TFTR ultrahigh-vacuum pumping system incorporating mercury diffusion pumps

Abstract

The TFTR vacuum vessel will have a system of four 61 cm diameter mercury diffusion pumps to provide a base pressure in the 10/sup -8/ to 10/sup -9/ Torr range as well as a low impurity level within the vessel. The system, called the Torus Vacuum Pumping System (TVPS), will be employed with the aid of an occasional 250/sup 0/C bakeout in situ as well as periodic applications of aggressive discharge cleaning. The TVPS is an ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) system using no elastomers as well as being a closed system with respect to tritium or any tritiated gases. The backing system employing approximately 75 all-metal isolation valves is designed with the features of redundancy and flexibility employed in a variety of ways to meet the fundamental requirements and functions enumerated for the TVPS. Since the design, is one which is a modification of the conceptual design of the TVPS, those features which have changed are discussed. Calculations are presented for the major performance parameters anticipated for the TVPS and include conductances, effective pumping speeds, base pressures, operating parameters, getter pump parameters, and calculations of time constants associated with leak checking. Modifications in the vacuum pumping system for the guard regions on the twelve bellows sections are presented so that it is compatible with the main TVPS. The bellows pumping system consists of a mechanical pump unit, a zirconium aluminum getter pump unit and a residual gas analyzer. The control and management of the TVPS is described with particular attention given to providing both manual and automatic control at a local station and at the TFTR Central Control. Such operations as testing, maintenance, leak checking, startup, bakeout, and various other operations are considered in some detail. Various aspects related to normal pulsing, discharge cleaning, non-tritium operations and tritium operations are also taken into consideration. A cost estimate is presented.