DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF

VACUUM CHAMBER
First Author Name: Shahabuddin Mohmed Ishaq Modasiya,
PG Student, M.E. Cryogenics, L. D. College of Engineering,
Ahmedabad-380015, Gujarat
E-mail ID: (modasiya_mechanical@yahoo.co.in)

Second Author Name: Prof. J. M. Patel,

APME, Mech. Engg. Deptt, L. D. College of Engineering,
Ahmedabad-380015, Gujarat

ABSTRACT

In this experiment we will construct a vacuum chamber, in which vacuum will be create by pumping with help of vacuum pump
like diffusion pump and we will calibrate vacuum gauge. Different material like aluminum, bronze, stainless steel has different
property under the vacuum as compare to normal condition. Also this paper focuses on those properties of material which are
important for selection of vacuum chamber.

KEYWORDS: Chamber Volume, Surface Area, Material
Property, Pressure, Vacuum Gauges.
INTRODUCTION
A vacuum chamber is a rigid enclosure from which air and
other gases are removed by a vacuum pump. The resulting
low pressure, commonly referred to as a vacuum, allows
researchers to conduct physical experiments or to test
mechanical devices which must operate in outer space (for
example). Chambers made of aluminum allow one to
control the magnetic field inside from outside the vacuum.
At the opposite chambers made of cu-metal prevent
external fields from entering the vacuum. Chambers often
have multiple ports, covered with vacuum flanges, to allow
instruments or windows to be installed in the walls of the
chamber. In low to medium-vacuum applications, these are
sealed with rubber o-rings. In higher vacuum applications,
the flanges have hardened steel knives welded onto them,
which cut into a copper gasket when the flange is bolted
on.
THERMOCOUPLE VACUUM GAUGE
The thermocouple (or T/C) gauge is one of the
more common and cost effective gauges for vacuum
pressure measurement in the 1 Torr to 1 milliTorr range.
The T/C is usually found in the forelines of high vacuum
systems (i.e. between the roughing and diffusion pumps) as
well as in single pump systems of the sort used to evacuate
sign tubes.
Like most vacuum gauges, the T/C gauge does not measure
pressure directly as do, for example, manometers of the
McLeod or Bourdon type. Instead, these vacuum gauges
depend on changes of a physical characteristic of the
residual gas within the gauge tube. In the case of the T/C
gauge, and all other thermal conduction gauges, that
characteristic is the thermal conductivity of the gas. A
thermal conduction gauge may be thought of as a defective
vacuum insulated thermos bottle (refer to Figure 1.) Each
has a hot element (coffee for one, a filament in the case of
the other) within a vacuum wall. There are two ways of
removing heat: conduction (molecule to molecule) and
radiation. For both coffee and warm filaments the primary
path at atmospheric pressure is conduction. As it turns out,
the thermal conductivity of air is nearly constant down to a
fairly low pressure - about 1 Torr. Then it begins to change
rather linearly with pressure down to a value of about 1
mTorr.

