Screen Plug Funnel Inlet for Viscous Media Filtration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filtering devices for highly viscous media, such as plastic melts, suffer from partial material degradation due to temperature-induced carbonization, especially when achieving fine filtration with larger filter surface areas, leading to defects and increased manufacturing costs due to complex constructions requiring multiple screen plugs and flow channels.
Innovation Solution
The filtering device features an off-center inlet zone in the screen cavity's funnel section and a groove-shaped outlet zone that deflects the flow, preventing turbulence and allowing for a single screen plug with multiple cavities, reducing residence zones and manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If larger filter surface areas are used to achieve fine filtration, then filtration quality is improved, but residence time increases causing material degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The screen plug is divided into multiple screen cavities (at least two) that can be operated independently. This segmentation allows the total filter surface area to be large for fine filtration while each individual cavity processes a portion of the flow, reducing the residence time in each cavity and preventing material degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The device enables continuous operation by allowing one screen cavity to be cleaned or replaced while another remains in service. This continuity maintains consistent flow rates and residence times, preventing the material degradation that would occur with intermittent operation or larger single cavities.
2Reliability
If multiple screen plugs with multiple cavities are used to reduce residence time, then material degradation is prevented, but device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple screen cavities are integrated into a single screen plug body, sharing common structural elements, sealing mechanisms, and actuation systems. This merging reduces the overall device complexity compared to using separate screen plugs, while still achieving the goal of reduced residence time and prevention of material degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The screen plug design with multiple cavities serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides large total filtration area, reduces residence time through parallel flow paths, and enables continuous operation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional screen plug designs are used, then construction is simpler, but dead water zones form causing inconsistent rinsing and material degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet channel is positioned asymmetrically (off-center) on the clean side of the screen element, specifically in an edge region of the narrowing funnel section. This asymmetric positioning creates flow patterns that eliminate dead water zones and ensure consistent rinsing throughout the screen cavity, while the overall symmetric arrangement of multiple cavities maintains manufacturing simplicity.
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 design ensures consistent rinsing and reduced residence time, preventing material degradation and enabling cost-effective construction with a single screen plug and multiple cavities, while maintaining efficient filtration without forming dead water zones.
Implementation Method 1
the inlet zone of which, facing away from the screen element, extends at least up to the periphery of the screen cavity in an edge region of a narrowing funnel section
Implementation Method 2
an inlet zone of an outlet channel, facing away from the screen element, extends at least up to the periphery of the screen cavity in an edge region of a narrowing funnel section, in which a direction of flow is forced on the filtered medium
Implementation Method 3
the outlet channel has an outlet zone which is designed as a groove that extends axially... Due to the forced sharp deflection, the mixing of the medium is further improved
Data Source
AI summary
A filtering device (100) for highly viscous media comprises at least one screen plug (10) which is movably arranged in a screen plug bore (27) of a housing (20) and which has at least one screen cavity (11, 12), a filter element (11.7) lying in said screen cavity. The screen cavity (11, 12) narrows to a funnel section (11.6) in a rear region when viewed in the flow direction, said funnel section opening into at least one screen plug outlet channel that opens upstream of the housing outlet channel (24, 25) in the production position. According to the invention, the screen plug outlet channel comprises an inlet zone (11.1, 11.2), at least one deflecting point (11.3), and an outlet zone (11.2, 12.2). The intake zone (11.1, 12.1) extends from an edge region of the funnel section (11.6), and the outlet zone (11.2, 12.2) is designed as a groove that extends on the outer face of the screen plug (10, 10′) and/or on the inner face of the screen plug bore (27).