Pulse delivery cleaning system and method

Abstract

The filter system includes a tube plate defining a plurality of holes in fluid communication with a plurality of filter bags. The system also includes a rotating assembly having an arm defining one or more outlets for providing pressurized air from an air source toward the tube plate in response to pulsing one or more actuators. A motor is operably coupled to the stationary assembly and the rotating assembly to rotate the arm about an axis at a preset rotational speed. A controller is operably coupled to the motor and the one or more actuators for providing pulse commands based on a pulse interval and a jog interval. The pulse interval and jog interval can be determined based on the measured rotational speed of the arm, which can be re-determined during operation.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Cross-Reference to Related Applications This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 820,394, filed March 19, 2019, the entire specification of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present technology relates generally to filter systems, and specifically to control of a pulse delivery cleaning system for a bag house filter.

BACKGROUND ART

[0003] Dust collectors are used to remove particulate matter from air streams. One embodiment of a dust collector includes a bag house filter. The bag house filter includes a housing, a contaminated air inlet, a clean air outlet, and a tube sheet having a plurality of openings. The tube sheet separates the housing between a contaminated air side and a clean air side, and holds the filter bags. The bag (or filter bag) is made of filter media. When contaminated air flows from the contaminated air side to the clean air side, the contaminated air must flow through the bag, and the filter media of the filter bag prevents particulate matter from reaching the clean air side. Periodically, the bags that have accumulated particulate matter are pulse cleaned to enable continuous filtration operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0004] The present disclosure relates generally to pulse delivery cleaning systems and methods for bag house filters that may require less maintenance, may require fewer adjustments, and may also enhance ease of manufacture.

[0005] In one embodiment, the disclosure provides a system comprising a stationary assembly having a tube plate defining a plurality of holes in fluid communication with a plurality of filter bags, and further comprising one or more actuators, each configured to release pressurized air in response to a pulse command. The system also comprises a rotating assembly having an arm defining one or more outlets positioned along the length of the arm. One or more outlets are configured to provide pressurized air from an air source toward the tube plate in response to one or more actuators receiving a pulse command. The system also comprises a motor operably coupled to the stationary assembly and a rotating assembly configured to rotate the arm around an axis at a preset rotational speed. The system also comprises a controller operably coupled to the motor and one or more actuators. The controller includes a processor configured to provide a set of pulse commands to one or more actuators to provide a set of pulses over one or more rotations of the arm, to determine the jog interval between the set of pulse commands and the subsequent set of pulse commands based on the measured rotational speed of the arm, and, after waiting for one jog interval, to provide a subsequent set of pulse commands to one or more actuators to provide a subsequent set of pulses over one or more subsequent rotations of the arm.

[0006] In another embodiment, the disclosure provides an apparatus including an input interface, an output interface, memory, and a processor operably coupled to the input interface, output interface, and memory. The processor is configured to determine the rotational speed of an arm based on measurements from a position sensor assembly using the input interface. An arm defining one or more outlets is configured to release pressurized air in response to one or more actuators receiving pulse commands. The processor is also configured to determine pulse intervals and jog intervals based on the rotational speed of the arm. Pulse intervals define the intervals between pulse commands within a set of pulse commands. Jog intervals define the intervals between a set of pulse commands and a subsequent set of pulse commands. The processor is also configured to store the pulse intervals and jog intervals in memory. The processor is also configured to provide a subsequent set of pulse commands to one or more actuators based on the pulse intervals and jog intervals, using the output interface, to release a subsequent set of pulses of pressurized air through one or more outlets.

[0007] In another embodiment, the disclosure provides a method comprising rotating an arm about an axis. The arm defines one or more outlets positioned along the length of the arm. One or more outlets are configured to guide pressurized air from an air source toward a tube plate. The tube plate defines a plurality of holes that are in fluid communication with a plurality of filter bags. The method also comprises releasing a set of pulses of pressurized air from one or more outlets over one or more rotations of the arm. The method also comprises determining a jog interval between a set of pulses of pressurized air and a subsequent set of pulses based on a measured rotational speed of the arm. The method also comprises waiting one jog interval and then releasing a subsequent set of pulses from one or more outlets over one or more subsequent rotations of the arm. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a projected cutaway view of an example of a dust collector that utilizes a pulsed discharge cleaning system.

[0009] [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of an example of a tube plate that can be used in the dust collector shown in Figure 1, which can be cleaned by a pulsed delivery cleaning system.

[0010] [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the dust collector.

[0011] [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a schematic overhead view of the spokes of the pipe plate.

[0012] [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a control system that may be used in conjunction with the dust collector shown.

[0013] [Figure 6] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating one example of how to operate the pulse-delivery cleaning system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] This disclosure relates generally to filter systems, and more specifically to the control of pulsed-delivery cleaning systems for filters. Existing pulsed-delivery cleaning systems for dust collectors, such as circular baghouse systems, use motors and transmissions to rotate an arm for pulsed-delivery cleaning, which may be vulnerable to mechanical slip, mechanical failure, or other conditions that affect the arm's position or rotational speed over extended periods. Even a slip of just 1% from a preset rotational speed can cause a complete miss of a set of filter bags or at least inefficient discharge of pulses across several filter bags within one rotation of the arm. Pulsed-delivery cleaning systems may require adjustment or even repair to return to desired performance. Complex motors or transmissions, which may affect the manufacturability of these systems and result in higher failure rates, may be used to facilitate the precise and accurate rotation of the arm to deliver pulses to the filter bags.

