Ion pump (physics)

Ion pump (physics)

An ion pump works by creating an electric field across a fluid containing ions. An ion is an electrically charged atom or molecule. If the fluid does not naturally contain ions, then it must be ionized before an ion pump will work. A fluid is ionized either by addition of an ionic substance, or by electrostatic discharge (ESD) caused when the electric field strength exceeds the dielectric strength (approximately 30 kV/cm in air [http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2000/AliceHong.shtml] ). By exerting an electric voltage across two insulated or uninsulated electrode surfaces on either side of the fluid, an electric force is exerted on each charged particle within the fluid. The force magnitude on each particle is equal to the product of the electric field strength and the electric charge of the particle, (note that the direction of the force depends on the sign of the charge). The net pressure created by the pump will be the summation of the electric forces divided by the cross sectional area of the pump. If the fluid contains any non-charged particles, then these will be pushed along by the charged particles to the extent that the fluid is viscous.

Ion pumps are very different from a conventional mechanical pumps, such as a rotary pump or a turbomolecular pump because they do not have any solid moving parts. Like mechanical pumps, ion pumps are flow reversible. They are also reversible in the sense that they can be used as a pneumatic or hydraulic generator to convert fluid pressure and flow into electrical voltage and current.

Applications

Some small high-end air ioniser (air-filtration) devices use an air ion pump to move air without the use of a fan.

An ion getter pump [ [http://accelconf.web.cern.ch/accelconf/p67/PDF/PAC1967_0831.PDF 1967 - Penning discharge ion getter pump] ] is a vacuum pump that works by ionizing the residual gases in a partial-vacuum so that they can be adsorbed to a special material, known as getter, on the walls of the pump. This process is known as gettering. Ion pumps can operate efficiently at extremely low pressure, in the range of 10−3 to 10−12 torr. This is because an ion pump applies a force directly to the remaining particles, while a mechanical pump must wait for the particles to randomly bounce into the pump before they can be extracted.

An ion getter pump acts similarly to a cold cathode ion gauge, allowing the residual gas pressure to be measured by determining the electrical current through the pump. This is possible because the gas pressure is a function of the number of molecules in a volume, (see gas law). When the electrical conductor is uninsulated and the ions contact it, then the electrical current is a function of the average ion charge and the number of ions per second that contact the electrode. An electric current is defined as the rate of flow of electric charge. So a flow of ions is a form of electric current. When the ions contact the electrode, their charge is neutralized. According to Kirchoff's current law, the two currents must be equal and opposite.

ee also

* Magnetohydrodynamic generator (MHD) - Another type of pump/generator with no moving parts, using ion currents in a magnetic field.

Sources

*
*

External links

* [http://cas.web.cern.ch/cas/Spain-2006/PDFs/Audi.pdf An Introduction toIon Pumps]
* [http://www.vacuum-guide.com/high_vacuum_pump/getter_ion/getter_pump_europe.htm www.vacuum-guide.com] - ion getter pump manufacturers directory.
* [http://www.gammavacuum.com www.gammavacuum.com] - ion pump manufacturer.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ion transporter — Ion pump redirects here. For pumps that reduce pressure, see Ion pump (physics). In biology, an ion transporter, also called an ion pump, is a transmembrane protein that moves ions across a plasma membrane against their concentration gradient, in …   Wikipedia

  • Vacuum pump — A vacuum pump is a device that removes gas molecules from a sealed volume in order to leave behind a partial vacuum. The vacuum pump was invented in 1650 by Otto von Guericke. Types Pumps can be broadly categorized according to three… …   Wikipedia

  • Sorption pump — The sorption pump is a vacuum pump that creates a vacuum by adsorbing molecules on a very porous material like molecular sieve which is cooled by a cryogen, typically liquid nitrogen. The ultimate pressure is about 10 2 mbar. With special… …   Wikipedia

  • Low-energy ion scattering — LEIS redirects here; for the Hawaiian garland see Lei (Hawaii). Low energy ion scattering spectroscopy (LEIS), sometimes referred to simply as ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS), is a surface sensitive analytical technique used to characterize the …   Wikipedia

  • Getter — Getters are reactive materials used for removing traces of gas from vacuum systems. Flashed getters are prepared by arranging a reservoir of a volatile and reactive material inside the vacuum system; once the system is sealed, the material is… …   Wikipedia

  • Transmission electron microscopy — A TEM image of the polio virus. The polio virus is 30 nm in size.[1] Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a microscopy technique whereby a beam of electrons is transmitted through an ultra thin specimen, interacting with the specimen as it… …   Wikipedia

  • Membrane potential — Differences in concentration of ions on opposite sides of a cellular membrane lead to a voltage called the membrane potential. Many ions have a concentration gradient across the membrane, including potassium (K+), which is at a high inside and a… …   Wikipedia

  • Flagellum — For the insect anatomical structure, see Antenna (biology). For the flagella of male Solifugae, see Solifugae. Flagella Code TH H1.00.01.1.01032 A flagellum ( …   Wikipedia

  • History of perpetual motion machines — The history of perpetual motion machines dates back to the Middle Ages. For millennia, it was not clear whether perpetual motion devices were possible or not, but the development of modern thermodynamics has indicated that they are impossible.… …   Wikipedia

  • Beamline — In particle physics, a beamline is the line in a linear accelerator along which a beam of particles travels. It may also refer to the line of travel within a bending section such as a storage ring or cyclotron.In materials science, physics,… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”