L3-CRY-INST-VAC
CRITICAL
PRESERVATION
Level 3 · hardware
Vacuum Monitoring System
Dewar Vacuum Jacket Integrity Monitoring
Continuous monitoring of vacuum jacket integrity in all cryogenic storage dewars
Purpose
Continuous monitoring of vacuum jacket integrity in all cryogenic storage dewars
Context
Child of L2-CRY-INST
Principles
- ▸Residual gas analyzer (RGA) identifies species of gas leak for source diagnosis
- ▸Getter pumps maintain vacuum quality by absorbing residual gases over time
- ▸Thermal conductivity measurement of vacuum space detects insulation degradation
- ▸Automated trending detects gradual vacuum degradation before critical heat leak increase
Typical implementations
- ▸Stanford Research Systems RGA100/200 residual gas analyzer
- ▸SAES NEXTorr getter pumps for UHV maintenance
- ▸Agilent UHV leak detector technology
Lunar considerations
- ▸Dewar vacuum loss is catastrophic for sample preservation - heat leak increases 100x
- ▸Getter pump capacity must last decades between maintenance interventions
- ▸MMOD penetration of vacuum jacket is highest-priority failure mode to detect
Specifications
Functional
| primary function | Continuous monitoring of vacuum jacket integrity in all cryogenic storage dewars |
Physical
| materials | Non-evaporable getter (NEG) alloys, Quadrupole mass spectrometer, Ion pump elements |
Interfaces
Provides
- Vacuum integrity status for isolation system assessment
Requires
- Data processing for RGA mass spectra analysis
Cite this entry
Lunar Ark Codex. "Vacuum Monitoring System" (L3-CRY-INST-VAC). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://lunarark.com/entry/L3-CRY-INST-VAC
Licensed CC-BY-SA 4.0. You may reuse and adapt this entry with attribution, under the same licence.