[0015] The technologies of this disclosure provide control systems and methods for pulsed cleaning based on the actual rotation of an arm to maintain accurate pulse delivery for cleaning filter bags. In other words, these technologies provide adjustments in pulsed cleaning in response to one or more measurement results related to the arm. The control system measures the actual rotational speed of the arm using a position sensor such as a proximity sensor. The pulse interval is calculated so that the arm delivers pulses when it is aligned over a set of filter bags based on the measured rotational speed of the arm, so that pulses can be consistently delivered to the "dead point" of the filter bag opening over a long period of time. In some embodiments, a jog interval is determined which can be used instead of one of the pulse intervals or between several of the pulse intervals, which can facilitate shifting a set of subsequently delivered pulses and even completing the cleaning of the filter bags. The pulse interval and jog interval may be re-determined in operation based on further measurements of the rotational speed of the arm. Generally, pulsed cleaning systems having the control systems or methods of use described herein may be easier to manufacture and may require less maintenance and downtime than some existing pulsed cleaning systems to operate at the desired performance over extended periods.

[0016] Next, accompanying drawings depicting one or more aspects described in this disclosure are referenced. However, it is understood that other aspects not depicted in the accompanying drawings fall within the scope of this disclosure. Numbers used in the accompanying drawings may refer to similar parts, processes, etc. However, it is understood that the use of reference numerals to refer to elements in a given drawing is not intended to restrict elements in another drawing labeled with the same reference numeral. In addition, the use of different reference numerals to refer to elements in different drawings is not intended to indicate that elements referenced in different ways cannot be the same or similar.

[0017] As used herein, the term "or" is generally adopted in its inclusive sense to mean "and / or" unless otherwise specified by the context. The term "and / or" means one of all the enumerated elements or a combination of at least two of the enumerated elements.

[0018] Various embodiments of this disclosure relate to filter systems such as circular dust collectors or circular baghouse systems. The pulsed delivery cleaning techniques described herein can be used with any suitable filter system, but an example of a circular baghouse filter system is shown in Figure 1 to facilitate understanding of these techniques.

[0019] Figures 1-4 show various views of an example of a filter system 100, which is a circular baghouse filter system. Figure 1 shows a cutaway perspective view of the filter system 100, which has a tubular plate 102 used to clean an airflow 106 by removing dust or other particles. The tubular plate 102 has a surface schematically shown by line shading, but more detail is shown in Figure 2. In Figure 2, the tubular plate 102 is shown having a plurality of holes 108 and a plurality of filter bags 104 coupled to the tubular plate to cover the holes. The holes 108 and the filter bags 104 coupled to the holes are arranged within radial spokes 152 and concentric rings 154 along the surface of the tubular plate 102. Figure 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of one or more outlets 160 of an arm 128 positioned on various rings 154 of the holes 108. Figure 4 shows an overhead view of the rotation of the arm 128 relative to the tubular plate 102 and spokes 152. In the figure, each spoke 152 is shown as a wedge or slice of a circle. The leader lines from each spoke 152 shown in Figure 4 represent only three of the multiple spokes, but all wedges represent spoke 152 in this illustration.

[0020] Generally, the filter system 100 filters dust from the air stream 106 passing through a plurality of filter bags 104 and a plurality of holes 108 (or openings) defined in the tube sheet 102 in fluid communication with the filter bags. The filter bags 104 may be occasionally cleaned using pulse cleaning to extend their service life.

[0021] As can be seen in Figure 1, during operation, an air stream 106 containing contaminated air is drawn into the housing 118 through the contaminated air inlet 110 by a blower arrangement (not shown). The air stream 106 moves into the internal volume 112 of the housing 118. The air stream 106 may originate within the contaminated air volume 114 of the internal volume 112 on the contaminated air side of the tube sheet 102. The air stream 106 may pass downstream (in the "up" direction in the figure) through the filter bags 104 (Figure 2) coupled to the tube sheet 102, where dust and debris are removed from the air stream. Next, the air stream 106 containing filtered air flows into the clean air volume 116 of the internal volume 112 on the clean air side of the tube sheet 102. The tube sheet 102 and the plurality of filter bags 104 coupled to the tube sheet divide the internal volume 112 and separate the contaminated air volume 114 from the clean air volume 116. Next, the air stream 106 containing filtered air exits the housing 118 of the filter system 100 through a clean air outlet (not shown).

[0022] The housing 118 may have a generally cylindrical structure enclosing the internal volume 112. The contaminated air inlet 110 and the clean air outlet may be defined by the housing 118. The tube sheet 102 may be mechanically coupled to the housing 118, and may have a circular structure that complements the internal shape of the housing 118 to form a seal around its outer periphery with the housing.

[0023] The blower arrangement directs air from the contaminated air inlet 110 to the clean air outlet. In some embodiments, the blower arrangement may generate a vacuum at the clean air outlet. The blower arrangement may be located remotely from the housing 118, but may be connected in fluid or air stream communication to the clean air outlet by ductwork.

[0024] The filter system 100 may further include a dust collection hopper in communication with the internal volume 112 and oriented below the housing 118. The hopper may have a frustoconical structure. The hopper collects dust and debris separated from the air. Support structures such as legs or other support beams oriented to support the housing 118 and the hopper may be included. Typically, the housing 118 and the hopper are vertically supported above the ground such that a drum or some other container can be placed under the hopper to empty the hopper of dust and debris.

[0025] A ladder for accessing the internal volume 112 of the housing 118 may be provided. The ladder may extend to a platform. A person servicing the filter system 100 may climb the ladder, stand on the platform, and then open a service door that provides access to the internal volume 112. In the illustrated embodiment, the service door provides access to the clean air volume 116 of the internal volume 112.

