Abstract: The rotary vane vacuum pump comprises: an inlet for connection to the vacuum chamber and an outlet for exhausting fluid pumped by the vacuum pump; a rotor and a motor for driving the rotor. The pump has a venting channel for venting one of the pumping chambers within the vacuum pump. The venting channel has a flow control device for controlling flow through the venting channel. The flow control device is configured to allow flow through the venting channel at start up of the pump and to impede flow through the venting channel in response to at least one of: a predetermined time elapsing, a speed of rotation of the rotor reaching a predetermined threshold value, a motor current reaching a predetermined value and an output from a sensor, the output from the sensor being indicative of operation of the vacuum pump.

Abstract: A lubricant-sealed vacuum pump configured to pump fluid from an inlet to an exhaust, method and filter are disclosed. The lubricant-sealed vacuum pump comprises: a rotor; a filter for filtering lubricant from fluid to be output by the pump; control circuitry for controlling a speed of rotation of the rotor, the control circuitry being configured to control rotation of the rotor, such that the rotor rotates at a reduced speed initially when a pressure at the inlet is high and rotates at a higher operational speed when the pressure at the inlet has reduced.

Abstract: A lubricant-sealed vacuum pump configured to pump fluid from an inlet to an exhaust, method and filter are disclosed. The lubricant-sealed vacuum pump comprises: a rotor; a filter for filtering lubricant from fluid to be output by the pump; control circuitry for controlling a speed of rotation of the rotor, the control circuitry being configured to control rotation of the rotor, such that the rotor rotates at a reduced speed initially when a pressure at the inlet is high and rotates at a higher operational speed when the pressure at the inlet has reduced.