Device and method for filtering a fluid circulating in a plumbing and heating system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid filtration devices for plumbing and heating systems are inefficient in filtering impurities when not configured correctly, leading to reduced filtration effectiveness and potential clogging issues.
Innovation Solution
A device with a filtration chamber and three inlet/outlet openings, equipped with a mechanical filter that divides the chamber into sub-chambers, ensuring that fluid passes through the filter in all operative configurations, regardless of the inlet and outlet openings used.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a cylindrical mesh filtering element is arranged longitudinally inside the filtration chamber with three T-shaped mouthpieces, then the filter can be positioned vertically or horizontally to adapt to different installation spaces, but effective filtration is achieved only when the central mouthpiece is used for fluid entry or exit
Solution Approach 1:
The filtration chamber is divided into multiple compartments by partition walls, with each compartment containing a filtering element. This segmentation ensures that fluid must pass through filtering elements regardless of which mouthpiece is used for entry or exit, resolving the contradiction between installation adaptability and filtration effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
All three mouthpieces are designed to function as both inlet and outlet openings, making the filter universally applicable regardless of installation orientation. The multi-compartment design with partition walls ensures that any combination of mouthpieces used for fluid entry and exit will result in fluid passing through the filtering elements, achieving universal effective filtration.
2Ease of operation
If the filter is designed with three identical mouthpieces arranged in a T-shape to accommodate reduced space under the boiler, then the filter can be mounted in different orientations, but fluid may pass around the mesh cylindrical element without being filtered
Solution Approach 1:
The filtration chamber is segmented into multiple compartments by partition walls extending from the bottom to the top of the chamber. Each compartment contains filtering elements and communicates with specific mouthpieces. This segmentation creates multiple filtration pathways, ensuring that fluid passing between any two mouthpieces must traverse through filtering elements, thereby maintaining high filtration performance while accommodating flexible installation orientations.
3Reliability
If a magnetic filtering element is placed inside the mesh cylindrical element to attract and retain ferrous particles, then ferrous particles can be separated from the fluid, but the filter structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic filtering element is nested inside the mesh cylindrical filtering element, with the magnetic element positioned within the same compartment. This nested arrangement allows both filtering mechanisms to work together in a compact configuration, enhancing particle separation capability while minimizing the increase in overall structural complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device ensures effective filtration of impurities in all operative configurations, preventing clogging and maintaining high performance regardless of the installation mode, thus addressing the inefficiencies of prior solutions.
Implementation Method 1
a mechanical filter (41) arranged inside said filtration chamber (3) and structured so as to divide said filtration chamber (3) into a first sub-chamber (A), a second sub-chamber (B) and a third sub-chamber (C)
Implementation Method 2
the use of magnetic type filtering elements that enable the ferrous particles to be separated from the fluid in transit by attracting the particles and retaining the particles in contact with the magnetic element
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a device (1) for filtering a fluid circulating in a plumbing and heating system, comprising a body (2) defining therewithin a filtration chamber (3) that is destined to have a fluid to be subjected to filtration pass through it. The body is provided with a first inlet/outlet opening (10), a second inlet/outlet opening (20) and a third inlet/outlet opening (30): each of which sets the filtration chamber (3) in communication with the outside of the device and can be associated with a line of the system to receive therefrom, or send thereto a fluid entering or exiting said body of the device. The device operates a passage of fluid through the filtration chamber (3), in a selective manner according to a plurality of operative configurations, from an opening between said first (10), second (20) and third inlet/outlet opening (30) to a further opening between said first, second and third inlet/outlet opening. The device further comprises filtering members (40) housed inside the filtration chamber and interposed between the inlet/outlet openings to perform filtering of the fluid passing through the filtration chamber; the filtering members comprise a mechanical filter (41) arranged in the filtration chamber and structured so as to divide the filtration chamber into a first sub-chamber (A), a second sub-chamber (B) and a third sub-chamber (C), in which the first sub-chamber is in fluid communication, without passing through the mechanical filter, with the first inlet/outlet opening, the second sub-chamber is in fluid communication, without passing through the mechanical filter, with the second inlet/outlet opening, and the third sub-chamber is in fluid communication, without passing through the mechanical filter, with the third inlet/outlet opening.