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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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16 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

SR19039 - All Metal Vacuum Scroll Pump Development for Tritium

Currently the Savannah River Site tritium gas processing mission relies on a pumping train combination of a Normetex scroll pump backed by a Metal Bellows MB-601 diaphragm pump. Both of these pumps have wetted components that are "all-metal" so that no polymers or elastomers that can degrade due to tritium gas exposure are exposed to the process fluid. Normetex, the original all-metal vacuum scroll pump manufacturer, has gone out of business. Another French based company, Eumeca, has "spun off" from the Normetex company and is now producing the original, 9 cfm all metal Normetex vacuum scroll pump. It should be noted that Normetex, now Eumeca, is currently the only supplier of a functional all metal vacuum scroll pump to meet the SRS tritium gas processing requirement.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Benchmarking the AirSquared All-Metal Scroll Pump Against the Normetex 15 - Preliminary report

Tritium operations require specialized equipment for material compatibility, safety, and waste considerations. Non-metallic pump materials (polymer, oil, or grease) on a tritium-wetted surface can absorb tritium and/or undergo isotope exchange between tritium and more common protium, creating tritiated compounds that can result in material property modification via beta-radiolysis, inventory loss, reduced performance and special waste considerations, all of which increase the operating cost for a facility. Vacuum pumps move gas via a pressure differential between volumes of an operation. Several types of all-metal vacuum pumps exist for this application including metal bellows, diaphragm and scroll pumps. A metal bellows pump incorporates only metal components at the wetted surfaces. The common metal bellows pump employed in tritium facilities, the MB601 (Senior Metal Bellows, Sharon, PA, USA) creates a gas-motive force with a vacuum pressure between 30-40 torr. These pumps can efficiently move gas from one process step to another, as long as sub-30 torr pressures are not required. However, for higher vacuum demand, an all-metal scroll pump can be used with the bellows pump serving as a “backing” pump. This configuration typically provides an achievable vacuum of less than 20 mTorr. All-metal scroll pumps are a technology uniquely applicable to tritium gas handling. The industry standard all-metal scroll pump for glovebox-scale tritium operations is the Normetex 15 m 3 /hr, typically referred to as the Normetex 15 (Normetex Pompes, Pont Audemer, France). However, the final Normetex pumps were manufactured in 2012, rendering them no longer available. Eumeca SaRL (formerly Normetex) has developed and is marketing a scroll pump based on the design of the Normetex 15. A US company, AirSquared (Broomfield, Colorado), has developed and is marketing a potential alternative to the Normetex 15. The Gas Transfer Systems group (Q-7) of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) procured serial number 0001 of the AirSquared All Metal Vacuum Scroll pump model number V16H034A-C01 in 2019. The LANL Hydrogen Processing Laboratory (HPL) has been evaluating the performance of the pump compared to a Normetex pump as a potential replacement in tritium and fusion facilities requiring this type of pump.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2020

PDRD Project 19039 - All metal vacuum scroll pump development for tritium

Currently the United States relies on a single source, foreign company, Eumeca (formerly Normetex) for the supply of an all metal vacuum scroll pump to process tritium. This “one of a kind”, all metal, vacuum scroll pump utilizes no “wetted”, polymeric materials that degrade prematurely when exposed to tritium. U.S. based vacuum scroll pump suppliers typically utilize a polymer, Teflon®, as a tip seal material at the edge of the scroll impellers for proper pump function. Teflon® is known to degrade within a relatively short time frame (approximately 1 year) when continually exposed to tritium gas. This degradation results in “flaking” of the Teflon® material which results in particulate contamination of the process gas stream. While filtration of the particulate is possible, doing so requires additional maintenance which is costly in a glovebox environment. In addition, filtration can degrade pumping system performance as particulate collects in the filter media over time. To date, all of the well established U.S and European based vacuum scroll pump manufacturers have been uninterested in developing an all metal vacuum scroll pump that does not use a polymeric scroll tip seal. This position is taken as the vacuum scroll pump manufacturers do not see a large enough market to make it profitable for them to develop and market an all metal vacuum scroll pump. In the mid 2000s, one company, Air Squared, Inc., a small Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) specializing in design and fabrication of custom scroll vacuum pumps and compressors, was willing to pursue the effort. The first design effort incorporated Vespel® as a polymeric tip seal material. Results of this effort led to realizing the affect that the Met-Bel MB-601 metal bellows pump has on performance when used as a backing pump for an all metal vacuum scroll pump without a scroll tip seal. As a result, Air Squared subsequently designed an all metal vacuum scroll pump without a tip seal material for evaluation. Although the initial, all metal version of the Air Squared pump was found deficient in regard to scroll impeller stiffness, which resulted in scroll contact, general design and pump performance was verified to be adequate. SRS PDRD Project 19039 was launched in 2019 as a 3rd attempt with Air Squared, Inc. in regard to development of an all metal vacuum scroll pump for consideration as an equivalent to the Eumeca/ Normetex pump. The effort specified 300 series stainless steel for the scroll impellers, all metal sealing, and design to meet tritium throughput and ultimate vacuum requirements. In addition, a 60 psig design pressure rating requirement was specified for the pump containment boundary. The 3rd generation Air Squared pump has been designed, fabricated, and has received preliminary testing. Preliminary testing has indicated proper leak tightness and pump performance. However, work continues regarding development of a pumping chamber containment bellows that can be subjected to 66 psig without damage to the bellows. Work will continue in 2020 and 2021 to pursue a pumping chamber containment bellows that meets the pressure rating requirement.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Continued Testing and Modeling of the AirSquared All-Metal Tritium Scroll Pump

