An Experimental Study of Dynamic Response Characteristics of Vacuum Gauges

In industrial applications, it is critical for vacuum gauges to follow rapid changes of pressure in relatively short time intervals (1 s or less) to precisely monitor production processes. This study reports on the experimental work carried out on a rapid dynamic vacuum calibration apparatus developed by Lanzhou Institute of Physics for dynamic response characteristics for four types of capacitance diaphragm gauges and one type of Pirani sensor. The major parameters of the study include standard pressure establishment time, time constant and response time for vacuum gauges. The results show significant variations in their ability to track pressure changes in the millisecond range. This work demonstrates the capability of the experimental facility, which is a step further towards SI traceable dynamic vacuum calibrations under conditions commonly encountered for sensors used in industry.