Pump system

Abstract

A pump system comprising a vacuum pump and a cooling element connected to said vacuum pump. A coolant feed and a coolant discharge are connected to the cooling element for the purpose of cooling said vacuum pump by virtue of receiving and discharging heat using a coolant. The coolant feed and coolant discharge are connected to a heat exchanger such that heat is transferred from the coolant discharge to said coolant feed.

1 . A pump system comprising
 a vacuum pump,   a cooling element connected with said vacuum pump and having a coolant supply pipe and a coolant discharge pipe, for cooling said vacuum pump by absorbing and discharging of heat by means of a coolant,   wherein said coolant supply pipe and said coolant discharge pipe are connected with a heat exchanger such that heat is transferred from said coolant discharge pipe to said coolant supply pipe.   
     
     
         2 . The pump system according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is connected with a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet. 
     
     
         3 . The pump system according to  claim 2 , wherein a first cooling circuit for a first coolant starting at the heat exchanger and extending via the cooling element back to said heat exchanger, and a second cooling circuit for a second coolant starting at the coolant inlet and extending via said heat exchanger to the coolant outlet are provided such that heat discharged from the vacuum pump by the first coolant via said first coolant circuit is transferred by means of the second coolant via said heat exchanger to said second cooling circuit. 
     
     
         4 . The pump system according to  claim 2 , wherein a single cooling circuit starting at the coolant inlet and extending via the heat exchanger to the cooling element and back to said heat exchanger and to the coolant outlet is provided such that heat discharged from the vacuum pump the coolant is transferred via said heat exchanger to the coolant in the coolant supply pipe. 
     
     
         5 . The pump system according to  claim 1 , wherein in the coolant supply pipe and/or between the coolant inlet and the heat exchanger a regulating valve for regulating the flow rate of the coolant is arranged. 
     
     
         6 . The pump system according to  claim 1 , wherein a purging gas feed pipe connected with the vacuum pump for providing purging gas for the pumping process is provided, wherein said purging gas feed pipe for preheating the purging gas is connected with the heat exchanger and/or the coolant discharge pipe such that heat discharged from said vacuum pump the coolant is transferred to the purging gas. 
     
     
         7 . A pump system comprising
 a vacuum pump, wherein said vacuum pump comprises an inlet and an outlet,   a purging gas feed pipe connected with said vacuum pump for providing purging gas for the pumping process,   an outlet heating connected with said outlet for heating said outlet or an exhaust pipe connected with said outlet, which exhaust pipe is connected with an exhaust pipe heating for heating said exhaust pipe,   wherein said purging gas feed pipe is connected with said outlet heating or said exhaust pipe heating such that heat produced by said outlet heating or said exhaust pipe heating is transferred to the purging gas.   
     
     
         8 . The pump system according to  claim 7 , wherein both an outlet heating and an exhaust pipe heating are provided which are configured as a common outlet/exhaust pipe heating element. 
     
     
         9 . The pump system according to  claim 7 , wherein the purging gas feed pipe helically surrounds the outlet and/or the exhaust pipe. 
     
     
         10 . The pump system according to  claim 7 , wherein the outlet heating and/or the exhaust pipe heating at least partly surround the purging gas feed pipe. 
     
     
         11 . The pump system according to  claim 7 , wherein a cooling element connected with the vacuum pump and having a coolant supply pipe and a coolant discharge pipe is provided for cooling said vacuum pump by absorbing and discharging of heat by a coolant, wherein said coolant supply pipe and said coolant discharge pipe are connected with a heat exchanger such that heat is transferred from said coolant discharge pipe to said coolant supply pipe. 
     
     
         12 . The pump system according to  claim 11 , wherein the heat exchanger is connected with a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet. 
     
     
         13 . A pump system comprising
 a vacuum pump,   a cooling element connected with said vacuum pump and having a coolant supply pipe and a coolant discharge pipe for cooling said vacuum pump by absorbing and discharging of heat by means of a coolant, and   a heating element arranged in said coolant supply pipe for preheating the coolant.   
     
