Development of a Power-Free Vacuum Pump for spacecraft: All-Sky Scanning in the EUV Wavelength Region

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K03611
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 16010:Astronomy-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Ichiro Yoshikawa 東京大学, 大学院新領域創成科学研究科, 教授 (10311169)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 人工衛星開発 / グランドサポートイクイップメント / ジルコニウム合金 / ゲッター / 大気吸着 / 残留ガスの減圧装置

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Applying deliquescent and photoelectric material to the detector surface is a common practice in UV observation in space, but we need a power-free adsorption pump that can be boarded on spacecract. A prototype of a power-free adsorption pump was made using zirconium alloy, and its vacuuming speed was measured. The pump demonstrated an exhaust capacity of over 100 liters/second for hydrogen gas, which is difficult to vacuum with a turbomolecular pump. After evacuating the vacuum chamber to 8 x 10^-5 [Pa] using a turbomolecular pump, the vacuum was maintained solely with the power-free adsorption pump. In the ten days following the start of the test, the vacuum level dropped from 5 x 10^-5 [Pa] to 1 x 10^-4 [Pa], confirming the performance of the prototype power-free pump. It is expected that the vacuum level will gradually decrease at this rate in the future.

Free Research Field

惑星科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

常時電源を必要としないしかつ容器内に残留した水素ガスをも排気できる真空ポンプは、宇宙分野に限らず利用価値のある製品である。材料の表面を清潔に保たなければならない用途、残留ガスの圧力を下げなければならない用途など、応用範囲が広い技術であろう。