Air Squared's new three-stage compact scroll vacuum pump (CSVP) is unique in its size class, producing up to 5 mTorr (6.5 x 10-6 atmosphere) vacuum without a turbo pump—10X greater vacuum than standard pumps needing turbo boost to reach that level. With a package size of just 19.2 x 15 x 14.5 cm (7.5 x 5.9 x 5.7 in)—about half the size of standard pumps—the oil-free CSVP can replace a turbo-boosted pump to save weight, space, cost, and maintenance in applications ranging from spectrometers and gas detectors to analyzers, autoclaves and lab vacuum stations. The patent-pending oil-free CSVP weighs just 4.5 kg (10 lb), suited for portable instruments, such as the Homeland Security Air Sample analyzer for which it was designed. The CSVP can also be turbo-boosted to produce even greater vacuum levels.
The new three-stage pump delivers exceptional performance for a vacuum pump of its size with a displacement of 57 LPM (2 CFM), noise level less than 45 dBA, and power requirement of just 150 W.
The rotary scroll design provides quiet, balanced, pulse-free operation. Power delivery is continuous, which virtually eliminates pulsation and associated noise. There are only two primary moving parts, with no inlet or discharge valves to break or make noise, and no associated valve losses.
The operating element of a scroll compressor is made up of two identical involutes, which form right- and left-hand components. One scroll is indexed or phased 180 degrees with respect to the other so the scrolls mesh. This indexing creates crescent shaped gas pockets, bounded by the involutes and base plates of both scrolls. In operation, one scroll remains fixed; the other is attached to an eccentric driven by the motor shaft. As the moving scroll orbits the fixed scroll, the gas pockets formed by the meshed scrolls follow the spiral inward to compress air, which is discharged through an outlet in the center of the scrolls.
Air Squared Inc., www.airsquared.com