[0026] The filter system 100 includes a pulse delivery cleaning system 120 to provide one full cleaning cycle of the filter bags 104 over a period defined as the total cleaning time. In the illustrated embodiment, the pulse delivery cleaning system 120 includes a rotating assembly 122 that is rotated about a central axis 150 (FIGS. 2 to 4) by a motor 124 to deliver pressurized pulses 140 of air through various holes 108 in the tube sheet 102 to the filter bags 104 for cleaning. In general, the rotating assembly 122 includes one or more components that rotate in response to running the motor 124. The pulse delivery cleaning system 120 may further include a stationary assembly 126 that includes one or more components of the filter system 100 that do not rotate in response to running the motor 124. The motor 124 may be operatively coupled to either or both of the stationary assembly 126 and the rotating assembly 122, or therebetween.

[0027] The rotating assembly 122 may include an arm 128 having a generally linear, elongated structure that extends laterally or perpendicularly with respect to the axis 150. The stationary assembly 126 may include a housing 118, a pipe plate 102, a compressed air tank 130, at least one actuator 132, a mounting structure 134 coupled to the housing 118 to support one or more components of the filter system 100 in the clean air volume 116, an air compressor pump 136 which may be located outside the housing 118, a control system 138, or any other stationary structure of the filter system 100.

[0028] The arm 128 may be rotatably coupled to a mounting structure 134 to support the arm on the tube plate 102 within the clean air volume 116. The motor 124 may be operably coupled to the arm 128 and the mounting structure 134 to rotate the arm about the axis 150 during operation.

[0029] The arm 128 may include an arm housing that defines the volume of the air distribution header within the arm housing. One or more outlets 160 may be positioned or defined along the length of the arm 128, which selectively fluidizes the air distribution header, the tank 130, and the pump 136. One or more diaphragm valves may be used to selectively isolate the outlets 160 from one or more of the air distribution header, the tank 130, or the pump 136, and may be opened and closed using at least one actuator 132. The outlets 160 may include an opening defined by the arm housing or a nozzle extending from the arm housing. The pulsed delivery cleaning system 120 may provide a jet of pressurized air from an air source such as the tank 130 or the pump 136 through the air distribution header within the arm housing and through the outlets 160.

[0030] In one or more embodiments, each of the filter bags 104 is oriented to extend from the pipe plate 102 into the contaminated air volume 114. The filter bags 104 may be detachably mounted to the pipe plate 102 so that when the practical life of the filter bags expires after a period of use, the filter bags 104 can be removed and replaced with new filter bags. The arm 128 directs a jet of pressurized air through one or more outlets 160 into at least one of the holes 108 in the pipe plate 102 and into at least one corresponding filter bag 104 (upstream: "down" as shown) to clean the filter bags by removing at least some of the dust and debris from the contaminated side of the filter bags. In other words, the pulse of pressurized air 140 is directed in the opposite direction of the airflow 106 through the filter bags 104 and the holes 108. The dust and debris may fall into the hopper by gravity. In this way, the filter system 100 can operate for a longer period before the filter bag 104 is replaced compared to a system without the pulsed cleaning system 120.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, the holes 108 and corresponding filter bags 104 can be located within one or more radial spokes 152. The spokes 152 may extend along lines intersecting the axis 150. Each spoke 152 may contain one or more holes 108. Each spoke 152 may have the same or a different number of holes 108 as the other spokes. In the shown embodiment, spokes 151 and 155 each have 10 holes (5 on each side of the axis 150), and spokes 153 and 157 each have 14 holes (7 on each side of the axis). The arm 128 instantaneously aligns with each of the spokes 152 during each rotation.

[0032] The holes 108 and corresponding filter bags 104 are further arranged within concentric rings 154. Each ring 154 may have a circular shape centered on the axis 150. Each ring 154 may have the same or a different number of holes 108 as the other rings. In the shown embodiment, rings 159 and 161 each have 24 holes, while ring 163 has 12 holes. Generally, rings 154 closer to the axis 150 may have a smaller diameter and fewer holes 108 than rings further from the axis that are closer to the circumference of the tube plate 102.

[0033] Each of the exits 160 of the arm 128 can be aligned with a different ring 154 and can also be aligned to pass through the center of each hole 108 within each ring. The arm 128 may include or be defined by one or more segments. As can be seen in Figure 3, the arm 128 may include a first segment 156 and a second segment 158 ​​extending in the opposite direction from the first segment. An exit 160 on the first segment 156 may be aligned with a first subset 162 of holes 108 arranged in the concentric ring 154, and an exit 160 on the second segment 158 ​​may be aligned with a second subset 164 of holes 108 arranged in the concentric ring 154. For example, if the concentric rings 154 are numbered 1 through 7 from the innermost to the outermost ring, the exits 160 of the first segment 156 are aligned to the odd-numbered rings (1, 3, 5, 7), and the exits 160 of the second segment 158 ​​are aligned to the even-numbered rings (2, 4, 6). A complete rotation of the arm 128 can be used to pass through each exit 160 on each hole 108 within each concentric ring 154.

[0034] The air tank 130 may be coupled to a mounting structure 134 and installed inside the clean air volume 116. In other embodiments, the air tank 130 may be mounted on the outside of the housing 118, for example, on the roof of the housing. The air tank 130 may be operably coupled to a pump 136 for pressurizing air to be stored in the tank. The air tank 130 may be operably connected in fluid communication to one or more outlets of the arm 128 to provide pressurized air pulses 140 to one or more outlets.

