Self-cleaning, continuously operating filter apparatus for fluids

Abstract

The filter apparatus for an incoming liquid which includes a retentate and a permeate includes a housing with a frame and a hollow drum assembly mounted for rotation within the housing about a fixed central cylinder. The drum assembly has openings in the drum wall. An inlet assembly delivers the incoming liquid under pressure to the drum assembly. A filter assembly is mounted to the inside of the drum. A trough assembly is mounted so as to be in communication with the central cylinder and is in a fluid-tight relationship to the interior surface of the filter assembly as the drum rotates past the trough assembly. A manifold is fixedly mounted but has a substantially fluid-tight relationship with the exterior of the drum, and is configured to cover successive columns of drum openings as the drum rotates. Pressurized gas is directed to the manifold at selected times, such that as the drum turns, and retentate is collected on the interior surface of the filter as the incoming liquid is forced through the filter assembly, pressurized fluid from the manifold dislodges the retentate off into the trough and out the outlet assembly.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001]This invention relates generally to fluid filtering apparatus which separates a retentate portion of an incoming fluid from the remaining permeate portion thereof, and more specifically concerns such a system which includes a back-flush portion for removing the retentate from a filter portion of the apparatus.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002]In general, it is considered desirable, because of a number of considerations, to filter out pollutants or other material from waste water or other liquids, thereby preserving the filtered liquid for re-use. While generally the purpose of such filtering is to save the permeate (the liquid), sometimes filtering is used to obtain the retentate, i.e. the material captured by the filter from the incoming liquid. This can also be true for fluids other than liquids.[0003]Filtering issues and concerns are present in a number of industries, among them the laundry industry, in which it is important to reclaim as much water as possi...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Commercial laundries often face high costs of disposing of waste water as well as the cost of new water.

One significant issue in reclamation of laundry waste water is the presence of lint in the unprocessed wastewater.

Membrane-type filters have been shown to be not particularly effective in dealing with lint, since they shortly become clogged and are difficult to clean.

Rotary drums are limited to low / no pressure operation and thus cannot remove small particulates or other pollutants.

Further, drum filters typically are large and require considerable space, which in many applications is undesirable.

Still other systems, including rotary pressure filters, are often quite complicated and as a result, expensive.

They also can be unreliable, particularly with respect to certain material, such as lint.

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