Standard Laboratory Vacuum System Stations

Standard Laboratory Vacuum System Stations

Turbo-Pump Based Stations

The Turbo-Pump Based Vacuum Station is a system used to produce high vacuum ( 10^-6 < X < 10^-9 Torr ) in beamlines and experimental chambers through out the lab. Turbo pump, or more exactingly turbomolecular pump, systems are throughput pumping systems, which means that the gases that are removed from the evacuated space are continuously discharged into the atmosphere. Turbo pumps cannot discharge to atmospheric pressure and require a roughing pump to interface between the turbo's discharge port and atmosphere. In our lab, this roughing pump is typically an oil-sealed, rotary-vane vacuum pump but may sometimes be an oil-free, dry scroll pump.

The standard turbo pump station consists of the following components:

• A single turbomolecular vacuum pump.
• A single roughing pump.
• An electro-pneumatically operated, high-throughput, gate valve.
• A hand operated (usually) or an electro-pneumatically operated (rarely) foreline valve.
• A molecular-sieve foreline trap.
• A foreline vacuum gauge.
• Dual chamber/beamline vacuum gauges.
• A vacuum pump gate valve interlock circuit.
• A panel-mounted indicator & control panel.
• Various interconnecting vacuum hoses and fittings.

Cryopump Based Stations

The Cryopump Based Vacuum Station is a system used to produce high vacuum ( 10^-6 < X < 10^-9 Torr ) in beamlines and experimental chambers through out the lab. Cryopumps are capture pumps, which means that the gases that are removed from the evacuated space are stored within the pump until the pump's capacity is reached. These gases must then be expelled through a process known as regeneration. Modern cryopumps can do this automatically. Sadly, our cryopumps are not modern cryopumps and regeneration must be done manually.

The standard cryopump station consists of the following components:

• A single cryopump.
• A single cryopump compressor.
• An electro-pneumatically operated, high-throughput, gate valve.
• A pump-mounted vacuum gauge.
• Dual chamber/beamline vacuum gauges.
• A vacuum pump gate valve interlock circuit.
• A panel-mounted indicator & control panel.
• Various interconnecting vacuum hoses and fittings.

Diffusion Pump Based Stations (rare)

The Diffusion Pump Based Vacuum Station is a system used to produce high vacuum (10^-6 < X < 10^-9 Torr ) in some specialized systems within the laboratory, notably the SNICS source and one of the target lab evaporators. Diffusion pumps, in general, are being replaced by more modern alternatives and are typically no longer included in new designs. Feel free to skip this section if you're short on time. Cryopump systems are throughput systems, which means that the gases that are removed from the evacuated space are continuously discharged into the atmosphere. Diffusion pumps cannot discharge to atmospheric pressure and require a roughing pump to interface between the turbo's discharge port and atmosphere. In our lab, this roughing pump is an oil-sealed, rotary-vane vacuum pump.

The standard diffusion pump station consists of the following components:

• A single diffusion pump.
• A single roughing pump.
• An electro-pneumatically or manually operated, high-throughput, gate valve.
• An electro-pneumatically or manually operated foreline valve.
• A foreline vacuum pump gauge
• Dual chamber/beamline vacuum gauges.
• A vacuum pump gate valve interlock circuit. (on some systems)
• A panel-mounted indicator & control panel. (on some systems)
• A source of water cooling.
• Various interconnecting vacuum hoses and fittings.