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Which types of mechanical pumps are widely used to produce vacuum?
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vacuum technology
Diagram of a McLeod gauge.
In vacuum technology, vacuum pumps function as compressors that intake gas at pressures below atmospheric pressure and discharge it at atmospheric pressure. Several types of mechanical pumps are widely used for this purpose:1
- Oil-sealed rotary pumps: These are frequently used as forepumps or roughing pumps for other vacuum systems. They operate by trapping gas in a volume swept by blades or a rotor, and they are essential for reaching low pressures.23
- Mechanical boosters: These pumps utilize two figure-eight-shaped impellers rotating in opposite directions. Because they must be backed by another pump (typically an oil-sealed rotary pump), they are used to increase pumping capacity in specific pressure ranges.2
- Reciprocating piston pumps: These are also widely employed for producing vacuum.1
- Steam jet ejectors: While not a mechanical pump in the traditional sense, these are extensively used in industrial applications to pump large volumes of gases and vapors at low pressures by transferring momentum from high-velocity steam to the gas.1