively connected through an intermediated section (64) of said two
coaxial pipes to a second helically wound section (62) of said coaxial pipes, located
outside said second casing portion (20).
7. A vacuum pump as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that said first section (66)
of coaxial pipes helically extends substantially around the pump rotation axis, and
in that said second section (62) of said coaxial pipes extends substantially around
a radial direction.
8. A vacuum pump as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said refrigerating system
comprises a single stage rolling piston compressor (39).
9. A vacuum pump as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that said refrigerant gas mixture
comprises 0.36 of azoto, 0.20 of methane, 0.12 of ethylene, 0.20 of propane and 0.12
of isobutane.
10. A vacuum pump as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the compression ratio of
said refrigerant mixture of said compressor (39) is 5:1 with a volumetric efficiency
higher than 50%.
11. A vacuum pump as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said second casing portion
(20) comprises a flanged collar axially mounted to and aligned with said first casing
portion (2).
12. A vacuum pump as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said
vacuum pump is a turbomolecular pump.
1. Vakuumpumpe, die aufweist:
- ein im wesentlichen zylindrisches Gehäuse, in dem ein erster Teil (2) und ein zweiter
Teil (20) abgegrenzt sind;
- eine Mehrzahl von Gas-Pumpstufen, die innerhalb des genannten ersten Gehäuseteiles
(2) untergebracht und durch Rotorscheiben (11, 11a), die an einer drehbaren Welle
(14) der Pumpe befestigt sind, sowie Statorringe (12, 12a) gebildet sind, die an dem
genannten Pumpengehäuse befestigt sind und mit den genannten Rotorscheiben (11, 11a)
zusammenwirken;
- einem Ansaugkanal (3) zum Ansaugen der zu pumpenden Gase und einem Auslaßkanal (4)
zum Ausgeben der gepumpten Gase;
- eine selektive Pumpstufe vom kälteerzeugenden Typ, die an der stromaufwärtigen Seite
der genannten Mehrzahl von Pumpstufen angeordnet ist;
dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die genannte selektive Pumpstufe ein Kühlsystem mit geschlossenem
Kreislauf vom Joule-Thomson Typ aufweist, in welchem System eine verdichtete Kältemittel-Gasmischung
zirkuliert wird, die durch Expansion am kalten Ende (22) des genannten Kühlsystems
gekühlt wird, das innerhalb des genannten zweiten Gehäuseteiles (20) angeordnet ist.
2. Vakuumpumpe wie in Anspruch 1 beansprucht, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das genannte
Kühlsystem eine Joule-Thomson Kälteerzeugereinrichtung (30) aufweist, die mit einer
Wärmetauscherspule (32) für den Strom der genannten Kältemittel-Gasmischung ausgerüstet
ist, wobei genannte Spule (32) einen Hochdruck-Zuführabschnitt (33), der die Kondensatoreinheit
der genannten Kälteerzeugereinrichtung (30) definiert, einen Drosselungsabschnitt
(34) stromabwärts des genannten Zuführabschnittes (33), an dessen Ausgang die Gasmischung
schnell durch Expansion abgekühlt wird, einen Zwischenabschnitt (35) in Kontakt mit
dem kalten Ende (22) der genannten Kälteerzeugereinrichtung (30) sowie einen Niederdruck-Rücklaufabschnitt
(36) aufweist, der die Verdampfereinrichtung der genannten Kälteerzeugereinrichtung
(30) bildet.
3. Vakuumpumpe wie in Anspruch 1 beansprucht, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß sie einen Wärmetauscher
(21; 21') vorsieht, der durch ein dünnwandiges zylindrisches Glied gebildet ist, das
an dem genannten kalten Ende (22) befestigt ist.
4. Vakuumpumpe wie in Anspruch 3 beansprucht, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die axiale
Erstreckung der Zylinderwand, die den genannten Wärmetauscher (21') bildet, an dem
proximalen Teil (23) am größten ist, an dem das kalte Ende (22) befestigt ist, und
an dem distalen Teil (24) am kleinsten ist, der zum ersteren diametral entgegengesetzt
ist, wobei die genannte axiale Erstreckung von dem genannten Befestigungsteil (23)
zu dem genannten diametral entgegengesetzten Teil (24) hin linear abnimmt.
5. Vakuumpumpe wie in Anspruch 1 beansprucht, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das genannte
Kühlsystem zwei koaxiale Rohre aufweist, ein erstes, inneres Zuführrohr (50) und ein
zweites, äußeres Rücklaufrohr (51) für die Kältemittel-Gaschmischung, wobei das genannte
innere Zuführrohr (50) mit einer Ausdehnungskammer (53) endigt, die innerhalb des
zweiten, äußeren Rohres (51) ausgebildet ist, um die genannte Kältemittel-Gasmischung
zu expandieren.
6. Vakuumpumpe wie in Anspruch 5 beansprucht, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß sie einen ersten,
schraubenförmig gewundenen Abschnitt (66) der genannten zwei koaxialen Rohre aufweist,
der in dem genannten zweiten Gehäuseteil (20) angeordnet und wirkungsmäßig über einen
Zwischenabschnitt (64) der genannten zwei koaxialen Rohre mit einem zweiten schraubenförmig
gewundenen Abschnitt (62) der genannten koaxialen Rohre verbunden ist, der außerhalb
des genannten zweiten Gehäuseteiles (20) gelegen ist.
7. Vakuumpumpe wie in Anspruch 6 beansprucht, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der genannte
erste Abschnitt (66) der koaxialen Rohre sich schraubenförmig im wesentlichen um die
Pumpendrehachse herum erstreckt und daß der genannte zweite Abschnitt (62) der genannten
koaxialen Rohre sich im wesentlichen um eine radiale Richtung herum erstreckt.
