Filter Plate Replaceable Grid Wear Detection

Solution Overview

Problem

Industrial filter plates in filter presses often require complete replacement due to worn-out portions, leading to increased operational costs and premature damage to filtration media, with operators struggling to detect worn areas in time.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of replaceable grids with filtrate ports and lower seals for filter plates, equipped with wear detection devices such as filament wires and RFID tags, allowing for the identification of wear thresholds and enabling the replacement of only the worn parts, thereby extending the service life of the filter plates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the entire filter plate is replaced when portions wear out, then the filtration reliability is maintained, but the operational cost increases and resource waste occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefiltration reliabilityVSAvoidfilter plate material waste

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The filter plate is divided into replaceable modular components (grids) that can be independently replaced. Each grid is a separate unit with filtrate ports that can be removed and replaced without replacing the entire filter plate, allowing selective replacement of worn portions only.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention enables recovery and reuse of the filter plate body by replacing only the worn grids. The undamaged portions of the filter plate are recovered and continued to serve the filtration function, while only the worn grids are discarded and replaced with new ones.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Reliability

If the entire filter plate is replaced when portions wear out, then the filtration reliability is maintained, but the operational cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefiltration reliabilityVSAvoidoperational cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The filter plate is divided into replaceable modular components (grids) that can be independently replaced. Each grid is a separate unit with filtrate ports that can be removed and replaced without replacing the entire filter plate, allowing selective replacement of worn portions only.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention enables recovery and reuse of the filter plate body by replacing only the worn grids. The undamaged portions of the filter plate are recovered and continued to serve the filtration function, while only the worn grids are discarded and replaced with new ones.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Loss of time

If wear detection is implemented, then timely replacement of worn parts is enabled, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovedowntimeVSAvoidwear detection system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The filament wires are embedded within the grid structure itself and automatically detect wear through their interaction with the filtrate flow. The system self-monitors without requiring external detection equipment or complex monitoring infrastructure, keeping the added complexity minimal while enabling timely wear detection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11130078B2System and method for servicing filter plates and apparatus thereof

Publication Date: 2021.09.28 F L SMIDTH & CO AS

AI summary

A filter plate (1) comprises an opening (18) configured to receive at least one grid (2) provided within the opening (18). The at least one grid (2) comprises a body (2A) and one or more passages (2B) extending through the body (2A) for filtrate to flow through. The passages (2B) are preferably configured to allow filtrate to pass through the body (2A). The filter plate (1) may further comprise a wear detection device comprising at least one filament wire (2L) surrounding one or more passages (2B).