SBIR Phase I: Modeling and Simulation Tools for Vacuum Science Technologies

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将开发一套软件来模拟高真空泵的大范围压力和复杂的运动部件几何形状，这对许多制造工艺至关重要。这种方法是新的，利用了直接模拟蒙特卡罗(DSMC)方法，这是一种主要用于航空航天应用的基于粒子的气体流动方法。我们的方法无缝地跨越了从高到低的压力范围，并包括了复杂运动部件上流动的创新想法，这两个方面都比现有方法有了实质性的进步。目前，还没有商业工具可用于模拟高真空泵和高真空环境中稀薄到过渡气体的流动。取而代之的是，工程师们依赖于代价高昂的试错，往往会选择一种非最佳的折衷设计。对于高真空泵和高真空环境的模拟和建模，显然需要预测软件。第一阶段的目标是展示一套创新的软件套件的可行性，该软件套件基于DSMC方法，用于模拟实际制造过程中高真空泵中的气体流动。该软件套件将包括先进的自动化程序，以产生高保真模拟，只需很少的用户输入和有限的计算资源。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种创新的模拟包，将满足客户当前和未来的需求。拟议的软件套件将影响高真空泵制造(一个价值数十亿美元的行业)和为制造和研究维持高真空环境的设施(每年运营成本数百万美元)。拟议的软件套件将大大扩展当前的模拟能力，以预测高真空泵的性能，并将使下一代低成本、高性能真空泵的开发成为可能。创造高真空环境的成本降低将对光伏电池板、用于平板显示器的玻璃涂层、水溶性药品、质谱仪和半导体的制造产生直接影响，这些都需要高真空泵系统。通过改进泵设计，显著降低制造能耗，将降低许多消费产品的生产成本和二氧化碳排放。拟议软件套件的预测模拟结果还将加强目前对稀薄气体流动的科学理解，可应用于其他工程开发领域，包括微米和纳米流体以及为先进空间发射系统设计的微型卫星。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop a software suite to simulate the large range of pressures and complex moving parts geometry of high vacuum pumps, critical for many manufacturing processes. The approach is new and leverages the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method, a particle based gas-flow approach used mainly for aerospace applications. Our approach seamlessly spans high to low pressure regimes and includes innovative ideas for flows over complex moving parts, both substantial advances over existing methods. Currently, there are no commercial tools available to simulate the rarefied to transition gas flow in high vacuum pumps and high vacuum environments. Instead, engineers have relied on costly trial and error and often settle on a non-optimal, compromise design. There is a clear need for predictive software for the simulation and modeling of high vacuum pumps and high vacuum environments. The objective of this Phase I is to demonstrate the feasibility of an innovative software suite based on the DSMC method to simulate gas flows in high vacuum pumps for real-world manufacturing processes. The software suite will include advanced, automated procedures to produce high fidelity simulations with few user inputs and modest computational resources.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to develop an innovative simulation package that will satisfy current and future needs of customers. The proposed software suite will impact high vacuum pump manufacturing (a multi-billion dollar industry) and facilities which maintain high vacuum environments for manufacturing and research (multi-million dollars in annual operating costs). The proposed software suite would significantly expand current simulation capabilities to predict high vacuum pump performance and would enable the development of the next generation of low cost, high performance vacuum pumps. A reduction in cost to create high vacuum environments will have a direct impact on the manufacturing of photovoltaic panels, glass coatings used on flat panel displays, water soluble pharmaceuticals, mass spectrometers and semi-conductors, which all require high vacuum pump systems. The significant reduction in fabrication energy through improved pump designs will reduce costs and CO2 emissions for the production of many consumer products. The predictive simulation results of the proposed software suite will also enhance current scientific understanding of rarefied gas flows which can be applied to other engineering development areas, including micro- and nano-fluidics and micro-satellites designed for advanced space launch systems.