[0035] At least one actuator 132 may be coupled to the tank 130 and at least one diaphragm. The at least one actuator 132 is configured to receive pulse commands and provide a set of pressurizing pulses 140 from the arm 128 (for example, by lifting the diaphragm so that pressurized air from the tank 130 flows through one or more outlets along the arm 128). In one or more embodiments, one or more diaphragm valves 133 may be coupled to the tank 130 or the arm 128. Each of the diaphragm valves 133 may include one or more diaphragms positioned as a seal between two volumes. The diaphragm valves 133 may be opened using an actuator such as a solenoid to release the pressure on one side of the diaphragm and open the diaphragm valve. The opening of one or more diaphragm valves 133 may fluidly connect the tank 130 and the outlet 160 of the arm 128. In the illustrated embodiment, the dual diaphragm setup uses two diaphragm valves 133 positioned above the tank, each containing a smaller diaphragm valve that can be opened using a solenoid to open a larger diaphragm valve that fluidly connects the tank 130 to the arm 128, allowing airflow from the tank 130 to the outlet 160 of the arm 128.

[0036] As used herein, “a set of pulses,” “a set of pressurizing pulses,” or “a set of pressurizing air pulses” refers to a single pulse of pressurized air from each of the one or more outlets 160 of the arm 128. In the shown embodiment, one actuator 132 may be used to provide all pressurizing pulses 140 from the arm 128 at once. In some other embodiments, at least one actuator 132 is coupled to the rotating assembly 122 rather than the fixed assembly 126. In other embodiments, two or more actuators 132 and two or more diaphragm valves 133 may be used to provide a set of pressurizing pulses 140 from the arm 128.

[0037] The actuator 132 may open the diaphragm for a predetermined period of time to provide a set of pressurizing pulses 140 from the pressurized air in the tank 130. After the actuator 132 has provided a set of pressurizing pulses 140, the diaphragm may be closed by the actuator for a set of time intervals to allow the tank 130 to be pressurized again. The arm 128 may continue to rotate while the diaphragm is closed to position the arm over a different set of holes 108 in the tube plate 102. The actuator 132 may open the diaphragm for the same predetermined period of time after a set of time intervals or when the set of time intervals have expired to provide a subsequent set of pressurizing pulses to a different set of holes 108. The alternation of the diaphragm's open and closed states by the actuator 132 may be repeated periodically as the arm 128 rotates to provide multiple pulses to clean all filter bags 104 within the filter system 100.

[0038] The pump 136 can be appropriately sized based, for example, on the desired total cleaning time and the number of spokes 152, in order to pressurize the tank 130 to the desired pressure during subsequent pulses. Generally, if the filter system 100 is larger and the filter system 100 has more filter bags 104, the size of the tank 130 and the capacity of the pump 136 are also increased to maintain a similar total cleaning time for all filter bags 104.

[0039] In some embodiments, a safety valve or pressure sensor (not shown) may be coupled to the tank 130 to determine the intermediate pressure within the tank 130. The safety valve may help regulate the pressure within the tank 130. The filter system 100 may be designed to minimize the number of times such a valve is opened to regulate the pressure within the tank 130. In some cases, opening the safety valve may generate undesirable levels of noise.

[0040] As shown in Figures 3-4, the filter system 100 may include a position sensor assembly 180 that, when activated or triggered, provides an indication of the position of the arm 128. The position sensor assembly 180 may be operably coupled to a control system 138 to provide measurement results related to the rotation of the arm 128. The position sensor assembly 180 may include a first part 182 and a second part 184. The first part 182 may be coupled to a fixed assembly 126 and in a fixed position, and the second part 184 may be coupled to a rotating assembly 122 and positioned to pass through the first part 182 once for each rotation of the arm 128. In some embodiments, the first part 182 may be coupled to a housing 118 near the rotation path of the arm 128, and the second part 184 may be coupled to the end of the arm.

[0041] Any suitable type of position sensor may be used within the position sensor assembly 180. An example of the position sensor assembly 180 may include a position sensor, such as a Hall effect sensor, as a first part 182 and a sensor target, such as a magnet, as a second part 184. Generally, the active or motorized part of the position sensor assembly 180 may be coupled to a stationary assembly 126, and the passive or non-motorized part of the assembly may be coupled to a rotating assembly 122.

[0042] Generally, the arm 128 rotates in one direction around the axis 150. In the figure, an arrow is used to indicate the arm 128 rotating clockwise. The position sensor assembly 180 may be used to detect when the arm 128 has completed a full rotation around the axis 150.

[0043] As is perhaps best seen in Figure 5, the control system 138 may include a controller 200 operably coupled to a position sensor assembly 180, a motor 124, one or more actuators 132, and a user interface 190. In particular, the position sensor assembly 180 and the user interface 190 may be operably coupled to an input interface 202 of the controller 200, and the motor 124 and one or more actuators 132 may be operably coupled to an output interface 204 of the controller 200. The controller 200 may include a processor 206 and a memory 208. The processor 206 may be operably coupled to the input interface 202, the output interface 204, and the memory 208. The input interface 202 and the output interface 204 may be physically different interfaces or a single interface capable of input / output functionality. The input interface 202 and the output interface 204 may use any suitable wired or wireless connection to operably connect the controller to each component.

[0044] The processor 206 of the controller 200 may receive an instruction for the arm position from the input interface 202 and may determine the rotational speed of the arm based on this instruction. Any suitable technique for determining the rotational speed of the arm, known to those skilled in the art who have the advantages of this disclosure, may be used. In one or more embodiments described herein, the processor 206 may be configured to run one or more timers while the arm 128 is being rotated by the motor 124. The processor 206 may start a timer when it receives a first instruction from the position sensor assembly 180 that one segment of the arm 128 has passed a particular position. The processor 206 may end a timer when it receives a second instruction from the position sensor assembly 180 that the same segment of the arm 128 has passed the particular position again. The timer value (or the period between the start time and stop time of the timer) may be used to correspond to one rotation of the arm 128 and may be used to determine the rotational speed of the arm 128, such as revolutions per minute (RPM).

