Application

Vacuum pumps for gas liquefaction, storage and industrial gases

With industrial gases, vacuum works at several points: tanks and lines are evacuated before filling and transferring, the insulation space of double-walled vessels is evacuated for liquefaction, and separation processes such as VPSA or membranes use the pressure difference to separate gases such as hydrogen. Below you can see how the application works, what vacuum the manufacturers name and which of their series are intended for it – 298 models from 5 manufacturers.

Compare 298 modelsHow it works

  • 298Models
  • 12Series
  • 5Manufacturers
  • 3Industries
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Touch the points: each part of the system explains itself.

In short

Gas liquefaction, storage and industrial gases: the key facts

  • Tank fillingFor hydrogen storage and distribution, Busch describes ATEX pumps that fill and empty tanks, and names COBRA, DOLPHIN and R5.
  • Insulation vacuumEdwards names insulation in liquefaction as a task; for the insulation spaces of double-walled tanks, Busch describes scroll and turbo pumps without naming a family of its own.
  • Gas separationEdwards names VPSA for H₂, CH₄ and CO₂ as well as air separation with E2S; according to Leybold, vacuum on the permeate side drives the separation of hydrogen from NH₃ and CH₄ in membrane cracking (SOGEVAC B).
  • Gas transportBusch (COBRA, MINK, PANDA/PUMA, R5) and Pfeiffer Vacuum (ACP, DuoVane, HiLobe, HiScroll) list gas transport and liquefaction in their product finders; Atlas Copco names GVD for industrial gases, Leybold lists VARODRY.
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  • Air and gas (vacuum)
  • Exhaust

Operating principle

How it works: Gas liquefaction, storage and industrial gases

The drawing shows the basic principle in section. The systems and pumps of the individual manufacturers differ in detail.

  1. EvacuatingThe tank or line is pumped empty before filling; for hydrogen tanks, Busch names ATEX pumps (COBRA, DOLPHIN, R5).
  2. TransferringThe gas is transported, liquefied or distributed – Busch and Pfeiffer Vacuum list gas transport and liquefaction as applications of their series.
  3. InsulatingThe insulation space of double-walled tanks is evacuated so that the liquefied gas stays cold; Edwards names insulation in liquefaction, and Busch names scroll and turbo pumps for this.

Vacuum and sizing

Gas liquefaction, storage and industrial gases: how much vacuum is needed

What the manufacturers say about pressure, pumping speed and sizing.

Which vacuum

Busch distinguishes the filling and emptying of the tanks (ATEX pumps) from the insulation vacuum, for which scroll and turbo pumps are named.

What determines the sizing

The task: evacuating tanks and lines (Busch, Pfeiffer Vacuum), gas transport and liquefaction (Busch, Pfeiffer Vacuum), insulation (Edwards, Busch) or gas separation – VPSA and air separation at Edwards, membrane cracking with vacuum on the permeate side at Leybold.

What the manufacturers point out

For hydrogen, Busch names ATEX pumps; Edwards lists industrial gas production with dry-running pumps and E2S; Atlas Copco (GVD) and Leybold (VARODRY) list industrial gases without a description.

Technology

Gas liquefaction, storage and industrial gases: the vacuum pumps the manufacturers name

Listed are the series the manufacturer itself names for this application. “Show only …” sets the filter of the product overview.

Product overview

Gas liquefaction, storage and industrial gases: all 298 models compared

Use the filters on the left to narrow the selection – by manufacturer, technology and the models’ key figures, for 50 or 60 Hz.