     
         14 . The pump system according to  claim 13 , wherein the coolant supply pipe and the coolant discharge pipe are connected with a heat exchanger. 
     
     
         15 . The pump system according to  claim 14 , wherein the heat exchanger is connected with a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet. 
     
     
         16 . The pump system according to  claim 13 , wherein an inlet and an outlet of the vacuum pump, a purging gas feed pipe connected with said vacuum pump for providing purging gas for the pumping process, an outlet heating connected with said outlet for heating said outlet or an exhaust pipe connected with said outlet, which exhaust pipe is connected with an exhaust pipe heating for heating the exhaust pipe, are provided, wherein said purging gas feed pipe is connected with said outlet heating or said exhaust pipe heating such that heat produced by said outlet heating or said exhaust pipe heating is transferred to the purging gas. 
     
     
         17 . The pump system according to  claim 16 , wherein both said outlet heating and said exhaust pipe heating are provided which are configured as a common outlet/exhaust pipe heating element. 
     
     
         18 . The pump system according to  claim 14 , wherein the heating element is arranged downstream of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         19 . The pump system according to  claim 13 , wherein the heating element is an electric heating element, the outlet heating, the exhaust pipe heating and/or the outlet/exhaust pipe heating. 
     
     
         20 . A method for preheating a coolant for a vacuum pump, wherein at least a portion of the heat absorbed by the coolant as it passes through said vacuum pump is transferred to the coolant supplied to said vacuum pump. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein a pump system according to a pump system comprising: a vacuum pump, a cooling element connected with said vacuum pump and having a coolant supply pipe and a coolant discharge pipe, for cooling said vacuum pump by absorbing and discharging of heat by means of a coolant, wherein said coolant supply pipe and said coolant discharge pipe are connected with a heat exchanger such that heat is transferred from said coolant discharge pipe to said coolant supply pipe is used. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the coolant is preheated by a heating element before it passes through the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein a pump system comprising: a vacuum pump, a cooling element connected with said vacuum pump and having a coolant supply pipe and a coolant discharge pipe for cooling said vacuum pump by absorbing and discharging of heat by means of a coolant, and a heating element arranged in said coolant supply pipe for preheating the coolant. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the heating element is switched on as long as the vacuum pump does not produce sufficient heat for preheating the coolant and said heating element is switched off when the heat discharged from said vacuum pump suffices for preheating the supplied coolant. 
     
     
         25 . A method for preheating a coolant for a vacuum pump, wherein the coolant is preheated by a heating element before it passes through said vacuum pump. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein a pump system comprising: a vacuum pump, a cooling element connected with said vacuum pump and having a coolant supply pipe and a coolant discharge pipe for cooling said vacuum pump by absorbing and discharging of heat by means of a coolant, and a heating element arranged in said coolant supply pipe for preheating the coolant is used. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the heating element is switched on when the vacuum pump does not produce sufficient heat for preheating the coolant and said heating element is switched off when the heat discharged from said vacuum pump suffices for preheating the supplied coolant. 
     
     
         28 . A method for preheating a purging gas for a vacuum pump, wherein the purging gas is preheated by the heat produced by said vacuum pump and/or by the heat produced by a heating element. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein a pump system comprising: a vacuum pump, wherein said vacuum pump comprises an inlet and an outlet, a purging gas feed pipe connected with said vacuum pump for providing purging gas for the pumping process, an outlet heating connected with said outlet for heating said outlet or an exhaust pipe connected with said outlet, which exhaust pine is connected with an exhaust pipe heating for heating said exhaust pipe, wherein said purging gas feed pipe is connected with said outlet heating or said exhaust pipe heating such that heat produced by said outlet heating or said exhaust pipe heating is transferred to the purging gas is used. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein the heat produced by the vacuum pump is transferred by a coolant to the purging gas. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein the heating element heats an outlet and/or an exhaust pipe connected with said outlet.