Automatic filter media winding filter device

Abstract

The objective is to provide a long-life air dust filter device that can be used even during prolonged ashfall to protect critical infrastructure from the adverse effects of volcanic ash, protects major facilities and equipment from volcanic ash or fine dust, ensures business continuity in emergencies (BCP), and protects defense facilities of national security agencies by blocking volcanic ash and air dust, allowing critical equipment and facilities, such as cooling systems, to function normally. [Solution] The filter comprises a filter frame, a pair of guide rollers mounted in the vertical direction, a filter material attached so as to be movable in the vertical direction, a drive means for moving and attaching the filter material between the guide rollers and winding it up, an intrusion prevention plate that closes the space between the upper frame of the filter frame and the upper guide roller, and members that seal the space between both side frames and both ends of the filter material in the width direction. The drive means starts winding the filter material in response to a start signal and attaches the new filter material portion to the surface between the guide rollers, and is characterized by including a signal that is transmitted when a volcanic eruption is detected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a filter medium automatic winding type filter device that can perform capture work without replacing the filter medium of the filter for a long time especially in the work of capturing volcanic ash, blocks even minute volcanic ash without letting it escape, and can operate for a long time.

Background Art

[0002] The inventor of the present case has invented a plurality of filter devices that can efficiently remove dust, volcanic ash, etc., and has obtained patents. Based on the patents obtained by the inventor of the present case, the present invention further developed a filter medium automatic winding type filter device that can perform capture work without replacing the filter for a long time especially in the work of capturing dust such as sand dust and volcanic ash, and can block even minute volcanic ash without letting it escape.

[0003] In order to reliably protect important social infrastructure from the adverse effects of volcanic ash fall in volcanic eruptions, which are natural phenomena in Japan, there has been a demand in recent years for a powerful and durable long-life volcanic ash filter device that does not require replacement of filter media, etc., even during long-term volcanic ash fall.

[0004] That is, it is essential to provide a long-life filter device to protect main facility equipment from volcanic ash or fine particulate dust in the atmosphere, to achieve BCP business continuity in case of emergency, and also to protect the defense facilities of national security agencies.

[0005] And, a long-life filter device that is an atmospheric dust filter device that blocks volcanic ash and atmospheric dust and enables basic devices such as cooling of important equipment and facilities to always function normally, that is, a filter medium automatic winding type filter device that can perform capture work without replacing the filter for a long time in the work of capturing dust such as dust and volcanic ash, and can block even minute volcanic ash without letting it escape has been an urgent issue.

[0006] The facilities targeted by the above requests are extremely diverse, including air conditioning and cooling facilities in nuclear power plants, electricity plants, water supply facilities, telecommunications facilities, data centers, national security facilities and precision machinery facilities, airports, railways, important facilities of local governments, hospitals, fire departments, police agencies, and other facilities in the event of a volcanic eruption.

[0007] Furthermore, in countries and regions with many deserts, sand and dust can adversely affect the aforementioned equipment, and in countries known as volcanic countries, volcanic ash from eruptions can also adversely affect various equipment. Therefore, there is a great need internationally for an automatic filter system with a filter media winding mechanism that can capture dust and volcanic ash without changing the filter for extended periods, and that can block even minute amounts of volcanic ash without letting them escape. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-176130 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] This invention was conceived in view of the aforementioned conventional problems and requests. For example, in order to protect critical infrastructure from the adverse effects of volcanic ash fall during natural volcanic eruptions, it addresses the need for long-life filter devices that can be used even during prolonged volcanic ash fall. Specifically, it addresses the need for an automatic filter media winding type that can perform volcanic ash capture operations for extended periods without filter replacement and can block even minute volcanic ash particles. The aim is to provide a filter device that blocks volcanic ash and airborne dust, enabling essential equipment and machinery to function normally at all times, thereby protecting major facilities and equipment from atmospheric volcanic ash or fine dust, ensuring business continuity in emergencies, and protecting defense facilities of national security agencies. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention The filter comprises a filter frame formed in a roughly cubic shape, a pair of guide rollers mounted vertically on the filter frame, a filter material attached between the guide rollers so as to be movable in the vertical direction, a drive means for moving the filter material wound on one drive roller between the pair of guide rollers and attaching it, and for winding up the attached filter material with the other drive roller, an intrusion prevention plate that closes the space between the upper frame of the filter frame and the upper guide roller, and a sealing member that seals the space between the side frames of the filter frame and both ends of the filter material in the width direction. The drive means starts winding the filter material in the vertical direction between the guide rollers in response to a drive start signal, and attaches the new filter material portion to the surface between the guide rollers which will become the filter surface, and the drive start signal includes at least a signal transmitted when a volcanic eruption is detected. It is characterized by the following: or The aforementioned drive start signal includes a notification signal that indicates the time for repeated drive restarts or a notification signal that indicates the arrival of the pressure drop value of the filter material. It is characterized by the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, in order to protect critical infrastructure from the adverse effects of volcanic ash fall during natural volcanic eruptions, we can provide a long-life filter device that can be used even during prolonged volcanic ash fall. Specifically, we can provide an automatic filter media winding type that can perform volcanic ash capture operations for extended periods without filter replacement and can block even minute volcanic ash particles without escaping. Thus, we can provide a long-life air dust filter device that blocks volcanic ash and air dust, enabling essential equipment and machinery to function normally at all times, thereby protecting major facilities and equipment from atmospheric volcanic ash or fine dust, ensuring business continuity in times of emergency (BCP), and protecting defense facilities of national security agencies.