[0045] The rotation speed of the arm may be stored in memory 208. The rotation speed is used by processor 206 to determine parameters related to pulsed cleaning (for example, to determine the pulse pattern).

[0046] A predetermined pulse pattern can be used to enable the pulse-delivery cleaning system 120 to clean all filter bags 104 within a desired total cleaning time. The predetermined pattern may correspond to rotating the arm 128, passing through a predetermined number of radial spokes 152 of one or more radial spokes 152 between pulses. In some embodiments, the predetermined number of spokes 152 is two or more, and the entire cleaning cycle of the filter bags 104 corresponds to two or more rotations of the arm. For example, as can be seen with reference to Figure 4, the predetermined pattern skips three spokes 152 between pulses. A subset 171 of the spokes 152 with diagonal shading represents spokes that can receive pressurizing pulses 140 during the first rotation of the arm 128.

[0047] In some embodiments, the processor 206 may determine the pulse interval for pulsed cleaning. As used herein, the term “pulse interval” refers to the time interval between subsequent pulse deliveries during the rotation of the arm 128. The pulse interval may be determined based on the desired number of spokes passed or skipped between pulses and the rotational speed of the arm 128. For example, a pulse of a given pattern may define a pulse interval corresponding to a rotation passing through four of the spokes 152, which may also be described as the arc length of four spokes, or a pulse interval skipping three spokes between pulses. As can be seen in Figure 4, for example, a rotation passing through four spokes 152 is equal to an arc length 170. The pulse interval may be determined based on dividing the arc length 170 by the rotational speed of the arm 128.

[0048] In some embodiments, a predetermined number of radial spokes 152 that pass through one pulse interval is divisible by the total number of spokes. In other words, the total number of spokes 152 may be an integer multiple of the predetermined number of radial spokes that pass through one pulse interval.

[0049] After a first rotation of arm 128, which can be detected using position sensor assembly 180, pulses of a predetermined pattern may jog or shift subsequent pulses. As shown in Figure 4, a subset 173 of spokes 152 having a "W" pattern of line shading may represent spokes that can receive pressurized pulses 140 when arm 128 performs a second rotation. Subsequent pulses may jog after each rotation of arm 128.

[0050] By using a jogging function with pulse intervals, even the coverage of spokes 152 can be easily achieved. The processor 206 can also determine the jogging interval for pulsed cleaning. As used herein, the term “jog interval” refers to a period between consecutive pulse deliveries, which may be used at the start of one or more rotations of arm 128. The jogging interval may be determined based on a desired number of spokes shifted with each rotation of arm 128 and the rotational speed of arm 128. For example, a given pattern of pulses may define a jogging interval corresponding to a rotation passing through three of spokes 152, which may be described as the arc length of three spokes or as a pulse interval skipping two spokes between pulses. As can be seen in Figure 4, for example, a rotation passing through three spokes 152 is equal to an arc length 172. The jogging interval may be determined based on dividing the arc length 172 by the rotational speed of arm 128.

[0051] In the shown embodiment, the arc length 172 corresponding to the jog interval is shorter than the arc length 170 corresponding to the pulse interval. Therefore, the corresponding jog interval may be proportionally shorter in time than the corresponding pulse interval. For example, the jog interval may be configured to provide one subsequent pulse instruction one spoke 152 earlier than the pulse interval. In other embodiments, the jog interval may be longer than the pulse interval. One or both of the pulse interval and the jog interval may be stored in memory 208.

[0052] In one or more embodiments described herein, the processor 206 may be configured to provide one or more set of pulse instructions to one or more actuators 132 to provide a set of pulses over one or more rotations of the arm 128. The pulse instructions may be voltage-excitation pulses provided from the controller 200 to one or more actuators 132. In one example, each pulse instruction has a duration of 100 milliseconds. The processor 206 may also be configured to determine the jog interval between one set of pulse instructions and a subsequent set of pulse instructions based on the measured rotational speed of the arm 128. Furthermore, the processor 206 may wait one jog interval and then provide one or more subsequent sets of pulse instructions to one or more actuators 132 to provide a subsequent set of pulses over one or more subsequent rotations of the arm 128. The pulse instructions or subsequent pulse instructions may be spaced apart by one pulse interval.

[0053] The processor 206 may be configured to provide pulse instructions when at least one of the one or more outlets 160 is centered over the corresponding hole 108 in the tube plate 102, thereby ensuring an effective “dead spot” backflush pulse to the filter bag 104. In some embodiments, a first portion 182 of the position sensor assembly 180 may be aligned to the center of one of the spokes 152, and a second portion 184 of the position sensor assembly may be aligned to the outlet 160. A pulse of a predetermined pattern may be initiated based on the activation of the position sensor assembly 180. In other embodiments, the position sensor assembly 180 may not be aligned to one of the spokes 152, but the center of the subsequent spoke 152 may be calculated based on a known distance from the first portion 182 of the position sensor assembly 180 to the center of the subsequent spoke and the measured rotational speed of the arm 128.

[0054] The processor 206 may be configured to measure the rotational speed of arm 128 after each of a first predetermined number of rotations of one or more of the arm. In some embodiments, the rotational speed of arm 128 is measured or determined after each rotation of the arm. In other words, the first predetermined number may be equal to 1.

[0055] The processor 206 may also be configured to wait for one jog interval after each of a second predetermined number of rotations of one or more rotations of the arm 128. In some embodiments, the processor 206 is configured to wait for one jog interval after each rotation of the arm 128. In other words, the second predetermined number may be equal to 1.