NCEVT’10 Shahabuddin Modasiya 1


Fig. 1 Principle of Thermal conductivity
VACUUM CHAMBER VOLUME OR SURFACE
AREA
When assessing the vacuum performance of
existing vacuum chamber, the mental eye has a tendency to
focus on either of two possible parameters that are both are
both crucial to performance. These are chamber volume
and internal surface area. The same can be said for the
design stage of a new system in that it is all to easy to
focus on either parameter to the possible detriment of the
other. So, which of these two is most important? As usual,
that depends on what we are trying to do. Since each
parameter represents different kinds of gas load, it’s
important to consider them in light of the process and
pump down requirements. In general, it is always
important to reduce gas loads as much as possible.
Chamber Volume
The volume of the chamber is usually only a major factor
in cases where pump down time is critical from
atmospheric to some pressure no lower than a few
millitorr. In these cases, the gas being pumped is usually
called volume gas. This is the amount of gas trapped
within the chamber prior to the pump down cycle.
Pumping volume gas a fairly simple concept that can be
compared to emptying a water bucket with a spoon, in
which each spoonful is equal in volume until the level in
the bucket drops low enough that you can no longer get a
spoon to fill by dipping it in to the water. So, each spoon
cycle removes less water and the level drops slower. A
vacuum pump, such as an Oil-sealed mechanical pump,
that exhibits a lowering in pumping speed as the pressure
NCEVT’10 Shahabuddin Modasiya
drops can be mentally substituted for the spoon. Unless a
chamber is being designed to utilize an existing pump, the
chamber volume is one item in formula to calculate the
required pumping speed to reach the given pressure in the
specified time. In other words, the chamber volume is not
all that important a consideration, assuming that a proper
pump can be supplied.
MATERIAL USED FOR VACUUM CHAMBER
Selection Criteria
The selection of materials for use in vacuum systems is a
very important part of the design and should be considered
in consultation with the user. Not only must the material be
capable of being fabricated into the required components
but it must stand up to the environmental conditions of
temperature, pressure, and chemical attack etc. imposed on
it by the vacuum processes, without limiting the attainable
pressure that is required.
Commonly Used Material
Austenitic Stainless Steel is the most commonly used metal
for high and ultra-high vacuum systems, since it fulfills all
of the requirements above. U.S. 321, 347, and 304 are
chosen most frequently for satisfactory argon-arc welding.
321 are used when low magnetic permeability is required.
U.S. 347 will not accept a high polish.
Stainless steel is relatively economical, has
acceptable outgassing rates, and can be fabricated easily.
The main disadvantage is that components may require
'truing up' due to distortion caused by welding operations.
Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys are very cheap,
easy to machine, and have a low outgassing rate as long as
the alloy does not have a high zinc content. They have the
disadvantage of low strength at high temperatures and high
distortion when welding. Alloys with copper content also
present welding problems.
PROPERTY OF VACUUM CHAMBER MATERIAL
Mechanical Properties
(1) The material must be capable of being machined
and fabricated.
(2) It must have adequate strength at maximum and
minimum temperatures to be encountered, and
must retain it's elastic, plastic, and/or fluid
properties over the expected temperature range.
2

Thermal Properties
(1) The material's vapor pressure must remain low at
the highest temperature.
(2) Thermal expansion of adjacent materials must be
taken into account, especially at joints.
Gas Loading
(1) Materials must not be porous.
(2) Materials must be free of cracks and crevices
which can trap cleaning solvents and become a
source of virtual leaks later on.
(3) Surface and bulk desorption rates must be
acceptable at extremes of temperature and
radiation.
MESUREMENT OF PUMPING SPEED
(1) To measure the speed of the pump (defined as the
volume of the gas removed per second), connect the
large gas volume (full of air) to the system with the
diaphragm gauge.
(2) Start the timing using the stopwatch supplied during the
open tap to the pump, and records the pressure reading
on the diaphragm gauge at regular intervals for a total
time about 7 minutes. Choose the length of interval
between two readings for best result, bearing in mind
how rapidly reading changing.
(3) At the end of the measurement period, open the air
leak, then turn off the pump. Work out the average
pumping speed (volume removed per second) during
each time interval.
(4) Measure the dimension of the chamber to estimate its
volume and thus get a numerical value for the pumping
speed.
will create vacuum by pumping. In construction of vacuum
chamber it is important to know the property of the
vacuum chamber material. The pumping speed will be
change with time. Better high vacuum can be achieved by
means of diffusion pump or turbomolecular pump and we
can find out the property of the material like outgassing
rate of stainless steel under vacuum at different baking
temperature.
REFRENCES
Benvenuti C., Canil G., Chiggiato P., Collin P. (1999)
proposed Surface cleaning efficiency for UHV
applications.
Benvenuti-C; Chiggiato-P, Cicoira-F; L-Aminot-Y,(1998)
Nonevaporable Getter Films for Ultrahigh Vacuum
Applications, Journal of Vacuum Science Technology A
(Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films) (USA), vol.16, no.1, , Jan.-
Feb. 1998, p.148-54.
Hipper B., Marquard M. (1996) the Delta Vacuum System,
EPAC'96, Sidges.
Huttel E. (1998) Materials for Accelerator Vacuum
Systems, Vacuum Technology.
ReidR.J. (1998) Cleaning for Vacuum Service, CERN
Accelerator School, Vacuum Technology.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
I am very thankful to my guide Prof. J.M.Patel sir who
helps me in this project.

Does the Pumping Speed Depend on the Pressure?

From PV= nRT we can say that K dt = -V0 dp/p

where k is the pumping speed, P is the average pressure
during the measurement, t is the time and Vo is the volume
of the chamber. dp and dt are the corresponding change in
pressure and time.

CONCLUSION

We can construct a vacuum chamber in which we

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