Menu
MapConnectionsTopicsBulgariaThe Night (K-TRIO)Marie Skłodowska-CurieFor studentsFor teachersMethodologySurprise me
H2020Doctoral network2015–2018

PUFF · Pulsed valves: Fast Forward

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2015-01-01 → 2018-12-31
EU contribution
€766,123
Participants
2
Scheme
MSCA-ITN-EID

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Pulsed valves: Fast Forward

Because our world consists of molecules, a better understanding of molecules and their interactions is key to answering many important questions such as the origin of life, improvement of catalysis, suppression of air pollution, etc. Researchers in the field of molecular physics and physical chemistry use fast pulsed valves to let a small 'puff' of gas into a vacuum apparatus in order to form a molecular beam for academic research on molecules and for diagnostic purposes such as breath analysis. These fast pulsed valves form a small market that was supplied worldwide in the past by only a few one-person companies. Many of these company owners are now retiring so the supply of pulsed valves has greatly decreased. Furthermore, improvements in pulsed valve performance are possible, making it possible to make the molecular beam apparatus smaller, cheaper, and more sensitive. In order to optimize use of a fast valve a suitable fast detector is needed, along with accessories for specialized work. Our goal in PUFF is to develop a reliable and improved fast pulsed valve with detector and accessories and make these available to the community as a product from a medium size business, Photek Ltd, Hasting UK. Three young scientists learned how to approach this development work, have made good progress in producing and improving fast pulsed valve, and are also using these products directly in their on-going PhD research projects.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

Small miracles occur in the ‘puff’ of gas emitted by a modern pulsed valve. Broad thermal velocity distributions are converted into a mono-velocity uni-directional supersonic jet and the numerous rotational states of the molecules in the jet are frozen down to their lowest level; all of this taking place in a very modest vacuum apparatus. Pulsed valves have revolutionized molecular dynamics and mass spectrometry research; however, the commercial supply of these valves is at this moment rapidly disappearing. This proposal, PUlsed valves: Fast Forward, PUFF, teams an academic site that needs help in developing and employing their original design of a pulsed valve with a commercial enterprise offering the most advanced charged particle detection systems that wishes to create and offer its own source of pulsed valves. Three early stage researchers will be trained at the cutting edge of PhD science and enterprise research and development, allowing access for the PhD research program to the best possible equipment while helping the early stage researchers to learn in practise what it takes to convert a rough design into a viable commercial product. In addition to forming this unique and exciting means of early stage researcher training within the European Industrial Doctorate program, the academic and mass spectrometry community as a whole will benefit from a new and stable supplier of advanced technologies.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union