BOC Edwards has won a contract to supply 14 vacuum turbo carts for the new Diamond Light Source synchrotron in Oxfordshire, the largest UK-funded scientific facility for over 30 years
The carts are a bespoke design based on BOC Edwards's TIC turbo cart pumping station and will be used to create the optimum vacuum conditions required by researchers when using the synchrotron light beams at the site.
The carts will be used to evacuate and vent the experiment 'beamlines' where light is channelled and used in individual experiments.
By creating a suitable vacuum environment (better than 5x10-9mbar), undesired background components of the atmosphere such as air and water vapour are removed, enabling better interaction between the light beam and the experimental subject under investigation.
Each cart includes a turbomolecular pump, backing pump, gauge and controller.
By combining all these elements within one easy-to-use, mobile, plug and go unit, researchers can avoid the cost and space requirements of permanent vacuum installations on each individual beamline.
The bespoke design produced for Diamond Light Source also includes convenient handles and lockable castors for greater portability between experiments.
A compact enclosure enables the unit to be wheeled under beam lines or to other locations, as required.
When completed, the Diamond synchrotron hopes to host up to 40 cutting-edge research stations, each designed to support a particular research community or technique.
In Phases 1 and 2, where the BOC Edwards's carts will be first deployed, techniques include microfocus spectroscopy, high-resolution powder diffraction and circular dichroism.