[0012] Furthermore, the filter device of the present invention is always in automatic startup mode and is on standby for emergencies (such as volcanic eruptions). When an emergency occurs, it can automatically receive, for example, a startup signal from an emergency generator and automatically start operation, thus providing an excellent filter device for volcanic ash. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram (1) illustrating the configuration of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram (2) illustrating the configuration of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram (3) illustrating the configuration of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram (4) illustrating the configuration of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram (5) illustrating the configuration of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7]It is a schematic configuration explanatory diagram for explaining the configuration of the third embodiment in the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a schematic configuration explanatory diagram for explaining the configuration of the tip portion of the filter medium. [Figure 9] It is a schematic configuration explanatory diagram for explaining the configuration of the sealing member. [Figure 10] It is a block diagram for explaining the schematic configuration of the control device.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the filter device of the present invention is configured as a substantially cubic shape as a whole, that is, a box shape. That is, it is formed as a filter device having a substantially cubic shape as a whole, that is, a box shape, by a filter frame body 1 composed of an upper frame plate 6, side frame plates 8 on both sides, and a lower frame plate 11. <00,00095>

[0015] And, an opening 19 that penetrates in the horizontal direction is provided in the central portion of the filter device, and outside air 23 can pass from the upstream side to the downstream side. A filter medium 3 is attached so as to close the opening 19, and a filter surface for capturing dust and volcanic ash from the passing outside air 23 is formed.

[0016] However, a pair of guide rollers 2 are attached in the vertical direction on the upstream side surface through which the outside air 23 passes in the opening 19.

[0017] And, between this pair of guide rollers 2, a filter medium 3 that can move in the vertical direction is attached.

[0018] As can be seen from Figure 1 and other figures, the filter media 3 is pre-wound in large quantities onto the upper drive roller 4 of a pair of drive rollers 4 arranged vertically on the downstream side of the box-shaped filter frame 1. The leading edge of the wound filter media 3 passes through the upper guide roller 2 and then the opening 19, and then passes through the lower guide roller 2 and is wound onto the lower drive roller 4.

[0019] In Figure 1 and other diagrams, reference numeral 16 indicates a backup roller, and multiple backup rollers 16 are installed horizontally within the opening 19. That is, when outside air 23 passing from the upstream side passes through the filter material 3 attached to the opening 19, the filter material 3 is pushed downstream. At that time, the backup rollers 16 back up the filter material 3 to prevent it from bending downstream. Furthermore, these backup rollers 16 are designed to rotate around their longitudinal axis as a pivot point so that the filter material 3 can move smoothly up and down.

[0020] Figure 8 shows the state of the opening 19 when the filter device of the present invention is not activated for volcanic ash capture.

[0021] As can be seen from Figure 8, the tip end of the filter media 3 does not have any filter media attached that would block the opening 19. That is, the tip end of the filter media 3 that is wound onto the upper drive roller 4 has an opening 20 which is approximately the same size as or slightly smaller in diameter than the opening 19. When the filter device of the present invention is not in operation, the opening 20 is configured to overlap with the opening 19.

[0022] In other words, when there is no volcanic eruption, the outside air 23 passes through the opening 20 without passing through the filter material 3 for capturing volcanic ash, and is configured to capture ordinary dust by a filter device installed downstream, for example, one fitted with ordinary filter material. Furthermore, the opening 20 is surrounded by a relatively strong member, particularly on its outer vertical periphery, so as not to be damaged even when the filter material 3 is wound up and driven in the vertical direction.