8. Vakuumpumpe wie in Anspruch 1 beansprucht, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das genannte
Kühlsystem einen einstufigen Drehkolbenverdichter (39) aufweist.
9. Vakuumpumpe wie in Anspruch 8 beansprucht, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die genannte
Kältemittel-Gasmischung 0,36 Stickstoff, 0,20 Methan, 0,12 Ethylen, 0,20 Propan und
0,12 Isobutan aufweist.
10. Vakuumpumpe wie in Anspruch 9 beansprucht, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Verdichtungsverhältnis
der genannten Kältemittel-Mischung des Verdichters (39) 5:1 beträgt, bei einem volumetrischem
Wirkungsgrad von mehr als 50%.
11. Vakuumpumpe wie in Anspruch 1 beansprucht, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der genannte
zweite Gehäuseteil (20) einen mit Flanschen versehenen Kragenteil aufweist, der axial
und fluchtend zu dem genannten ersten Gehäuseteil (2) angebracht ist.
12. Vakuumpumpe wie in irgendeinem der vorausgehenden Ansprüche beansprucht, dadurch gekennzeichnet,
daß die genannte Vakuumpumpe eine Turbomolekularpumpe ist.
1. Pompe à vide comprenant :
- un boîtier sensiblement cylindrique dans lequel une première partie (2) et une seconde
partie (20) sont définies;
- une pluralité d'étages de pompage de gaz logée à l'intérieur de la dite première
partie de boîtier (2) et formée par des disques rotors (11, 11a) fixés à un arbre
tournant (13) de la pompe et des anneaux stators (12, 12a) fixés audit boîtier de
pompe et fonctionnant avec lesdits disques rotors (11, 11a) ;
- un orifice d'aspiration (3) pour aspirer les gaz à pomper et un orifice de sortie
(4) pour évacuer les gaz pompés ;
- un étage de pompage sélectif de type cryogénique situé en amont de ladite pluralité
d'étages de pompage de gaz;
caractérisée en ce que ledit étage de pompage sélectif comprend un système réfrigérant
en circuit fermé du type Joule-Thomson, dans lequel un mélange de gaz réfrigérants
comprimés circule, qui est refroidi par détente à l'extrémité froide (22) dudit système
réfrigérant située à l'intérieur de ladite seconde partie de boîtier (20).
2. Pompe à vide selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que ledit système réfrigérant
comprend un assemblage cryogénique Joule-Thomson (30) équipé d'une bobine de transfert
de chaleur (32) pour la circulation dudit mélange de gaz réfrigérants, ladite bobine
(32) comprenant une partie d'alimentation à haute pression (33), définissant l'unité
de condensation dudit assemblage cryogénique (30), une partie d'étranglement (34)
en aval de ladite partie d'alimentation (33), à la sortie de laquelle le mélange de
gaz est rapidement refroidi par détente, une partie intermédiaire (35) en contact
avec l'extrémité froide (22) dudit assemblage cryogénique (30), et une partie de retour
à basse pression (36), définissant l'unité d'évaporation dudit assemblage cryogénique
(30).
3. Pompe à vide selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce qu'elle fournit un échangeur
de chaleur (21; 21') formé par un élément cylindrique de paroi mince, fixé sur ladite
extrémité froide (22).
4. Pompe à vide selon la revendication 3, caractérisée en ce que l'étendue axiale de
la paroi du cylindre formant ledit échangeur de chaleur (21') est maximum dans la
partie proximale (23) à laquelle l'extrémité froide (22) est fixée, et minimum dans
la partie distale (24) diamétralement opposée par rapport à la première, ladite étendue
radiale diminuant linéairement à partir de ladite partie de fixation (23) vers ladite
partie diamétralement opposée (24).
5. Pompe à vide selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que ledit système réfrigérant
comprend deux tuyaux coaxiaux, un premier tuyau d'alimentation interne (50) et un
second tuyau de retour externe (51) du mélange de gaz réfrigérants, ledit tuyau d'alimentation
interne (50) terminant avec une chambre de détente (53) formée à l'intérieur dudit
second tuyau externe (51), pour dilater ledit mélange de gaz réfrigérants.
6. Pompe à vide selon la revendication 5, caractérisée en ce qu'elle comprend une première
partie enroulée en hélice (66) desdits deux tuyaux coaxiaux, située dans ladite seconde
partie de boîtier (20), et reliée en fonctionnement par une partie intermédiaire (64)
desdits deux tuyaux coaxiaux à une seconde partie enroulée en hélice (62) desdits
tuyaux coaxiaux, située à l'extérieur de ladite seconde partie de boîtier (20)
7. Pompe à vide selon la revendication 6, caractérisée en ce que ladite première partie
(66) de tuyaux coaxiaux s'étend en hélice sensiblement autour de l'axe de rotation
de la pompe et en ce que ladite seconde partie (62) desdits tuyaux coaxiaux s'étend
sensiblement autour d'une direction radiale.
8. Pompe à vide selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que ledit système réfrigérant
comprend un compresseur à piston rotatif à étage unique (39).
9. Pompe à vide selon la revendication 8, caractérisée en ce que ledit mélange de gaz
réfrigérants comprend 0,36 d'azote, 0,20 de méthane, 0,12 d'éthylène, 0,20 de propane
et 0,12 d'isobutane.
10. Pompe à vide selon la revendication 9, caractérisée en ce que le taux de compression
dudit mélange réfrigérant dudit compresseur (39) est 5:1 avec une efficacité volumétrique
supérieure à 50%.
11. Pompe à vide selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que ladite seconde partie
de boîtier (20) comprend un collet à collerette monté axialement sur ladite première
partie de boîtier (2) et aligné avec celle-ci.
12. Pompe à vide selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisée en
ce que ladite pompe à vide est une pompe turbomoléculaire.