Patent ID: 9712035
Date: 2017-07-18
CPC Classifications: B01L,B64G,F04B,F04F,H02K

Claim:
1. An electrospray diffusion vacuum pump for creating a charged droplet plume capable of collisions between the plume and an ambient gas, comprising: an electrospray source having a conductive tube source with a wick inserted within the conductive tube source; the conductive tube source having a source tip connected to a pole of a power supply and through which or over which a conductive or semi-conductive fluid is driven to flow hydrostatically or by capillary action, the source tip being placed within a vessel having an aperture such that the aperture is connected to an opposite pole of the power supply, wherein a potential of the power supply is adjusted such that a Taylor Cone is formed at the source tip resulting in a plume of charged droplets attracted to the aperture, the plume of charged droplets forming a jet of charged droplets passing through the aperture to produce pumping of gas from the vessel through the aperture to reduce pressure in the vessel, the conductive or semi-conductive fluid having a vapor pressure as low as 10 −10 torr, and the conductivity of the conductive or semi-conductive fluid being such that it remains in the range 10 −5 -10 −3 Si/m.