I'm working on a vacuum pump product controlled with an Arduino or ESP32.
I have a working prototype but my motor seems to not reach the vacuum I need.
The requirement is that the motor uses 12V DC(or 6V) and is able to produce around 80kPa vacuum pressure in a 1L cylinder. I'm using the MPX5100 to sense the pressure.
I'm not an expert on pneumatics so I'm using generic pipes, silicone, and a 750mL bottle to test this. The motor I have is generic, so there's no datasheet that tells me the vacuum pressure it can create.
If someone can give any tips on how to create a proper seal between the motor/sensor/air valve/cylinder and how to choose the correct motor I would appreciate it a lot
You are confusing me with switching from describing a pump to describing a motor. Let's concentrate on just the pump. What type of pump is it and how old is it and how long has it been in use? IF it is a piston pump, have you checked the sealing ring on the piston? If it is a diaphragm pump. have you checked the valves to see if they completely and tightly close?
We don't know what generic pipes or other generic stuff you describe. What are the pipes actually made of and what are you using to make the connections and to seal the connections?
Brand new. I know it works because I'm able to crush a bottle of Coke(1.5L) with it. The pressure sensor reads around 4.5inHg in that scenario. When I switch to the hard plastic bottle(750mL) the pressure sensor reads about 2.5inHg.
Vacuum is very tricky. Connect the gauge directly to the pump and see if it can pull what you want. Dead Heading a vacuum pump should not damage it. I would be surprised if you can reach your target. Also a pin hole will leak enough to keep you project from reaching target. Remember the lower the pressure the fewer molecules the pump has to work with.
As far as I understand, this is rated for 100mL. Looking around I haven't found any vacuum pump that states the pressure and the volume, or those pressures are always rated at 100mL?
On the other hand, does anyone know what hardware I need to create a good seal in here?
A good seal us usually made when the tubing size matches the size of the port. The tubing will require a very hard push to seal tightly. Hope you are using new, flexible, tubing.
