IMPROVEMENT OF A NEW CONDENSATION-ADSORPTION VACUUM METHOD OF GAS MIXTURES SEPARATION

Abstract

Heat and mass exchange processes are inspected taking place in the newly developed multilayer condensation-adsorption vacuum pump-separator through the example of pumping a model gas mixture (N2, Ar, CH4 and CO2) at liquid nitrogen temperature. The separation of the gas mixture over the thickness of working elements of the vacuum pump is established due adsorption and condensation mechanisms. The possibility of extracting a portion of the gases in pure form and their binary mixtures during desorption from the vacuum pump is explored. The techniques are developed to enhance the separation of the gas mixture at the vacuum pump working elements by improving their adsorption characteristics that enables yielding up to 65–70 % of each component of the gas mixture in pure form. No similar multilayer cryovacuum pump is described in literature.