[0056] The user interface 190 of the control system 138 may be configured to accept user input or provide information to the user. Any suitable type of user interface may be used, such as a keyboard, buttons, knobs, a graphic user interface and display (including, for example, a touchscreen), a microphone or speaker. The user may provide user input to the controller 200 via the user interface 190. In some embodiments, the user input may indicate the pipe plate hole configuration (such as the number of spokes 152 in the pipe plate 102). In some embodiments, the pulse interval or jog interval may be determined based on the user input indicating the pipe plate hole configuration and the rotational speed of the arm measured using the position sensor assembly 180. The user input may also indicate a preset motor rotational speed which may be used to determine the initial pulse interval or jog interval. The user input may also indicate a desired total wash time which may be used to determine the pulse interval or jog interval.

[0057] Furthermore, the controller 200 can determine whether the position of the arm 128 measured at a predetermined time indicates that "the rotating assembly 122 requires maintenance," and can provide an alarm to the user interface 190. For example, if the time between activations of the position sensor assembly 180 exceeds a threshold time, a maintenance alarm, which may be an audible or visual alarm, may be provided to the user interface 190, indicating that the rotating assembly 122 is moving at only a certain percentage of its intended speed. For example, an alarm may be provided if one rotation takes 2 minutes instead of 1 minute (indicating that the rotating assembly 122 is moving at half its intended speed).

[0058] In one or more embodiments, a proximity sensor is used within a position sensor assembly 180 to measure the arm position for calculating rotational speed. This information allows pulse logic to be programmed into a programmable logic controller (PLC) used in a control system 138, and pulse commands can be sent to a solenoid acting as an actuator 132 to control pulse timing for driving a diaphragm valve so that pulses of backflow air are directed to the center of each hole 108 in one spoke 152 of the pipe plate 102. In addition, sequence adjustments can be programmed to provide a predetermined pattern of pulses with a jog pattern every predetermined number of pulses to facilitate coverage of all holes 108 in the pipe plate 102 during the entire cleaning time. Without jogging, repetitive or periodic pulse patterns can be deployed that leave some spokes 152 of the pipe plate 102 undriven or unevenly pulsed during the entire cleaning time. Sequence adjustments that modify the pulse interval time can directly affect the pressure in tank 130 achieved during inter-pulse replenishment operations, for example, to facilitate adjustment of tank pressurization while still pulse-driving over the “dead point” of the pipe plate hole 108. Finally, by using the position sensor assembly 180 to calibrate and adjust the pulse interval time during operation, no “fine-tuning” may be required during the installation of the filter system 100.

[0059] One or more of the components such as controllers, processors, or sensors described herein may include a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU), a computer, a logic array, or other devices capable of guiding data into or out of the controller. The controller may include one or more computing devices, processing, and communication hardware having memory. The controller may include circuitry used to combine various components of the controller together or to combine with other components operably coupled to the controller. The functions of the controller may be performed by hardware and / or as computer commands on a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium.

[0060] The controller's processor may include any one or more of the following: microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or equivalent individual or integrated logic circuit systems. In some examples, the processor may include multiple components, such as one or more microprocessors, one or more controllers, one or more DSPs, one or more ASICs, and / or one or more FPGAs, and any combination of other individual or integrated logic circuit systems. The functions attributed to the controller or processor in this specification may be embodied as software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof. Although described herein as a processor-based system, alternative controllers may utilize other components, such as relays and timers, either alone or in combination with a microprocessor-based system, to achieve the desired results.

[0061] In one or more embodiments, the exemplary systems, methods, and interfaces may be implemented using one or more computer programs by using a computing device which may include one or more processors and / or memory. The program code and / or logic described herein may be applied to input data / information to perform the functions described herein and generate desired output data / information. The output data / information may be applied as input to one or more other devices and / or methods which may be applied in the manner described herein or known. In consideration of the foregoing, it will be readily apparent that the controller functions described herein may be implemented in any manner known to those skilled in the art.

[0062] Figure 6 shows an example of a method 300 for operating a pulse-delivery cleaning system, such as a pulse-delivery cleaning system 120, using pulses of a predetermined pattern. Method 300 may include, in process 302, rotating the arm twice until the position sensor assembly (or position sensor) is activated. Generally, the arm may be rotated from more than 360 degrees to less than 720 degrees. A timer may be used to determine the time between activations of the position sensor. Method 300 may include, in process 304, determining the rotation speed of the arm based, for example, on the time between activations of the position sensor. In this case, the jog interval may be calculated as 3 / 4 of the pulse interval, i.e., 7.5 seconds.

[0063] Method 300 may include, in process 306, calculating the pulse interval and jog interval based on the rotational speed. For example, the pulse interval may be determined based on the desired total cleaning time, the number of spokes in the tube plate, and the rotational speed of the arm. For example, if the total cleaning time is 4 minutes and the tube plate has 24 spokes, then 6 spokes need to be cleaned every minute to provide the entire cleaning cycle within the total cleaning time. If the arm rotates at 1 RPM, then 6 spokes need to be cleaned with 1 pulse every 10 seconds for each rotation, and the entire cleaning cycle corresponds to 4 rotations of the arm. The pulse interval may be calculated as 10 seconds, which should correspond to the arm rotation passing through 4 spokes. The jog interval may be determined based on the desired displacement of the spokes, the pulse interval, and the number of spokes in the tube plate. Using the same example, a desired shift of a spoke may advance the subsequent pulse by 1 spoke. Knowing that the pulse interval corresponds to the arm rotation passing through 4 spokes, the jog interval should correspond to the arm rotation passing through 3 spokes.

