Report (1)

Ahmed Ibrahim
Hamed

Partial Pressure
Measurement
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction………………………………………..3

1. Executive Summary………………………4

2. partial pressure & residual gas analysis…..5

3. The Residual Gas Analysis (RGA).……..6

4. vaccum gauge apparatus ...................... 7

5. Theory Of Operation. ............................ 8

6. References ............................................. 9

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INTRODUCTION.

It’s a report concerns the project that was ordered by Eng.Dr.Ahmed Elkholy.
It is now 8 days, since he declared the project subject and its deadline.
Project subject is about partial pressure measurement, and he instructed us to make a report
in which we should describe a device that can measure the partial pressure of residual gases
in vacuum ( residual gas analyzer).
It’s also required to answer some questions. Like the theory of operation of that device which I
report about.

EXCUTIVE SUMARRY.

After two days of searching about the project subject, I came up with a report about an
invention of an apparatus that can measure the partial pressure of gases in vacuum, this
invention was by PHILIP DANIELSON, DOWNERS GROVE, III. IN DEC. 8, 1992
This invention was published as a patent in the USA under the name of METHOD AND
APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE PARTIAL PRESSURE OF A GAS IN A VACUUM.[1]
The main idea of this invention is that the gauge apparatus makes use of ultraviolet light in
the 184 and 254 nanometer range. And through this report I will discuss the partial pressure
and residual gas analyzer. In addition to the device of this invention.

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 PARTIAL PRESSURE & RESIDUAL GAS
ANALYSIS.

▪ The Partial Pressure.[2]

• Definition:

Partial Pressure is defined as if a container filled with more than one gas, each gas exerts
pressure. The pressure of anyone gas within the container is called its partial pressure.

Partial pressure gauges and residual gas analysis are important items in general vacuum
technique and particularly in process technology. Instruments developed to measure the gas
composition in vacuum systems are collectively referred to by the name residual gas analyzer,
commonly abbreviated as RGA.

• Devices That Measures Partial Pressure:

1. Vacuum gauge that detects and measures the partial

pressure of a gas in a chamber invention ( which I
report about).

Fig (1) : Quadrupole mass spectrometer device.

2. Quadrupole mass spectrometer.

3. Autoresonant trap mass spectro-meter.

Fig (2) : Autoresonant trap mass spectro-meter device.

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▪ The Residual Gas Analysis (RGA).[3]

• Definition:

A residual gas analyzer (RGA) is a small and usually rugged quadrupole mass spectrometer,
typically designed for environment analysis, process control and contamination monitoring in
vacuum systems.
• Why Do We Need RGA :

RGAs can monitor the quality of the vacuum by detecting (and measuring) minute traces of
impurities in a low-pressure gaseous environment. RGAs can also be used as sensitive in-situ
leak detectors, usually using helium.
RGAs are usually mounted directly onto, and into, the vacuum chamber.

RGAs perform various functions which would be difficult to obtain by other methods,
including: the analysis of various gas-phase reactions; monitoring changes that occur in any
gas environment; detecting vacuum leaks; and checking mass flow controllers.
• How Does A Residual Gas Analyzer Work:

The RGA effectively determines the chemical components of the gas within a vacuum, by
ionizing the various gases present to create ions before determining their mass-to-charge ratio.

A typical RGA contains several

significant components: the sensor, the
interface box and the controller.

In the sensor the RGA produces a beam

of ions (via gas collisions with electrons
emitted from a hot cathode) and filters
them according to their mass-to-charge
ratio, m/z. An output current is created
which is a measure of the abundance of
the ions with a given m/z which pass through the filter.The current is
measured at the detector either by a Faraday cup or a Secondary
Electron Multiplier. Fig (3) : RGA’s Elements

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VACCUM GAUGE APPARTUS.[4]

• The Parts Of Apparatus ( Device Elements):

10. a conventional vacuum chamber.

12. partial-pressure gauge apparatus.
14. a light source or lamp.
16. ultraviolet light bulb
18 & 20. conductor-leads.
21. a power source.
22 & 24. Conventional vacuum flanges.
30. a cylindrical or tubular detector ( made of nickel)
32. conductor-lead.
34. vacuum flange Fig (4): a cross-sectional view showing a vacuum
36. conventional electrometer. chamber in which the partial pressure of a gas is
to be measured

• The Summary Of The Invention (The Importance).

According to the invention there is provided a gauge apparatus for measuring the partial
pressure of gas in vacuum environment ranging from atmospheric to 10^-10 torr. The gauge-
apparatus utilizes physical phenomena that have never been used in pressure measurement
techniques in vacuum technology (UV).
It is another objective of the present invention to provide such a partial pressure gauge that
operates, not only below 10^-4 torr, as does a mass spectrometer, but also in higher pressure
regions up to atmospheric, in which regions a mass spectrometer is not capable of being used.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide such a partial pressure gauge
that is relatively inexpensive to produce and maintain and which can for all intents and
purposes replace the costly mass spectrometer for pressures below 10^-4 torr, and replace the
very complicated and very expensive gas-handling and pressure reduction systems for
pressure above 10^-4 torr.

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• Theory Of Operation.

The gauge pressure utilizes physical phenomena that have never been used in pressure
measurements techniques in vacuum technonlgy.
The gauge apparatus of this invention makes use of ultraviolet light generated in a vacuum
chamber by a light source, which is a electromagnetic radiation source. when the partial
pressure of water vapor is being measured, the light source used emits low wavelength
ultraviolet light in the 184 and 254 nanometer range.
For other gases, different light sources emitting different ultraviolet wavelengths or different
electromagnetic radiation are used.
The electromagnetic radiation traverses the interior of the vacuum chamber, and impinges
upon a detector.
As this light passes through the interior space between the source and the detector, it strikes
the particular residual gas molecules that are being detected.
These impacts this scatter the light and or absorb the light, so that there is less photonic
energy striking the detector, the greater the number of molecules (the higher pressure), the
lower the amount of energy that strikes the detector.
Thus, the energy striking the detector is a measure of the partial pressure of the particular
gas. in the preferred embodiment for measuring the partial pressure of water vapor the gauge
apparatus of the invention utilizes an ultraviolet light source that is surrounded by a hollow
cylinder made of nickel, which serves as a detector element via this is the photoelectric effect.

Fig(5): A graph showing the number of molecules/liters between the UV lamp-source and
the nickel detecting cylinder as determined by the total pressure within the vacuum
chamber.

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REFERENCES

[1]: free patent online website.

https://www.freepatentsonline.com/

[2]: Vacuum science and technology book. Ch.6

Partial pressure gauges and residual gas analysis | Vacuum Science and Technology (book-
vacuum-science-and-technology.com)

[3]: vacuum science world website.

Residual Gas Analysers (RGA) explained (vacuumscienceworld.com)

[4]:united states patent documents, patent no. 5170057, date. Dec. 8, 1992.
Method and apparatus for measuring the partial pressure of a gas in a vacuum
(freepatentsonline.com)