Thin Polyester Filter Fabric for Grease Separation in Cooker Hoods
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filter materials in extractor hoods, such as expanded metal and wire mesh, have inadequate surface area and efficiency for air purification, leading to suboptimal grease and droplet separation and higher energy consumption due to increased pressure loss.
Innovation Solution
A filter fabric made of thin polyester threads with a diameter of 0.04 mm to 0.08 mm, providing a significantly larger surface area and improved adhesion for grease and droplets, arranged between cover layers and expanded metal layers for enhanced filtration and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If wire mesh or expanded metal is used as filter material, then structural strength is provided, but the surface area is insufficient for efficient air purification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a porous foam material as the filter medium, which provides a three-dimensional network structure with numerous interconnected pores. This porous structure dramatically increases the effective surface area within the same filter volume compared to traditional wire mesh or expanded metal, enabling more extensive contact between the filter material and the air stream for improved purification efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite foam material that combines polyurethane base material with integrated filtering properties. This composite approach allows the filter to achieve both mechanical strength and high surface area through the foam's cellular structure, resolving the contradiction between structural integrity and purification efficiency
2Loss of energy
If traditional filter materials are used, then grease separation occurs, but pressure loss increases leading to higher energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The porous foam structure provides gradual flow resistance through its interconnected pore network, allowing air to pass through with minimal pressure drop. The uniform distribution of pores throughout the foam material creates a laminar flow pattern that reduces turbulence and energy loss compared to traditional filter materials
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the pore size distribution and density parameters of the foam material to achieve the right balance between filtration efficiency and pressure drop. By controlling the foam's cellular structure parameters during manufacturing, the filter maintains low resistance to airflow while effectively capturing grease particles
3Area of stationary object
If filter fabric with thin threads is used to increase surface area, then adhesion of droplets is improved, but structural stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The foam material's three-dimensional cellular structure provides inherent mechanical strength through its interconnected framework, eliminating the need for thick supporting threads or wires. The porous structure distributes mechanical loads across the entire volume of the filter, maintaining structural stability while preserving high surface area for droplet adhesion
Solution Approach 2:
The polyurethane foam composite provides both structural integrity and high surface area through its cellular architecture. The material's cross-linked polymer network gives mechanical strength while the open-cell structure maintains porosity and surface area, resolving the contradiction between stability and adhesion capability
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 filter fabric achieves a sixfold increase in surface area compared to wire mesh, leading to improved cleaning efficiency, reduced pressure loss, and lower energy consumption, while being dishwasher-safe and dimensionally stable.
Implementation Method 1
Liquid and grease droplets from the airflow to be cleaned are deposited on the thread surface, with a certain roughness of the thread surface promoting the adhesion of the liquid and grease droplets
Implementation Method 2
the interfacial tensions between the polyester threads and the liquid and grease droplets allow for improved adhesion of these droplets to the threads or fabric
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a filter fabric of a fabric filter for air purification, in particular in a cooker hood, wherein according to the invention it is provided that the filter fabric (5) is formed from threads with a thread diameter of 0.04 mm to 0.08 mm and in particular 0.06 mm and that the threads are in particular polyester threads.