[0064] Method 300 may include waiting for one pulse interval in process 308, and then providing a pulse in process 310 after the said pulse interval has expired. Method 300 may determine in process 312 whether the position sensor has been reactivated. If the position sensor has not been reactivated, Method 300 may return to continuing to wait for one pulse interval in process 308 and to providing a pulse in process 310.

[0065] When the position sensor is activated, method 300 may re-determine the rotational speed of the arm in process 314. Method 300 may also determine in process 316 whether the rotational speed of the arm has changed. Small changes in rotational speed may occur due to, for example, gear wear, small changes in alternating current (AC) frequency, and changes affecting the power to the motor. In response that the rotational speed is constant, method 300 may wait one jog interval in process 320 and provide a pulse in process 322. In response that the rotational speed has changed, method 300 may include recalculating the pulse interval and jog interval in process 318. Using the above example, even a 1 percent error (or change) from a preset rotational speed of 1 RPM to an actual rotational speed of 1.01 RPM can cause a pulse-delivering system to miss one spoke, especially in systems with a large number of spokes. Such misses can be prevented, for example, by recalculating the pulse interval and jog interval based on the rotational speed in process 318.

[0066] Next, method 300 may continue by waiting for one jog interval in process 320 and providing a pulse in process 322. In other embodiments, method 300 may not need to determine in process 316 whether the rotational speed of the arm has changed, and instead, in process 318, the pulse interval and jog interval may be recalculated once per rotation in response to the activation (or trigger) of the position sensor.

[0067] After providing a pulse in process 322, method 300 may return to waiting for a pulse interval in process 308 and providing a pulse in process 310. Method 300 continues to loop in this manner until the motor is turned off.

[0068] Exemplary Embodiments This disclosure is not limited in that way, but various aspects of this disclosure can be understood through the discussion of the specific exemplary embodiments provided below. Various modifications and additional embodiments of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will become apparent herein.

[0069] In exemplary embodiment A1, the system includes a stationary assembly having a tube plate defining a plurality of holes in fluid communication with a plurality of filter bags, and further comprising one or more actuators, each configured to release pressurized air in response to a pulse command. The system also includes a rotating assembly having an arm defining one or more outlets positioned along the length of the arm. One or more outlets are configured to provide pressurized air from an air source toward the tube plate in response to one or more actuators receiving a pulse command. The system also includes a motor operably coupled to the stationary assembly and the rotating assembly configured to rotate the arm around an axis at a preset rotational speed. The system also includes a controller operably coupled to the motor and one or more actuators. The controller includes a processor configured to provide a set of pulse commands to one or more actuators to provide a set of pulses over one or more rotations of the arm, to determine the jog interval between the set of pulse commands and a subsequent set of pulse commands based on the measured rotational speed of the arm, and, after waiting one jog interval, to provide a subsequent set of pulse commands to one or more actuators to provide a subsequent set of pulses over one or more subsequent rotations of the arm.

[0070] In exemplary embodiment A2, the system includes the system described in any embodiment A, and the processor is further configured to provide each instruction when at least one of the one or more outputs is centered on a corresponding hole among a plurality of holes in a tube plate.

[0071] In exemplary embodiment A3, the system includes the system described in any embodiment A, and the processor is further configured to determine the measured rotational speed of the arm after each of a first predetermined number of rotations of one or more of the arm.

[0072] In exemplary embodiment A4, the system includes the system described in any embodiment A, and the processor is further configured to wait for one jog interval after each of a second predetermined number of rotations of one or more rotations of the arm.

[0073] In exemplary embodiment A5, the system includes the system described in embodiment A3 or A4, wherein a predetermined number of first or second rotations among one or more rotations constitute one rotation.

[0074] In exemplary embodiment A6, the system includes the system described in any embodiment A, and further includes a position sensor assembly coupled to a fixed assembly to provide measurement results related to the rotation of the arm.

[0075] In exemplary embodiment A7, the system includes the system described in embodiment A6, wherein a first part of the position sensor assembly is coupled to a stationary assembly, and a second part of the position sensor assembly is coupled to a rotary assembly.

[0076] In exemplary embodiment A8, the system includes the system described in any embodiment A, and the processor is further configured to provide a subsequent set of pulse instructions spaced apart by a pulse interval between instructions.

[0077] In exemplary embodiment A9, the system includes the system described in embodiment A8, and the jog interval is shorter than the pulse interval.

[0078] In exemplary embodiment A10, the system includes the system described in embodiment A8 or A9, wherein multiple holes in the tube plate are arranged within radial spokes, and the pulse interval corresponds to the rotation of an arm passing through a predetermined number of radial spokes.

[0079] In exemplary embodiment A11, the system includes the system described in embodiment A10, and the jog interval is configured to provide a subsequent pulse command one spoke earlier than the pulse interval.

[0080] In exemplary embodiment A12, the system includes the system described in embodiment A10 or A11, wherein the predetermined number of radial spokes is greater than one spoke.

[0081] In exemplary embodiment A13, the system includes the system described in any one of embodiments A10 to A12, wherein the total number of radial spokes is an integer multiple of a predetermined number of radial spokes passed during the pulse interval.

[0082] In exemplary embodiment A14, the system includes the system described in any embodiment A, wherein multiple holes in the tube plate are arranged within a concentric ring. The arm has a first segment defining a first set of outlets of one or more outlets and a second segment defining a second set of outlets of one or more outlets. The first set of outlets is aligned to a different concentric ring from the second set of outlets.

[0083] In exemplary embodiment A15, the system includes the system according to embodiment A14, wherein one of the concentric rings has fewer holes among a plurality of holes in the tube plate than another concentric ring that is further from the axis.