Atlas Copco GVD series 13 models

GVD 0.7Pumping speed 0.75 m³/h 50 Hz0.95 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 3 × 10-3 mbarRated motor power 0.09 kW 50 Hz0.09 kW 60 HzVariants 2
GVD 1.5Pumping speed 1.6 m³/h 50 Hz2 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 3 × 10-3 mbarRated motor power 0.16 kW 50 Hz0.16 kW 60 HzVariants 2
GVD 3Pumping speed 3.3 m³/h 50 Hz3.9 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 2 × 10-3 mbarRated motor power 0.45 kW 50 Hz0.55 kW 60 HzVariants 4
GVD 5Pumping speed 5.1 m³/h 50 Hz6.2 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 2 × 10-3 mbarRated motor power 0.45 kW 50 Hz0.55 kW 60 HzVariants 4
GVD 8Pumping speed 8.5 m³/h 50 Hz10 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 2 × 10-3 mbarRated motor power 0.45 kW 50 Hz0.55 kW 60 HzVariants 5
GVD 12Pumping speed 12 m³/h 50 Hz14.2 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 2 × 10-3 mbarRated motor power 0.45 kW 50 Hz0.55 kW 60 HzVariants 5
GVD 18Pumping speed 17 m³/h 50 Hz20.4 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 1 × 10-3 mbarRated motor power 0.75 kW 50 Hz0.9 kW 60 HzVariants 3
GVD 28Pumping speed 27.5 m³/h 50 Hz33 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 1 × 10-3 mbarRated motor power 0.75 kW 50 Hz0.9 kW 60 HzVariants 3
GVD 45Pumping speed 42 m³/h 50 Hz50 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 3 × 10-3 mbarRated motor power 1.1 kW 50 Hz1.3 kW 60 HzVariants 1
GVD 65Pumping speed 60 m³/h 50 Hz72 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 3 × 10-3 mbarRated motor power 1.5 kW 50 Hz1.8 kW 60 HzVariants 1
GVD 85Pumping speed 79 m³/h 50 Hz95 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 3 × 10-3 mbarRated motor power 2.2 kW 50 Hz2.6 kW 60 HzVariants 1
GVD 175Pumping speed 160 m³/h 50 Hz196 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 1 × 10-3 mbarRated motor power 5.5 kW 50 Hz6.5 kW 60 HzVariants 2
GVD 275Pumping speed 255 m³/h 50 Hz306 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 1 × 10-3 mbarRated motor power 7.5 kW 50 Hz8.5 kW 60 HzVariants 2

Busch COBRA Industry series 36 models

COBRA NS 0070 CPumping speed 70 m³/h 50 Hz85 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 0.03 mbarRated motor power 4 kW 50 Hz4.4 kW 60 HzVariants
COBRA NC 0100 BPumping speed 110 m³/h 50 Hz130 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 0.05 mbarRated motor power 3.5 kW 50 Hz4.8 kW 60 HzVariants 4
COBRA NC 0100 B ECOTORQUEPumping speed 130 m³/h 50 Hz130 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 0.05 mbarRated motor power 4.8 kW 50 Hz4.8 kW 60 HzVariants
COBRA NS 0160 CPumping speed 135 m³/h 50 Hz170 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 0.03 mbarRated motor power 5.5 kW 50 Hz6.6 kW 60 HzVariants
COBRA NC 0200 BPumping speed 220 m³/h 50 Hz265 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 0.05 mbarRated motor power 6 kW 50 Hz7.6 kW 60 HzVariants 4
COBRA NC 0200 B ECOTORQUEPumping speed 265 m³/h 50 Hz265 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 0.05 mbarRated motor power 7.6 kW 50 Hz7.6 kW 60 HzVariants
COBRA NC 0300 BPumping speed 320 m³/h 50 Hz385 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 0.05 mbarRated motor power 7.5 kW 50 Hz9.5 kW 60 HzVariants 4
COBRA NC 0400 BPumping speed 350 m³/h 50 Hz420 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 0.05 mbarRated motor power 7.5 kW 50 Hz9.5 kW 60 HzVariants
COBRA NX 0450 APumping speed 350 m³/h 50 Hz420 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 0.1 mbarRated motor power 7.5 kW 50 Hz9.5 kW 60 HzVariants
COBRA NC 0300 B ECOTORQUEPumping speed 385 m³/h 50 Hz385 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 0.05 mbarRated motor power 9.5 kW 50 Hz9.5 kW 60 HzVariants
COBRA NC 0400 B ECOTORQUEPumping speed 420 m³/h 50 Hz420 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 0.05 mbarRated motor power 9.5 kW 50 Hz9.5 kW 60 HzVariants

Busch DOLPHIN series 70 models

Busch MINK series 32 models

Busch PANDA/PUMA series 26 models

Busch R5 series 58 models

Edwards E2S series 3 models

Leybold SOGEVAC series 23 models

Pfeiffer Vacuum ACP series 4 models

Pfeiffer Vacuum DuoVane series 12 models

Pfeiffer Vacuum HiLobe series 17 models

Pfeiffer Vacuum HiScroll series 4 models

Model comparison

Models a manufacturer no longer carries in its current range are listed in its “Outdated models” section.

