In the vast expanse of industrial applications, High Vacuum Technology has emerged as a cornerstone, transforming processes across diverse sectors. At the heart of this technology lies the concept of High Vacuum, which refers to a space where the pressure is significantly lower than atmospheric pressure. This environment is crucial for various industrial operations and research institutions. In this blog, we will understand what is meant by High vacuum and delve into the endless uses of vacuum in industries, highlighting the role of INOXCVA, a leading brand in vacuum solutions.
What Are Vacuum Techniques?
Vacuum techniques involve creating and maintaining extremely low-pressure environment to facilitate specific processes. These techniques are categorized based on the level of vacuum achieved: low vacuum, medium vacuum, high vacuum, and ultrahigh vacuum. Each category has unique applications, from material handling to space simulation.
- Low Vacuum Applications
Applications utilizing vacuum levels of 103 to 10 mbar fall in this category. Low vacuum is commonly used for clamping, lifting, and transporting materials. It is also essential in solvent extraction, dust collection and filtration systems. In industries like food processing, low vacuum helps in packaging and preserving food by removing air from containers, thereby preventing oxidation and spoilage. These are conventional processes used widely in all day today applications.
- Medium Vacuum Applications
Applications utilizing vacuum levels of 10 to 10-3 mbar fall in this category. Creating and maintaining such, and lower levels of vacuum is challenging using conventional processes, and hence special considerations are required.
Medium vacuum is applied to remove dissolved gases and moisture from materials. This is particularly useful in metallurgy for processes like vacuum degassing, which improves the quality of metals by removing impurities. Additionally, medium vacuum is used in pneumatic conveying, vacuum distillation etc processes, bulb manufacturing and insulation.
- High Vacuum Applications
Applications utilizing vacuum levels of 10-3 to 10-7 mbar fall in this category. High vacuum environments are crucial for applications where elimination of air pressure is necessary for intended results. This level of vacuum is widely used in Cryogenics, semiconductor manufacturing, pharmaceutical production, aerospace and Space Simulation, Atomic and Fundamental Research, and various Special purpose industrial processes.
- Ultrahigh Vacuum Applications
Applications utilizing vacuum levels of 10-7 to 10-12 mbar fall in this category. Ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) is used in surface analytic techniques, Deep space Research and particle physics research, particle accelerators or advanced applications such as gravitational wave detectors. UHV environments mimic the conditions of outer Interstellar space, allowing for precise experiments and Fundamental Research.
Any High Vacuum system typically comprises of a vacuum chamber, vacuum pumps, valves, gauges, and other components to create and maintain High vacuum. Key components include the vacuum chamber, vacuum pumps, valves, gauges, and various connection elements
Industry Applications of High Vacuum Technology
- Food, Beverage & Medical
Special Techniques like freeze-drying and Cryogenic cooling vacuum packaging help maintain Pharmaceutical and food quality and extend shelf life.
- Medical Gases
Oxygen plays a very important role in the medical field. It acts as a respiratory support, a therapeutic agent, and a component of anesthesia facilitating many critical surgical procedures. Nitrogen in liquid form is used in cryosurgery for removing skin lesions and tumors, while nitrogen gas can be used as a carrier gas for administering other medications. Additionally, Liquid nitrogen is used to package and preserve biological samples and in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Both these gases are stored in tanks in liquid forms and vaporize as per the requirements by using vaporizers in the medical & pharmaceutical industry.
- Health Care
Vacuum technologies also help for preservation of biological specimens like vaccines, semen, tissues for medical research applications in bulk quantities. Liquid Nitrogen is used to cool samples to temperatures where biological activity essentially stops, allowing for long-term storage of cells, tissues, and even organs. This is vital for preserving stem cells, reproductive cells, and other biological samples used in research and medicine.
- Oil & Gas Production
In the oil and gas sector, vacuum systems are essential for refining crude oil. High Vacuum distillation units (VDUs) separate special purpose hydrocarbons efficiently, allowing them to produce high-quality fuels and Lubricants. Recovery of oil or Noble gases can also be improved by applying vacuum in the oil wells. Vacuum enhances the recovery of methane from coal mines. Vacuum technology also aids in removing impurities, and Carbon Capture, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations.
