Coiled Filter Assembly with Varying Flute Distances
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid filters struggle to efficiently remove contaminants from air and liquid streams due to limitations in filter media design, leading to suboptimal contaminant reduction and increased pressure drop.
Innovation Solution
A filter assembly with filter media defining a coiled configuration about a z-axis, featuring a plurality of flutes with varying flute distances between the flow faces, which allows for improved fluid flow and contaminant filtration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional flat filter media is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the filter media cannot be efficiently packed, leading to reduced contaminant removal efficiency and increased pressure drop
Solution Approach 1:
The filter media is formed into a coiled configuration with varying flute distances, transforming the traditional flat structure into a three-dimensional curved geometry. This curvature allows the filter media to be more efficiently packed within the filter assembly, increasing the amount of filter media per unit volume and improving contaminant removal efficiency while managing pressure drop characteristics
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional flat filter media to a three-dimensional coiled structure with flutes extending between flow faces. By adding the dimensional variation through flutes and coiling, the filter media achieves higher space utilization and contaminant capture capacity without proportionally increasing structural complexity
2Productivity
If more filter media is packed in a given space, then contaminant removal efficiency improves, but pressure drop increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flute distances are varied locally within the filter media, with different regions having different flute spacing. This local variation allows optimization of fluid flow paths in different areas, maintaining efficient contaminant removal while managing pressure drop by creating regions of different flow resistance
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the filter media by varying flute distances between flow faces. This parameter variation allows the filter media to accommodate more filtering surface area in a compact space while controlling pressure characteristics through strategic flute spacing adjustments
3Volume of stationary object
If filter media is coiled with varying flute distances, then more filter media is accommodated in given space, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter media is divided into multiple flutes with varying distances, segmenting the continuous media into discrete channels. This segmentation allows the coiled configuration to be manufactured using standard corrugation and coiling processes applied to segmented sections, making the complex three-dimensional structure feasible through conventional manufacturing techniques
Data Source
AI summary
The technology disclosed herein generally relates to fluted filter assemblies, where flutes formed in the filter media extend from a first flow face of the filter assembly to a second flow face of the filter assembly, where one flow face is an inlet and one flow face is the outlet. Some embodiments relate to first flute distance between the first flow face and the second flow face differing from a second flute distance between the first flow face and the second flow face by greater than 2 mm. In some embodiments at least one of the first flow face and the second flow face is non-planar, while in other embodiments at both of the first flow face and the second flow face are planar and non-parallel. Other embodiments are described.