The implementation of fusion energy requires the processing of the deuterium-tritium mixture used to fuel the reaction. Many gas processing operations require either a gas-motive force or a pressure gradient across a system; both are achieved using vacuum pumps. However, because of the material challenges of working with tritium, specialized pumps are required that use only metal on wetted surfaces. This prevents tritium retention and degradation of materials such as oils and polymers and reduces the generation of tritiated waste. Typical gas handling systems for tritium operations involve metal bellows pumps, all-metal scroll pumps, and metal turbomolecular pumps, depending on the pressure requirements. With the industry standard Normetex Type 15 m 3 /h (typically referred to as the Normetex 15) pump no longer available, the fusion market requires viable alternatives. In this study, we test an American-made pump, the AirSquared V16H034A-C01, and compare its performance to the Normetex. A performance model of the AirSquared pump is also produced, which can be applied to general process models to generate an accurate description of pressures and flows through various unit operations.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2021

Alternative All-Metal Scroll Pump Design

In tritium process systems, vacuum pumps are typically used to evacuate volumes and piping, as well as transfer gas to other parts of the process. This was done using the combination of an all-metal scroll pump with a metal bellows backing pump. The all-metal scroll pump, manufactured by Normetex, has been unavailable since 2012, and efforts continue to find a suitable replacement. The main obstacle is finding a pump that has no oils or polymer components, which degrade when exposed to tritium and introduce corrosive and/or hazardous impurities into the process. There have been development efforts to design an all-metal scroll pump design alternative to the Normetex style. The first generation was fabricated out of machined stainless steel, but the thermal management and increased weight were not ideal. To mitigate the weight, an aluminum version was designed. The tritium holdup on untreated aluminum surfaces can be greater than stainless steel, so the wetted aluminum surfaces were electroless plated in nickel and then electroplated in gold. The development effort outlined in this report details the design of an improved version of the stainless steel version.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Evaluation of High Vacuum Pump for Tritium Service

In tritium process systems, vacuum pumps are typically used to evacuate volumes and piping, as well as transfer gas to other parts of the process. This was done using the combination of an all-metal scroll pump with a metal bellows backing pump. The all-metal scroll pump, manufactured by Normetex, has been unavailable since 2012, and efforts continue to find a suitable replacement. The main obstacle is finding a pump that has no oils or polymer components, which degrade when exposed to tritium and introduce corrosive and/or hazardous impurities into the process. Since turbomolecular pumps are used in tritium processing, it is thought that pumps similar to the turbomolecular pumps would be of interest. A newer model turbomolecular pump with a variable rotation speed has been identified for use in tritium processing. The turbomolecular pump, backed by a Metal Bellows MB-601 pump with the pump heads in series, was characterized for static and gas flow conditions to determine the suction pressure at various discharge pressures or flow rates for various gases.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

High Insulating Vacuum Pump Cart Analysis

To maintain superconductive and cryogenic temperature, it is necessary to utilize high vacuum to eliminate convective heat transfer. To reach the desirable pressure of 10^-6 Torr at a reasonable time, the vacuum pumps and vessel geometry are evaluated for compatibility. Based on the analysis, a list of dry scroll pumps and turbomolecular pumps are recommended.

Chicas, Kelly [Illinois U., Urbana]↗
DOE OSTI2021

Low cost scroll compressor or vacuum pump

A low cost scroll device and methods of manufacturing the same are described. The scroll device includes, for example, a drive pin hole and bearing bores machined into a scroll of the scroll device from the same side as the involute of the scroll; idler shaft assemblies with no more than one bearing in the orbiting scroll for mechanically coupling the orbiting scroll to the fixed scroll; and an epoxy coating applied using a process that requires assembly of the scroll device only once.

