Pleated Woven Wire Filter Radial Expansion Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing back-washable filters for petrochemical processes face limitations in handling high-temperature, corrosive liquid or gas streams with high solid concentrations, including radial expansion during backwash, inefficient sealing, and suboptimal pleat configuration, leading to restricted flow rates and prolonged backwash cycles.
Innovation Solution
A reusable pleated woven wire filter with a reinforced stainless steel core, three-layer stainless steel pleated woven wire media, and a stainless steel expanded metal shroud, optimized for high-temperature and high-pressure applications, featuring a specific pleat configuration and sealing mechanism to prevent radial expansion and enhance backwash efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple filter elements are used in a multi-filter element design, then the filter can handle higher flow rates and contaminant loadings, but the backwash cycle becomes less efficient due to contaminant collection on adjacent filter elements and the surface area is limited by cylindrical design
Solution Approach 1:
The filter element is segmented into multiple pleats that are spaced apart, creating independent filtration zones. Each pleat acts as a separate filtration surface, allowing backwash fluid to clean one pleat at a time without interference from adjacent pleats, thus improving backwash efficiency while maintaining high flow rate capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The filter transitions from a simple cylindrical design to a pleated configuration that expands the filtration surface area in the radial dimension. The pleats create additional surface area perpendicular to the flow direction, enabling higher flow rate handling without increasing the cylindrical footprint, and allowing more effective backwash distribution
2Productivity
If the pleated filter media is allowed to expand radially during backwash, then the filter media can be effectively cleaned, but the filter media may damage the filter media sleeve and lose structural integrity
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible filter media sleeve is used that can accommodate the radial expansion of pleated filter media during backwash cycles. The sleeve is made of elastomeric material that flexes to allow pleat expansion while maintaining contact for effective cleaning, then returns to its original shape to support the pleats in their collapsed state during filtration
Solution Approach 2:
The filter media sleeve is pre-installed and pre-positioned to provide a cushioning effect that absorbs the radial expansion forces of the pleated media during backwash. The sleeve material is selected to have appropriate elasticity and durometer to cushion the expansion without allowing damage to occur
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional gasket materials are used for sealing, then the filter can be assembled, but the gaskets cannot survive high temperatures and corrosive chemicals in petrochemical processes
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system uses composite construction combining metal elements (such as metal gaskets or metal-reinforced seals) with corrosion-resistant materials. This composite approach provides both the mechanical properties needed for assembly and the chemical/thermal resistance required for petrochemical service conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing materials are selected based on their ability to withstand extreme parameters - high temperatures and corrosive chemical environments. Materials such as graphite, PTFE, or metal alloys are chosen that maintain their sealing properties under these extreme parameter conditions, replacing traditional organic gasket materials
4Device complexity
If a single layer of pleated woven-wire is used as filter media, then the filter structure is simplified, but the filtration efficiency and media support are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The filter media uses a composite structure with multiple layers of woven wire mesh with different mesh sizes and configurations. The outer layer provides fine filtration, the intermediate layer provides structural support, and the inner layer provides additional filtration and support, creating a multi-functional composite media that achieves high filtration efficiency while maintaining structural integrity
Data Source
AI summary
A removable, reusable, pleated woven wire filter comprising: (a) a stainless steel perforated core having one-half-inch stainless steel round bar reinforcement rings welded to one-half-inch stainless steel round bar cross bars to create bar-ring junctures, and having 11-gauge stainless steel attachment clips welded to each end of the perforated core; (b) a three-layer stainless steel pleated woven wire filter media wrapped around the perforated core, the filter media having spaced apart pleats with external peaks, and an external filter media surface comprising the external peaks of the pleats; (c) a stainless steel flattened expanded metal shroud adjacent to and encircling the external peaks, and (d) a stainless steel top end cap base and a stainless steel bottom end cap base connected to the metal shroud, both cap bases sealed against top and bottom ends of the filter media with a stainless steel adhesive sealant rated at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.