Industries

Gas liquefaction, storage and industrial gases: where the manufacturers name it

The manufacturers list these uses on their own pages.

Hydrogen and fuel cells

Busch describes ATEX pumps that fill and empty hydrogen tanks (COBRA, DOLPHIN, R5), and scroll and turbo pumps for the insulation spaces; Leybold names membrane cracking with SOGEVAC B, in which vacuum on the permeate side separates the hydrogen from NH₃ and CH₄; for hydrogen storage and distribution, Pfeiffer Vacuum names HiScroll.

Industry page: Hydrogen and fuel cells →

Industrial gases

Busch (COBRA, MINK, PANDA/PUMA, R5) and Pfeiffer Vacuum (ACP, DuoVane, HiLobe, HiScroll) list gas transport and liquefaction in their product finders without describing the task in more detail.

Industry page: Industrial gases →

Mechanical engineering and manufacturing

In industrial gas production, Edwards names VPSA for H₂, CH₄ and CO₂, air separation and insulation in liquefaction with dry-running pumps and E2S.

Industry page: Mechanical engineering and manufacturing →

Frequently asked questions

Gas liquefaction, storage and industrial gases: frequently asked questions

What is vacuum needed for in gas liquefaction?

For evacuating tanks and lines before filling, for gas transport and for insulation: Edwards names insulation in liquefaction, Busch the insulation spaces of double-walled tanks. Busch and Pfeiffer Vacuum list liquefaction and gas transport as applications of their series.

Which vacuum pump for hydrogen tanks?

For hydrogen storage and distribution, Busch names ATEX pumps from COBRA, DOLPHIN and R5 that fill and empty tanks. Pfeiffer Vacuum names HiScroll for this.

Which vacuum pump for the insulation vacuum of cryogenic tanks?

For the insulation spaces of double-walled tanks, Busch names scroll and turbo pumps without naming a family of its own; under industrial gas production, Edwards names insulation in liquefaction with dry-running pumps and E2S.

Which vacuum pump for gas transport and liquefaction?

Busch names COBRA, MINK, PANDA, PUMA and R5, Pfeiffer Vacuum ACP, COMBI, DuoVane, HiLobe and HiScroll; both list the applications in their product finders without a more detailed description. Atlas Copco names GVD for industrial gases.

How does hydrogen separation with vacuum work?

In membrane cracking, according to Leybold, hydrogen is separated from carrier gases such as NH₃ or CH₄; the vacuum on the permeate side of the membrane drives the separation. Leybold refers to SOGEVAC B for this. Edwards names VPSA for H₂, CH₄ and CO₂.

How much vacuum does gas liquefaction need?

The vacuum needed depends on the task. For the insulation vacuum, Busch names scroll and turbo pumps, and for filling and emptying tanks, pumps from COBRA, DOLPHIN and R5.

Oil-free or oil-lubricated for industrial gases?

Both are named: Busch lists the dry COBRA (screw) and MINK (claw) alongside the oil-lubricated R5, the liquid ring vacuum pump DOLPHIN and the Roots pumps PANDA/PUMA; Pfeiffer Vacuum the dry HiScroll, HiLobe and ACP alongside the oil-lubricated DuoVane; Edwards dry-running pumps and the oil-lubricated E2S; Atlas Copco the oil-lubricated GVD, Leybold SOGEVAC B.

Why explosion-proof pumps for hydrogen?

Hydrogen is flammable; for this reason, Busch names ATEX pumps from COBRA, DOLPHIN and R5 for filling and emptying hydrogen tanks.

A single pump or a central vacuum system?

A central system in a room of its own keeps noise and heat away from production and matches its output to the demand. Central vacuum systems are planned and built by Eugen Theis Vakuum, a company of the Ehrler & Beck group – more under Central Vacuum.

Does Ehrler & Beck also supply spare parts and service?

Yes. Ehrler & Beck offers original spare parts and accessories as well as maintenance and repair.

Which pump suits your process?

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