Mesward, Joshua R.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Normetex Replacement Development

Outline • Background • Previous development efforts • Air Squared redesign • Non-scroll alternatives • Pump performance • Pump performance comparison • Test system overhaul • Conclusions

Angelette, Lucas M. [Savannah River National Labor↗
DOE OSTI2024

Experimental Investigation on Heating Performance of a Cold Climate Thermoelectric-Assisted Heat Pump

To accelerate the electrification of air source heat pumps (ASHPs) in cold climates across the United States, various initiatives have been launched to enhance the effectiveness of ASHPs. One avenue of research involves incorporating thermoelectric (TE) technology into vapor compression refrigeration cycles. This study aims to assess the heating performance of a cold climate ASHP by employing TE modules as a liquid line subcooler. The tested system is a nominal 4.5-ton split heat pump utilizing R410A, equipped with a scroll compressor and an accumulator. An electronic expansion valve was employed for both cooling and heating modes. Two configurations of TE sub-coolers, one utilizing 2 TE bundles and the other 4 TE bundles, were integrated into the liquid line of the tested system. The heating performance of these configurations was evaluated. The results revealed that activating the TE subcooler led to a notable increase in total heat capacity, reaching 1318 W at -15.0 °C and 1164 W at -19.0 °C. The corresponding TE coefficients of performance (COPs) were 1.76 and 1.63, respectively. The activation of the TE sub-cooler resulted in a slight reduction in the overall system COP, with a decrease ranging from -2.6% to -4.2% for these two temperatures. The system COPs were measured at 2.10 and 1.86 for -15.0 °C and -19.0 °C, respectively. This prototype demonstrated a significant augmentation in heating capacity with a minimal sacrifice in COP.

Hu, Yifeng↗
DOE OSTI2021

Experimental study of R452B and R454B as drop-in replacement for R410A in split heat pumps having tube-fin and microchannel heat exchangers

The objective of this study is to experimentally evaluate two residential split heat pumps using low-GWP refrigerants, i.e., R452B and R454B, and compare the results against R410A. In this work, each heat pump used the same model of two-speed scroll compressor, the same indoor blower and outdoor fan. However, they were distinguished by the indoor and outdoor heat exchanger types: tube-fin heat exchangers (TFHXs) in one case, and microchannel heat exchangers (MCHXs) in the other. The two heat pumps were extensively evaluated following the test conditions for two-speed SEER (cooling seasonal energy efficiency rating)/HSPF (heating seasonal performance factor) ratings.In general, these results show that R452B and R454B are good replacement candidates for R410A for heat pump using tube-fin heat exchangers and microchannel heat exchangers. R452B and R454B led to lower capacities. In the TFHX heat pump, on average, compared to the performance of R410A, the cooling capacity of R452B is 96%; the heating capacity of R452B is 91%; the cooling capacity of R454B is 95%, the heat capacity of R454B is 89%. In the MCHX heat pump, the cooling capacity of R452B is 97%; the heating capacity of R452B is 97%; the cooling capacity of R454B is 98%, the heat capacity of R454B is 97%. With respect to cooling and heating seasonal performances, in the TFHX heat pump, the SEERs of R452B and R454B are 1.5% lower than R410A. HSPFs of the three refrigerants are identical. In the MCHX heat pump, R454B has 7% higher SEER, and R452B has 2% higher SEER than R410A; in heating mode, R454B has the same HSPF as R410A, while R452B is 4% more efficient. The compressor lubricant overheating issue of R452B and R454B, at low ambient heating condition, high stage, should be noticed.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Development and evaluation of a multi-functional heat pump with embedded thermal storage

We developed and tested a novel multi-functional packaged vertical heat pump designed for multi-family buildings, capable of providing space cooling, space heating, water heating, and energy storage integration. The system employs a 3-speed scroll compressor and supports energy-efficient cooling and heating across different ambient conditions, while utilizing both indoor and outdoor air sources for water heating. Key performance metrics include an integrated energy efficiency ratio of 18.0 for cooling, a heating seasonal performance factor of 10.0, and a coefficient of performance (COP) of 2.1 for heating in cold climates down to −15 ˚C. Additionally, the system delivers an annual water heating COP greater than 4.0, with outstanding performance in combined space cooling and water heating modes, achieving a total COP of 8.8 by recovering condenser waste heat. The heat pump also demonstrated thermal energy storage capabilities, integrating with phase change material systems to store heating and cooling energy. Furthermore, this versatile system offers a promising solution for improving energy efficiency and sustainability in multi-family buildings, providing high-performance heating, cooling, and water heating across a range of climates.

COP↗
DOE OSTI2023

Building Technologies Office 03.02.02.38 Milestone Report—Compressor Technology Development for Refrigerants with <150 Global Warming Potential

The major purpose of this project is to enable the development of compressors specifically designed for compatibility with low–global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants (with GWP values below 150). These compressors are intended for applications in residential and light commercial air-conditioning and heat pump systems. This report contains an exhaustive review of the existing literature with the intention of discerning the most efficacious methodologies currently in use for compressor modeling. This fundamental stage was designed to foster a comprehensive understanding of the intricate dynamics and mechanics of compressors. As a result, a model (PDSim) was selected to simulate scroll, rotary and linear compressor technologies.

42 ENGINEERING↗