Removable Water Filter Canister with Automatic Check Valve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft potable water distribution systems face challenges in maintaining effective filtration and purification, particularly due to limited access to filter/purifier units, infrequent sanitization, and contamination risks from bacteria growth in distribution lines, leading to suboptimal water quality and increased maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
The development of a pressure vessel and apparatus with integrated self-contained canisters for filtration and purification media, allowing for easy access and frequent replacement of cartridges, direct connection to appliances, and automatic venting to enhance water quality management, reducing contamination risks and maintenance needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If filter/purifier units are installed in out of the way locations to save space, then space utilization is improved, but accessibility for maintenance and sanitization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into modular components: a permanent housing integrated into the water distribution system and removable filter/purifier cartridges. This segmentation allows the housing to remain fixed in space-efficient locations while the cartridges can be easily removed and replaced at any accessible location, resolving the contradiction between space utilization and maintenance accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The filtration and purification functions are extracted from fixed installations and placed in removable cartridges. This extraction enables the cartridges to be taken out for maintenance, sanitization, or replacement without disturbing the permanent housing or water distribution system, thereby improving accessibility while maintaining compact installation.
2Productivity
If sanitization is performed infrequently to reduce operational disruption, then productivity is improved, but water quality deteriorates due to bacteria growth
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables easy self-service sanitization by allowing non-technical personnel to quickly remove cartridges, perform sanitization procedures, and replace cartridges without requiring system shutdown or specialized maintenance equipment. This reduces operational disruption while ensuring frequent sanitization maintains water quality.
Solution Approach 2:
Cartridges can be pre-sanitized off-board before installation, and the system design allows for quick sanitization cycles to be performed in advance of when contamination becomes a problem. This preliminary action approach maintains water quality without requiring continuous system disruption.
3Stability of the object's composition
If cartridges are difficult to access and remove, then device stability is improved, but ease of repair deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the stable permanent housing from the replaceable cartridges using a standardized interface. This segmentation maintains system stability through the fixed housing while enabling easy cartridge replacement by simply disconnecting the standardized interface, resolving the contradiction between stability and ease of repair.
Solution Approach 2:
A universal standardized interface is designed for cartridge installation and removal that works across different cartridge types and installation locations. This universal interface simplifies the repair process while maintaining secure, stable connections during operation, addressing both ease of repair and system stability requirements.
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 solution provides efficient, cost-effective, and frequent water quality management by enabling point-of-use filtration and purification, reducing contamination risks, and simplifying maintenance, thereby improving water quality and reducing operational costs in aircraft and other applications.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure vessel (15) having an inlet port (43) in fluid communication with an outlet port (55) of the interface (13), and a second passageway (47) extending from the cartridge (16) to an outlet port (49) of the pressure vessel (15)
Implementation Method 2
automatic venting to enhance water quality management
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
An apparatus for filtering water has an interface and a filtration/purification canister removably mountable thereon. Connecting the canister to the interface automatically opens a check valve permitting water to flow from the interface into and through the canister, and then back to and through the interface to an outlet port. Disconnecting the canister from the interface automatically closes the check valve, stopping the flow of water. The outlet port may be directly connected to an appliance that uses water, eliminating possible contamination that may occur when water is brought indirectly form the outlet port to the appliance. A flapper valve is provided in the canister preventing back flow of fluid from the inlet port of the canister when the canister is not mounted on the interface. The flapper valve also is provided with an actuating means to automatically open the flapper valve when the canister is mounted on the interface.