[0023] Next, we will explain the configuration for moving the attached filter media 3 up and down. In this invention, the filter material 3 is provided with a drive mechanism that allows it to automatically move up and down between a pair of guide rollers 2 at the opening 19.

[0024] Examples of such driving means include a rotating drive roller 4 and a control device 5 that controls the drive roller 4.

[0025] In other words, the control device 5 rotates the lower drive roller 4 and the upper drive roller 4 to pass the filter material 3 wound on the upper drive roller 4 through the upper guide roller 2, closing the opening 19, and then passing it through the lower guide roller 2 to be wound up by the lower drive roller 4.

[0026] In this case, the rotation control unit 15, which is one of the control means 24 in the control device 5, performs rotational control such as calculating and setting the rotational speed of the lower drive roller 4 to a number of rotations that can move it to a length equal to the vertical width of the opening 19, and also performs control such as setting the drive roller 4 to rotate at a specified time.

[0027] Once the above settings are made, the rotational drive of the drive roller 4 causes the filter material 3 to move from the upper drive roller 4, which is winding it up through the guide roller 2, and to be wound up onto the lower drive roller 4, thereby blocking the opening 19. In other words, the filter material 3 that blocks the opening 19 forms a filter surface, which repels dust and volcanic ash contained in the outside air 23 that is trying to pass through the opening 19, or captures them with the mesh of the filter material 3.

[0028] Incidentally, the upper and lower drive rollers 4 are controlled to rotate almost synchronously. This is to prevent excessive tension from being applied to the vertically moving filter media 3. Furthermore, the synchronous control unit 18 can perform control such as designating the lower drive roller 4 as the master unit and the upper drive roller 4 as the slave unit, with the slave unit being subordinate to the master unit, and delaying the rotational drive of the slave unit compared to that of the master unit.

[0029] The synchronous control unit 18 controls the rotation of the drive roller 4, enabling the filter material 3 that closes the opening 19 to be attached without slack. Specifically, the lower drive roller 4, which acts as the master unit, rotates and pulls the filter material 3 to prevent it from bending, while the upper drive roller 4, which acts as the slave unit, rotates with a slight phase delay. As a result, the slave unit acts like a brake, and the filter material 3 is pulled and attached to the correct degree.

[0030] Furthermore, when the filter media 3 wound on the upper drive roller 4 is almost completely gone, the sensor detects this and pauses. Then, the rotation direction control unit 21 reverses the rotation of the drive roller 4, allowing the filter media 3 wound by the lower drive roller 4 to pass through the lower guide roller 2 to close the opening 19, and then the upper drive roller 4 to wind it up again after passing it through the upper guide roller 2. In addition, at this time, the upper drive roller 4 acts as the master unit and the lower drive roller 4 acts as the slave unit.

[0031] Here, an embodiment of the drive roller 4 will be described with reference to Figure 7. As can be seen from Figure 7, drive motors 26 are attached to the shaft ends of the drive rollers 4, and these drive motors 26 are composed of motors from a so-called synchronous / variable motor reduction gear. With these drive motors 26, the drive rollers 4 can smoothly perform the various rotational controls described above.

[0032] Furthermore, the configuration of the drive roller 4 is not limited to the example using the drive motor 26.

[0033] Furthermore, while the system for synchronously rotating the upper and lower drive rollers 4 can be controlled as described above, it is not limited to this method. The upper and lower drive rollers 4 can also be connected and synchronized using a belt or other connecting device. In addition to an electrical synchronization system, a mechanical system, such as a timing belt, can also be used to enable synchronization.

[0034] However, when the filter media 3 is to be reused in this manner, it is necessary to provide a cleaning section that cleans the filter media 3, which has captured dust and volcanic ash, before or after the lower drive roller 4 winds up the filter media 3.

[0035] Specific examples of cleaning methods include cleaning by spraying water, using pulsed blow air to blow away dust, vibrating the filter media 3 to shake it off, cleaning with an automatic cleaning brush, and a system that combines these cleaning operations simultaneously to remove sand and dust.

[0036] By performing the above cleaning, the filter media 3 can be used for a long period of time without needing to be replaced. The inventors refer to this operation as a reverse drive system and an automatic filter media recycling type volcanic ash filter device.

[0037] In Figure 10, reference numeral 12 denotes an input unit, and the content input at input 12 is transmitted to the receiving unit 13. However, the input unit 12 may be provided within the control device 5, and the drive operation may be performed at the input unit. Furthermore, a display unit 17 that can display the input content may also be provided.

