Abstract: A head assembly for a radiant burner, an inlet assembly and a method are disclosed. The head assembly is for a radiant burner. The head assembly may include a housing defining a plurality of identical housing apertures extending therethrough, an insulator received by the housing and defining a corresponding plurality of identical, complimentarily-located insulator apertures extending therethrough, and at least one inlet assembly configured to be received by one of the identical housing apertures. Each inlet assembly may include a housing portion configured to be received by the one of the identical housing apertures, and an insulator portion configured to fill the complimentarily-located insulator aperture. In this way, a head assembly is provided which has a number of apertures, any of which may receive an inlet assembly.

Abstract: A turbo pump vent assembly and method are disclosed. The turbo pump vent assembly comprises: a primary manual actuator operable to deliver an initial volume of air to a turbo pump; and a secondary manual actuator operable to deliver a secondary volume of air to the turbo pump, wherein the secondary volume of air is greater than the initial volume of air. In this way, an uncomplex and reliable vent is provided which can deliver initial volumes of air to slow the turbo pump initially. Thereafter, the secondary volume of air may be delivered to slow the turbo pump more rapidly than is possible just using further initial volumes of air. Having an apparatus which can deliver differing volumes of air enables the turbo pump to be slowed safely and more quickly than is possible by delivering just the same sized volumes of air.

Abstract: A drag pump for pumping gas and a set of vacuum pumps including the drag pump are disclosed. The drag pump comprises: a rotor configured to rotate within a stator component and to drive a gas to be pumped from a gas inlet to a gas outlet; magnetic bearings for rotatably mounting the rotor within the pump; wherein at least a portion of the rotor and stator component configured to contact the gas to be pumped are configured for operation at temperatures above 130° C.

Abstract: A turbomolecular pump has a housing, a rotor shaft supported by a plurality of bearings for rotation relative to the housing about an axis of rotation, a deflector, a lubricant supply system and a lubricant transfer device provided on the rotor shaft. The bearings include a rolling bearing that receives lubricant from the lubricant supply system to via the lubricant transfer device. The rolling bearing is disposed intermediate the lubricant transfer device and the deflector and the deflector is configured to deflect lubricant that passes through the rolling bearing outwardly with respect to the rotor shaft.

Abstract: A pump cooling system may include a cooling body configured to be fitted to a pump housing to receive heat from the pump housing via a heat conducting path between the cooling body and pump housing. The cooling body may have a passage through which, in use, a cooling fluid is passed to conduct heat away from the cooling body. The pump cooling system includes a cooling control mechanism configured to provide a gap in the heat conducting path at pump operating temperatures below a predefined temperature so heat conduction from the pump housing to the cooling body is interrupted.

Abstract: A pump bearing holder has a carrier portion configured to carry a static set of magnets of a pump magnetic bearing and a support portion extending outwardly of the carrier portion to connect with a pump casing such that the pump bearing holder spans an inlet provided in the pump housing. The support portion defines a plurality of internal through-passages that, in use, allow a gas flowing through the inlet to flow through the support portion.

Abstract: A vacuum pumping system comprises a plurality of vacuum pumping arrangements for evacuating an enclosure and an auxiliary vacuum chamber for evacuation by at least one first vacuum pumping arrangement. The vacuum pumping system has a first state for evacuating the enclosure and a second state for conserving power consumed by the system. In a first stage of the second state the first vacuum pumping arrangement is arranged to evacuate an exhaust of at least one second vacuum pumping arrangement and in a second stage the exhaust of the first pumping arrangement is arranged to be evacuated by the auxiliary vacuum chamber.

Abstract: A dry vacuum pump may include a stator which defines an internal chamber in which a rotor is rotationally mounted. A sensor is mounted to the stator and has an output connected to a processing circuit arranged to analyse the output of the sensor to determine the absolute distance between a point on the surface of the rotor and internal stator surface. The rotor to stator clearance can thus be accurately determined in real time during operation of the pump, so that the pump performance can be optimised over its serviceable life.

Abstract: A scroll vacuum pump includes an orbiting scroll having a wall extending axially from an orbiting scroll base towards a fixed scroll, the fixed scroll having a fixed scroll wall extending axially from a fixed scroll base towards the orbiting scroll; an axially extending drive shaft having an eccentric shaft portion so that rotation of the eccentric shaft portion imparts an orbiting motion to the orbiting scroll relative to the fixed scroll; and an axial thrust bearing arrangement including an array of ball bearings for bearing against the orbiting scroll base in an axial direction, each ball bearing describing a circular path over the orbiting scroll base during orbiting motion; at least one thrust surface for bearing against the array of ball bearings; and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the axial position of said at least one thrust surface and thereby the axial position of the orbiting scroll base.

Abstract: A purge gas feeding means, an abatement system comprising such a means and a method of modifying an abatement system to include such a purge gas feeding means is disclosed. The purge gas feeding means comprises a plurality of paths running from an outer perimeter of the purge gas feeding means to an inner surface, the inner surface comprising a purge gas outlet for outputting the purge gas into the abatement system; wherein a cross sectional area of the plurality of paths increases from the outer perimeter to the inner surface such that a pressure of the purge gas falls flowing along the paths drops.

