Radial Pleat Filter Element for Particulate Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filter elements with longitudinal pleating face challenges such as limited filter media area, increased sealant requirements for effective sealing, and difficulty in releasing filtered particulate matter due to shelf-like obstructions, which hinder their performance in applications like gas turbines.
Innovation Solution
A filter element with a radial pleat design where the pleats extend transverse to the axis, allowing for a greater filter media area, reduced physical barriers for particulate release, and improved sealing with face-to-face contact, enabling efficient filtration and reduced sealant usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If longitudinal pleating is used to increase filter media area, then filtration surface area is improved, but shelf-like obstructions are created that hinder particulate matter release
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional longitudinal pleating approach by using transverse pleating instead. This reversal eliminates the shelf-like obstructions that trap particulate matter while maintaining high filter media surface area, allowing particles to be released more easily during pulse cleaning operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from one-dimensional longitudinal pleating to two-dimensional transverse pleating arrangement. This dimensional change reconfigures the filter media structure to eliminate horizontal shelves that obstruct particle release, while maintaining vertical flow paths for effective particulate matter removal.
2Area of stationary object
If longitudinal pleating is used to maximize filter media area, then filtration capacity is improved, but sealant requirements increase due to end-to-face orientation contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the sealing approach by using transverse pleating that creates face-to-face contact between filter media ends and the support structure, replacing edge-to-face sealing. This inversion reduces sealant requirements while maintaining effective sealing.
3Area of stationary object
If longitudinal pleating is used to increase filter media area, then filtration surface area is improved, but the filter element size and spacing constraints are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses transverse pleating to reconfigure the filter media arrangement, allowing greater filter media surface area to be packed into a more compact cylindrical volume. This dimensional reconfiguration optimizes space utilization within the filter element.
Data Source
AI summary
A filter element for filtering a fluid flowing through the filter element. The filter element includes a pleat pack that extends about an axis and that has an internal volume. The pleat pack includes a filter media for filtering out particulate from the fluid. The filter media is pleated. The pleats extend out along planes that are transverse to the axis. An associated method of providing a filter element that filters a fluid flowing through the filter element is provided.