[0038] Incidentally, in the filter device of the present invention, a small, approximately horizontal gap is created between the lower end surface of the upper frame plate 6 in the filter frame 1 and the upper guide roller 2 and upper drive roller 4. Without this gap, the upper guide roller 2 and upper drive roller 4 cannot rotate.

[0039] However, if this gap exists, fine volcanic ash in particular can pass through the filter device through the gap. Therefore, measures must be taken to prevent volcanic ash from passing through the gap. In this invention, a substantially rectangular intrusion prevention plate 7 is provided to seal the gap.

[0040] Now, let's explain how to install the intrusion prevention plate 7. The intrusion prevention plate 7, which is roughly rectangular in shape, is pivotally supported on both sides in the longitudinal direction at its upper end in the width direction, above the left and right side frame plates 8, and is rotatably attached to the upper part of the side frame plates 8.

[0041] Furthermore, the outer peripheral end surface on the lower end side in the width direction of the intrusion prevention plate 7 is configured to be in constant close contact with the upper surface of the filter material 3 that is wound around the upper drive roller 4, due to the weight of the intrusion prevention plate 7 itself.

[0042] Therefore, the gap between the lower end surface of the upper frame plate 6 in the filter frame 1 and the upper guide roller 2 and upper drive roller 4 is sealed and blocked, preventing even fine volcanic ash from passing through the filter device.

[0043] Furthermore, the present invention is designed to also seal the gaps between the ends of the frame 8 on both sides of the surface of the filter frame 1 and the widthwise ends of the filter material 3.

[0044] This is because fine volcanic ash could pass through the filter device and enter the interior through these gaps.

[0045] Therefore, the present invention provides a mounting structure for a sealing member 9 that seals the gap between the ends of the frame plates 8 on both sides of the filter frame 1 and both ends of the filter material 3 on the upstream side when outside air 23 flows from the upstream side to the downstream side. The sealing structure will be described below.

[0046] The inner ends of the pair of side frame plates 8, which are positioned on both sides of the filter frame 1 on the upstream side, are configured as filter media storage grooves 10 that are substantially concave grooves with openings toward the center of the filter frame 1 (see Figure 9).

[0047] Furthermore, the filter media 3 is installed with both ends in the width direction inserted into the filter media storage groove 10, and is guided to move within it.

[0048] However, the filter media storage groove 10 is wide, and the filter media 3 is thin. Consequently, a gap is created between the inner surface of the filter media storage groove 10 and the end of the filter media 3 that is loosely fitted within the filter media storage groove 10. This gap posed a risk that fine dust, such as volcanic ash, could pass through the filter device and flow downstream.

[0049] Therefore, in this invention, a sealing member 9 is attached to seal the gap between the inner circumferential surface on one side of the filter media storage groove 10 and the widthwise end of the filter media 3, thereby sealing the gap.

[0050] As shown in Figure 9, a sealing member 9, for example, roughly pencil-shaped, is inserted through the outer surface on the upstream side of the filter media storage groove 10 and protrudes into the filter media storage groove 10. The protruding tip then presses against the widthwise end of the filter media 3 that is loosely fitted into the filter media storage groove 10, bringing it into contact with the inner surface located on the downstream side of the filter media storage groove 10. This seals the gap.

[0051] Furthermore, if the tip of the sealing member 9 is pressed too hard against the filter material 3, the filter material 3 may be damaged. Therefore, if a roughly spherical rotating sphere 22 is formed at the tip and configured to rotate, the filter material 3 will not be damaged even if it is contacted relatively strongly (see Figure 9). In other words, by configuring the roughly spherical, rotating sphere 22 to expand and contract vertically via an expandable member and attaching it, a constant surface pressure can be maintained against the surface of the filter material 3, and smooth following of the winding direction of the filter material 3 will also be possible.

[0052] Here, there may be one sealing member 9 or multiple sealing members 9. As shown in Figure 9, three sealing members 9 may be installed side by side in the width direction.

[0053] Furthermore, it is preferable that the sealing member 9 be attached at multiple locations in the vertical direction of the filter media storage groove 10 at predetermined intervals (see Figure 5).

[0054] Next, we will describe the control of the drive unit 5. The control device 5, such as a PC, is configured to receive a signal 25 indicating the detection of a volcanic eruption, which is sent out during a volcanic eruption, as a signal to start driving. Therefore, the control device 5 is provided with a receiving unit 13. After receiving the signal, the receiving unit 13 issues a command to the winding command unit 14, which is one of the control means 24 in the control device 5, to rotate the drive roller 4 by the length between the upper and lower guide rollers 2 attached to the filter frame 1 to wind up the filter material 3.