Abstract: An inlet assembly for a burner includes an inlet nozzle defining an inlet aperture, a non-circular outlet aperture, and a nozzle bore extending along a longitudinal axis between the inlet aperture and the outlet aperture for conveying an effluent gas stream from the inlet aperture to the outlet aperture for delivery to the combustion chamber of the burner. The nozzle bore extends from the inlet aperture to the non-circular outlet aperture. A baffle couples the inlet portion with the outlet portion, and defines a baffle aperture positioned within the nozzle bore. The baffle aperture has a reduced cross-sectional area compared to that of the outlet portion adjacent the baffle. A secondary gas stream nozzle provides a secondary gas stream. The secondary gas stream nozzle being positioned to mix the secondary gas stream with the effluent gas stream within the nozzle bore.

Abstract: Turbomolecular stator components include an array of stator blades, arranged to interact with pumped gases. Spacers are used to locate the stator blade array and couple the stator blade array to a housing. The stator components include an outer section that is resilient and arranged to cooperate with the spacers.

Abstract: Infra-red sensors are often used in turbo molecular pumps to detect the temperature of the rotor or other mechanical parts and therefore indicate imminent, or potential, running failures. As deposits build up on either the infra-red sensor, or on the surface being monitored, the reading given by the sensor may not be a true representation of the actual surface temperature which can cause the pump controller to fail to stop the pump in time. The present invention provides a method and device for calibrating the sensor by creating a determined temperature rise in the sensor whilst keeping the rotor at ambient temperature. In particular the present invention uses the motor stator as the heater for causing the temperature increase.

Abstract: A vacuum pumping and/or abatement system for evacuating and/or abating fluid from an entity, the system comprising: a first module comprising a vacuum pumping apparatus for pumping the fluid from the entity and/or an abatement apparatus for abating the fluid evacuated from the entity; and a second module arranged adjacent to the first module in a first system dimension; wherein the first and second modules each have a maximum size in the first system dimension that is a respective integer multiple of a common fixed system value.

Abstract: Known wet electrostatic precipitators are large and inefficient. The present invention enables the production of smaller, more efficient and long lasting wet electrostatic precipitators by the addition of a central bore in the inner electrode through which a first purge flow is passed and directed into the precipitator chamber, perpendicular to the direction of flow of the gas to be treated through the chamber to urge the particulate into the water curtain. A second, larger, cleaning purge flow is also provided to disturb the water curtain such that it cleans the inner electrode of any deposited particulate.

Abstract: A radiant burner for treating an effluent gas stream from a manufacturing processing tool includes: a porous sleeve at least partially defining a treatment chamber and through which treatment materials pass for introduction into the treatment chamber; and an electrical energy device coupled with the porous sleeve and operable to provide electrical energy to heat the porous sleeve which heats the treatment materials as they pass through the porous sleeve into the treatment chamber. In this way, electrical energy, rather than combustion, is used to raise the temperature within the treatment chamber in order to treat the effluent gas stream.

Abstract: This is invention relates to a bearing support for a vacuum pump and, in particular, to a polymer bearing support for a vacuum pump. The invention further encompasses vacuum pumps comprising polymer bearing supports, and methods of manufacturing bearing supports.

Abstract: A monitoring apparatus may include reception logic operable to receive processing characteristic data generated during the processing of the effluent stream; segregation logic operable to segregate the processing characteristic data into contributing processing characteristic data associated with contributing periods which contribute to a condition of the at least one processing tool and non-contributing processing characteristic data associated with non-contributing periods which fail to contribute to the condition; and fault logic operable to utilise the contributing processing characteristic data and to exclude the non-contributing processing characteristic data when determining a status of the condition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a turbo-molecular vacuum pump comprising bearings for supporting the drive shaft and/or the rotor in relation to a pump body, wherein a first bearing is coupled to the rotor and disposed on supporting mount at the high vacuum side of the rotor and radial struts extend from the supporting mount and form an integral part of the body; the invention is characterised in that the radial struts comprise a hinge portion that can flex to allow relative movement of the inlet flange with respect to the supporting mount to reduce distortion effects.

Abstract: A treatment apparatus for treating an effluent gas includes a combustion chamber; a burner; an inlet for receiving secondary combustion air; an exhaust gas outlet for outputting exhaust gases from the combustion chamber; and a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat between a first fluid and a second fluid flowing through respective first and second fluid flow paths. The first fluid flow path is connected to the inlet and the second fluid flow path is connected to the outlet such that the exhaust gases received at the outlet flow into the second fluid flow path. The heat exchanger comprises a fluid flow communication path for providing a path for flow of a portion of the exhaust gases from the second fluid into the first fluid; and at least one inlet aperture for inputting the first fluid to the combustion chamber.