Fellow Forum Members,
I am working on a vacuum system and looked for a resource to estimate the air infiltration into the various vessels that are connected to the vacuum system, and I came across the following resource:
https://books.google...leakage&f=false
The attached table shows how the result of the correlation varies for the same size vessel at the various defined ranges of pressures.
Please see attachment.
Now my thoughts/questions...
It strikes me as odd that the air infiltration into a vacuum system would decrease as the pressure in the vessel decreases. In my way of thinking, as the vessel pressure decreases, the driving force for the atmosphere to get into the vessel increases, which should result in more infiltration. I am not doubting the correlation, as the references are certainly credible. Instead, I'm attempting to get my mental mapping of this correct. I suspect that I may have the chicken and the egg improperly assigned in my thinking.
To further aid in helping you to see what I'm requesting, I have listed two options that I thought of for how this result (lower air intrusion at lower pressures) may be possible. That's what I'm seeking: the explanation behind why the numbers calculate as they do.
Option #1: Maybe it's that the vessel/system designed for lower pressure will inherently have less leakage. (I doubt this is the solution to my mental quandary, for a variety of reasons.)
Option #2: The fact that the vessel is at higher pressure is indicative that it necessarily does have more air leakage because the infiltration of inerts causes more strain on the vacuum system which, in turn, causes the operating pressure to be higher. (This, however, seems like circular logic.)
Any insights would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Attached Files
Edited by Top_Gun, 07 March 2018 - 11:22 AM.