[0084] In exemplary embodiment B1, the device includes an input interface, an output interface, memory, and a processor operably coupled to the input interface, output interface, and memory. The processor is configured to determine the rotational speed of the arm based on measurements from a position sensor assembly using the input interface. The arm, defining one or more outlets, is configured to release pressurized air in response to one or more actuators receiving pulse commands. The processor is also configured to determine pulse intervals and jog intervals based on the rotational speed of the arm. The pulse interval defines the interval between pulse commands within a set of pulse commands. The jog interval defines the interval between one set of pulse commands and a subsequent set of pulse commands. The processor is also configured to store the pulse intervals and jog intervals in memory. The processor is also configured to provide a subsequent set of pulse commands to one or more actuators based on the pulse intervals and jog intervals, using the output interface, to release a subsequent set of pulses of pressurized air through one or more outlets.

[0085] In exemplary embodiment C1, the method includes rotating an arm about an axis. The arm defines one or more outlets positioned along the length of the arm. One or more outlets are configured to guide pressurized air from an air source toward a tube plate. The tube plate defines multiple holes that are in fluid communication with multiple filter bags. The method also includes releasing a set of pulses of pressurized air from one or more outlets over one or more rotations of the arm. The method also includes determining a jog interval between a set of pulses of pressurized air and a subsequent set of pulses based on a measured rotational speed of the arm. The method also includes waiting one jog interval and then releasing a subsequent set of pulses from one or more outlets over one or more subsequent rotations of the arm.

[0086] In exemplary embodiment C2, the method comprises the method of any embodiment C, further comprising rotating the arm at least once before determining the measured rotational speed of the arm.

[0087] In exemplary embodiment C3, the method includes the method of any embodiment C, further comprising determining the pulse interval between pulses in a subsequent set of pulses based on user input indicating the pipe plate hole configuration and the measured rotational speed of the arm.

[0088] In exemplary embodiment C4, the method includes the method of any embodiment C, wherein the entire cleaning cycle of the multiple filter bags corresponds to two or more rotations of the arm.

[0089] Accordingly, various embodiments of pulsed cleaning systems and methods are disclosed. While this specification refers to a set of accompanying drawings forming part of this disclosure, those skilled in the art will understand that various adaptations and modifications of the embodiments described herein are within the scope of this disclosure and do not depart from it. For example, the aspects of the embodiments described herein can be combined with each other in various ways. Therefore, it should be understood that the claimed invention may be implemented within the scope of the appended claims in ways other than those expressly described herein.

[0090] All scientific and technical terms used herein have their meanings as commonly used in the relevant art unless otherwise specified. The definitions provided herein are intended to facilitate the understanding of some terms frequently used herein, but are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0091] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers used in this specification and in the claims to express characteristic dimensions, quantities, and physical properties can be understood to be modified by either the term “exactly” or “about.” Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, the numerical parameters described in the foregoing specification and in the appended claims are approximations that may vary depending on the desired properties to be obtained by a person skilled in the art utilizing the teachings disclosed herein, or within a typical range of experimental error, for example.

[0092] A numerical range described by an endpoint includes all numbers contained within that range (e.g., 1 to 5 includes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3, 3.80, 4, and 5) and any range within that range. In this specification, the terms: up to the number or the number "less than or equal to" (e.g., up to 50) include the number (e.g., 50), and the terms: greater than or equal to the number (e.g., 5 or greater) include the number (e.g., 5).

[0093] The terms “joined” or “connected” refer to elements that are attached to each other either directly (in direct contact with each other) or indirectly (with one or more elements in between and two elements attached to each other). Both terms may be modified by “operatably” and “operatably,” which can be used interchangeably to describe that “the joining or connection is configured to allow the parts to interact with each other in order to perform a function.”

[0094] As used herein, the term “configured to” may be used interchangeably with the terms “adapted to” or “structured to” unless otherwise expressly stated in this disclosure.

[0095] The singular and indefinite articles include embodiments that refer to multiple things unless otherwise specified by the context.

[0096] The phrases that follow a list, "at least one of", "including at least one of", and "one or more of", refer to any one item from the list and any combination of two or more items from the list.

[0097] As used herein, "have, having," "include, including, comprise, comprising," etc., are used in their open sense and generally mean "to include but not limit." It is understood that "mainly composed of," "composed of," etc., are encompassed by "include," etc.

Claims

1. A fixed assembly comprising a tube sheet defining multiple filter bags and multiple holes for fluid communication, and further comprising one or more actuators; A rotary assembly comprising an arm defining one or more outlets positioned along the length of the arm, wherein the one or more outlets release pressurized air from an air source toward the tube sheet in response to the one or more actuators receiving pulse commands; A motor operably coupled to the fixed assembly and the rotating assembly configured to rotate the arm around an axis at a preset rotational speed; and A controller operably coupled to the motor and the one or more actuators, wherein the controller is A set of pulse commands is provided to the one or more actuators in order to provide a set of pulses over one or more rotations of the arm. The jog interval between the aforementioned set of pulse commands and the subsequent set of pulse commands is determined based on the measured rotational speed of the arm, wherein the jog interval is the period between consecutive pulse transmissions that differ from the pulse interval. A pulse-delivering cleaning system including a controller, which includes a processor configured to provide the one or more actuators with a subsequent set of pulse commands to provide a subsequent set of pulses over one or more subsequent rotations of the arm after waiting one jog interval.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to wait for one jog interval after each of a predetermined number of rotations of one or more of the arm's rotations.

3. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, further comprising a position sensor assembly for measuring the rotation of the arm, wherein the position sensor assembly comprises a first portion mechanically coupled to the stationary assembly and a second portion mechanically coupled to the rotating assembly, the first portion being disposed separately from the second portion.

4. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the jog interval is shorter than the pulse interval.

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