[0055] Upon receiving the command, the rotation control unit 15 rotates the drive roller 4, and the filter material 3 is wound up via the guide roller 2, which is configured to work in conjunction with it.

[0056] Furthermore, the aforementioned drive start signal 25 is not limited to the signal 25 that notifies of a volcanic eruption.

[0057] The system may be configured to detect contamination of the filter media 3, which functions as a filter, by detecting the pressure loss value of the filter media 3, and to transmit a drive start signal 25 when it exceeds a predetermined pressure loss value. Alternatively, the system may be configured to use a so-called timer mode for transmission control, and to transmit the drive start signal 25 again after a set period of time has elapsed.

[0058] As controlled in this manner, the filter media 3 on the filter surface is automatically replaced with new, unused portions of filter media 3, ensuring that the pressure loss value of the filter media 3 is always kept below the pressure loss threshold.

[0059] Furthermore, in the case of pressure loss control that involves winding and replacing the filter media 3 with a new section based on a signal 25 that detects an increase in pressure loss due to the passage of outside air 23, when the predetermined pressure loss value is reached, the filter media 3 is automatically wound onto the lower drive roller 4 at a low speed, and the filter pressure loss is always controlled within a constant pressure range, which is an advantage.

[0060] Furthermore, this filter device, which is a volcanic ash roll filter, is located on the upstream side, drawing in air containing volcanic ash from the upstream side. Relatively large volcanic ash particles contained in the air are repelled by the Unipack roll filter and blocked before reaching the device. Medium-sized volcanic ash particles are captured by the mesh of filter material 3. Therefore, only clean outside air 23 that does not contain medium or large volcanic ash particles is allowed to pass through.

[0061] The filter surface of this device is covered with a monofilament sheet, which is the filter material 3 for the auto-roll filter. When outside air 23 containing volcanic ash is drawn in, the particles collide with the filter material 3 and are repelled. In particular, volcanic ash particles larger than the mesh (opening) of the filter material 3 cannot pass through, so 70% to 97% of the volcanic ash particles are blocked and filtered by the roll filter unit.

[0062] Furthermore, in the event of a volcanic eruption on the scale of the Hoei eruption of Mount Fuji, for example, it is possible to control the movement of the filter media 3 by setting a timer mode and the usage time of the filter media 3, i.e., the elapsed operating time of the filter device.

[0063] In this configuration, the filter media 3 of the roll filter can be automatically replaced with a newly wound portion of filter media 3 after a certain period of time, thus ensuring that the pressure loss of the filter media 3 is always kept below the planned value.

[0064] Furthermore, in the case of differential pressure control that winds and replaces the filter media 3 with a new section based on the signal 25 that detects an increase in the air pressure loss, when the preset air pressure loss value is reached, the filter media 3 is automatically wound onto the lower drive roller 4 at a low speed, thereby allowing the filter pressure loss to be controlled within a constant pressure range. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0065] 1. Filter frame 2 Guide rollers 3 Filter media 4 drive rollers 5 Control device 6 Upper frame plate 7 Intrusion prevention plate 8 Side frame plate 9 Sealing member 10 Filter media storage grooves 11. Bottom frame plate 12 Input section 13 Receiving Unit 14. Winding Command Unit 15 Rotation Control Unit 16 Backup Roller 17 Display section 18 Synchronization Control Unit 19 Opening 20 aperture 21 Directional Control Unit 22 spinning balls 23. Outside air 24 Control means 25 signal 26 Drive motor

Claims

1. The filter comprises a filter frame formed in a roughly cubic shape, a pair of guide rollers mounted vertically on the filter frame, a filter material attached between the guide rollers so as to be movable in the vertical direction, a drive means for moving the filter material wound on one drive roller between the pair of guide rollers and attaching it, and for winding up the attached filter material with the other drive roller, an intrusion prevention plate that closes the space between the upper frame of the filter frame and the upper guide roller, and a sealing member that seals the space between the side frames of the filter frame and both ends of the filter material in the width direction. The drive means starts winding the filter material in the vertical direction between the guide rollers in response to a drive start signal, and attaches the new filter material portion to the surface between the guide rollers which will become the filter surface, and the drive start signal includes at least a signal transmitted when a volcanic eruption is detected. A filter device with an automatic filter media winding mechanism, characterized by the above features.

2. The aforementioned drive start signal includes a notification signal that indicates the time for repeated drive restarts or a notification signal that indicates the arrival of the pressure drop value of the filter material. The filter device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is an automatic filter media winding type.

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