Filter Apparatus Valve Coupling for Pressure Pulse Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Filter apparatuses face challenges in maintaining high throughput rates and long service lives while minimizing maintenance, especially when dealing with high flow velocities of liquids like water or drinking water, as existing methods often require frequent cleaning and can lead to clogging.
Innovation Solution
The method involves actuating the discharge valve and outlet valve in unison to generate a pressure pulse, allowing particles adhering to the filter surface to be released and discharged, combined with a cross-flow mechanism and optional UV light irradiation to kill bacteria, which can be achieved with a mechanical coupling of the valves and a pneumatic or electric drive, allowing for rapid and efficient cleaning with minimal interruption to the filtration process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the filter means operates continuously at high flow velocities, then the throughput rate is maintained, but the filter means becomes clogged with particles and requires frequent cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic backwashing cycles where the filter means is cleaned at regular intervals during continuous operation. A control unit monitors operating parameters and triggers backwashing sequences that reverse the flow direction through the filter means, removing accumulated particles without stopping the overall filtration process, thus maintaining high throughput while extending service life
Solution Approach 2:
The filter apparatus is designed to maintain continuous filtration operation with minimal interruption. The backwashing process is integrated into the continuous operation cycle, allowing the filter to remain productive while being cleaned. The system can switch between filtration and backwashing modes without complete shutdown, ensuring continuous useful action
2Reliability
If backwashing or cleaning methods are applied to the filter means, then particles are removed and service life is extended, but the filtration process is interrupted or throughput rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs cleaning operations in periodic cycles rather than continuous operation. The control unit manages alternating phases of normal filtration and brief backwashing intervals, minimizing disruption to overall productivity while effectively removing particles to extend service life
Solution Approach 2:
The backwashing process is designed to be quickly executed and integrated into the continuous operation. The filtration process resumes immediately after cleaning, minimizing interruption time and maintaining high overall throughput rate while still achieving the necessary cleaning to extend service life
3Reliability
If multiple cleaning methods (compressed air, pumps, ultrasonic generators) are used, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple cleaning functions into a single integrated backwashing mechanism. The control unit coordinates valve operations and flow reversal to achieve comprehensive cleaning of the filter means using the existing filtration infrastructure, avoiding the need for separate compressed air systems, pumps, or ultrasonic generators while maintaining high cleaning effectiveness
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
This approach enables effective cleaning of the filter apparatus with minimal maintenance, maintaining high throughput rates and extending the service life of the filter, while ensuring the filtered liquid remains clean and free from bacteria, even at high flow velocities, with the added benefit of UV light enhancing microbial killing.
Implementation Method 1
the outlet valve and the discharge valve can be actuated in common in order, by opening of the discharge valve and simultaneous complete or at least partial closing of the outlet valve, to generate in the filtered liquid a pressure pulse
Implementation Method 2
UV light irradiation to kill bacteria
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
Figure 3~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a filter apparatus together with a method for the filtration of liquids, such as, in particular, water, with a housing (1) with an inlet (4) and a filtrate outlet (7) for filtered liquid, with a filter means (31) which is arranged in the flow path of the liquid between the inlet and the filtrate outlet for filtering out particles from the liquid, and with a dirt discharge (9) via which filtered-out particles can be discharged from the housing, the filtrate outlet (7) being assigned an outlet valve (12) and the dirt discharge (9) being assigned a discharge valve (13). According to the invention, the outlet valve (12) and the discharge valve (13) are coupled in such a way that the discharge valve (13) opens the dirt discharge only when the outlet valve has at least partially shut off the filtrate outlet, in order thereby to generate a cleaning pulse.