- Industrial Gases
Most of the industrial gases like Argon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Natural Gas etc are liquefied, Separated from air in ASUs, and then transported by rail, road, ships in storage tanks / containers by deploying specialized High Vacuum insulation techniques. Use of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a industrial fuel is gaining significant popularity due to its availability in abundance, ease of transportation & regasification. More importantly it helps reducing carbon emission to a great extent.
Multilayer High Vacuum insulation is called “Super Insulation” because it’s exceptionally effective at reducing heat transfer due to its high insulation properties, especially compared to traditional insulation methods. This is achieved by creating a vacuum, a space devoid of air, which minimizes both convective and radiative heat transfer. The term “super” highlights its superior performance in preventing heat loss or gain compared to common insulation techniques. These gases are liquefied at temperatures significantly lower than the freezing point of water i.e. (0oC or 32oF or 273 K).
INOXCVA: Leading the Way in High Vacuum Solutions & Cryogenics
Since inception – more than 3 decades, INOXCVA has developed specialized expertise to provide range of services and appropriate solutions by aptly deploying the High Vacuum & Cryogenic technologies. INOXCVA has become a prominent player in the High Vacuum industry, offering a wide range of High Vacuum solutions tailored to meet the diverse needs of various sectors.
INOXCVA possesses & provides innovative technologies that enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve product quality. Their expertise spans multiple industries, including scientific & research laboratories. INOXCVA has supported & enabled their customers to move closer to the Net Zero goals by significantly deploying our Cryogenic LNG Solutions to make it more reachable by distribution through mini-LNG Terminals then dispensing it as fuel to rail, road, cruises & merchant ships and power generation plants.
Hydrogen as a next-generation fuel is also gaining good moments across automobile, space exploration & shipping industries. There are green hydrogen plants coming up that also liquefy the hydrogen so that it is transported in bulk. However, LH2 needs to be provided with higher safety systems. This need very specialized skills and careful deployment of technology enabling safe handling of LH2. INOXCVA has already been engaged in the Global projects associated with Storage and Transport solutions for LH2.
INOXCVA provides Cryogenic Solutions for the Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) technology that makes fluctuating renewable sources capable of bearing load fluctuations across the seasons. Thus, supporting Clean Energy initiatives. INOXCVA has successfully deployed the high vacuum & ultra-high vacuum technologies towards ultra-low temperature applications, Nuclear and Space Technologies. Our solutions towards rocket engine test facilities and satellite launch stations have been working reliably for decades. We have successfully delivered more than 4 km of liquid Helium cryolines & Cryostats to the first of its kind ITER Fusion Research Global project. Innovative solutions can make wonders in the field of Space & Nuclear Energy.
INOXCVA is working on developing newer and special purpose equipment for technologies like in particle accelerators or gravitational wave detectors. Our focus is to produce large size custom designed High Vacuum Vessels and Systems, with Vacuum levels below 10-6 mbar vacuum levels (10-9 times atmospheric pressure) At such vacuum levels whole range of materials, fabrication techniques and testing are unique and requires deep understanding. Comparable level of vacuum is typically employed in high performance Vacuum insulated vessels. INOXCVA has supplied built-to-purpose infrastructure to design and manufacture large capacity High vacuum Vessels.
There has been significant spending globally on research based scientific projects where ultra-high vacuum technologies are deployed and focus on superconducting materials. Thus the requirement of Liquid Helium has been increasing globally. Since there are very few countries who produce helium, it has become necessary to store & transport helium between the manufacturing hubs ad the end users. INOXCVA has developed long-distance storage, transport & distribution solutions for liquid Helium. INOXCVA developed Cryoseals, using High Vacuum Superinsulation technologies also help for preservation of biological specimens like vaccines, semen, tissues for medical research applications in bulk quantities since more than 20 years.
Conclusion
High Vacuum technology has limitless applications, transforming industries with its efficiency and versatility, particularly in High Tech modern process Industries. As industries evolve, the demand for advanced High Vacuum solutions will rise, with brands like INOXCVA at the forefront of innovation.
The potential of High Vacuum & cryogenic technologies reflects human ingenuity and continuous innovation, opening new opportunities in fields such as space exploration and medical research. With industry leaders like INOXCVA, the future of vacuum applications looks bright and full of possibilities.