Filter Head Ball Valve Bypass for Pump Contamination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filter systems for fluids, particularly fuel, face inefficiencies and contamination risks due to the design of valve systems and the placement of pumps, which can lead to restricted flow and increased differential pressure.
Innovation Solution
A filter system with a filter housing head module that includes a tube section with a ball valve seat for controlling the main channel and a pump chamber configured as a bypass channel, allowing the pump to be placed entirely on the clean side of the filter element, thereby avoiding contamination and reducing differential pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the pump is placed on the dirty side of the filter element, then the pump can be accessed more easily, but the pump becomes contaminated with dirt particles leading to malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into a clean side (filter element interior) and a dirty side (exterior), with the pump chamber strategically positioned in the clean side. This segmentation allows the pump to operate in a contamination-free environment while maintaining system functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
A bypass channel with a ball valve acts as an intermediary mechanism, allowing fluid to route through the pump chamber when needed while maintaining the separation between clean and dirty zones. The ball valve controls the bypass flow, enabling the pump to be activated without exposing it to contaminants.
2Ease of operation
If a traditional valve system is used in the main channel, then the flow can be controlled, but the differential pressure increases and flow is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The ball valve is extracted from the main channel and repositioned in the bypass channel. This extraction allows the main channel to operate without the flow restriction and high differential pressure caused by the valve, while the ball valve in the bypass channel provides flow control only when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing the valve in the main channel to control flow, the design inverts the approach by placing the valve in the bypass channel. This inversion allows the main channel to maintain free flow with low differential pressure, while the bypass channel with the ball valve provides controlled flow when required.
3Reliability
If additional check valves are added to prevent backflow, then the pump protection is improved, but the device complexity and machining costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ball valve in the bypass channel serves multiple functions: it controls bypass flow when the pump is active, prevents backflow to the pump, and maintains system pressure. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate check valves, reducing device complexity while providing comprehensive pump protection.
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 solution achieves high volume per stroke of the pump, minimizes contamination risks, and maintains low differential pressure due to the ball valve design, which also eliminates the need for additional check valves and reduces machining costs.
Implementation Method 1
the tube section projecting into the clean side of the filter element and comprising a ball valve seat for closing or opening the main channel
Implementation Method 2
the filter housing head module comprising a pump chamber of a pump configured as a bypass channel for bypassing the ball valve seat
Data Source
AI summary
A filter system for filtering a fluid has a filter housing with filter housing head module and housing cover. The filter housing accommodates a filter element with raw side and clean side. A fluid inlet is in fluid connection with the raw side of the filter element. A fluid outlet is in fluid connection with the clean side of the filter element. The filter housing head module has a tube section as a main channel connecting the clean side of the filter element to the fluid outlet when the housing cover is attached to the filter housing head module. The tube section projects into the clean side of the filter element and has a ball valve seat of a ball valve for closing or opening the main channel. The filter housing head module has a pump chamber of a pump as a bypass channel bypassing the ball valve seat.