Development and Uncertainty Analysis of an Automatic Testing System for Diffusion Pump Performance

A newly developed automatic testing system used in laboratory for diffusion pump performance measurement is introduced in this paper. By using two optical fiber sensors to indicate the oil level in glass-buret and a needle valve driven by a stepper motor to regulate the pressure in the test dome, the system can automatically test the ultimate pressure and pumping speed of a diffusion pump in accordance with ISO 1608. The uncertainty analysis theory is applied to analyze pumping speed measurement results. Based on the test principle and system structure, it is studied how much influence each component and test step contributes to the final uncertainty. According to differential method, the mathematical model for systematic uncertainty transfer function is established. Finally, by case study, combined uncertainties of manual operation and automatic operation are compared with each other (6.11% and 5.87% respectively). The reasonableness and practicality of this newly developed automatic testing system is proved.