High-Pressure Liquid Jet Cleaning Nozzle for Sintered Filters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sintered filters face challenges in cleaning due to their porous nature and rough surface, which makes it difficult to remove loosely attached particles, and existing methods like physical wiping can introduce additional contaminants.
Innovation Solution
A system and method using a cleaning nozzle with outlet ports that emit a high-pressure cleaning fluid, such as isopropyl alcohol, at a speed greater than 250 meters per second, to dislodge and flush out contaminants from the sintered filter without contacting its inner surface, combined with rotational motion to ensure thorough cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If physical wiping methods are used to clean sintered filters, then the cleaning process is simple, but additional contaminants are introduced and trapped particles are not effectively removed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical wiping systems with a high-pressure liquid jet system. The cleaning nozzle delivers liquid at pressures greater than 400 bar and velocities exceeding 250 meters per second, substituting mechanical contact with fluid dynamics to remove particles without introducing contaminants.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs hydraulic principles by using high-pressure liquid jets to clean the sintered filter. The system utilizes liquid pressure and flow dynamics to dislodge and flush trapped particles, leveraging fluid mechanics rather than mechanical force.
2Productivity
If the cleaning nozzle contacts the inner surface of the sintered filter, then cleaning effectiveness increases, but the filter structure is damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces liquid as an intermediary between the cleaning nozzle and the sintered filter surface. The high-pressure liquid jet serves as the medium that transfers cleaning energy to trapped particles without requiring direct contact between the nozzle and the delicate filter structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the cleaning process by using extremely high liquid pressure (>400 bar) and velocity (>250 m/s) to achieve effective cleaning without mechanical contact. These parameter changes allow the liquid jet to penetrate and dislodge particles while the nozzle remains non-contacting.
3Device complexity
If low pressure cleaning fluid is used, then the system is simpler, but trapped particles cannot be effectively dislodged from the porous structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic or pulsed high-pressure liquid jets to clean the sintered filter. The alternating flow creates dynamic pressure variations that enhance particle dislodgement from the porous structure, maintaining effectiveness while managing system complexity through controlled pulsing rather than continuous high-pressure operation.
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
Effectively removes contaminants from the sintered filter without damaging it, ensuring the filtered fluid remains clean and free from particles, while minimizing the risk of introducing new contaminants during the cleaning process.
Implementation Method 1
A cleaning fluid is injected through the cleaning nozzle and output through an outlet port of the cleaning nozzle. The cleaning fluid can pass through the outlet port of the cleaning nozzle at a speed greater than about 250 meters per second, with the flow rate of greater than about 4 liters per minute and/or having a pressure of greater than about 400 bar.
Implementation Method 2
The cleaning fluid can pass through the outlet port of the cleaning nozzle at a speed greater than about 250 meters per second, with the flow rate of greater than about 4 liters per minute
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for cleaning a sintered filter includes a cleaning fluid source and a cleaning nozzle. The cleaning nozzle includes an inlet end coupled to the cleaning fluid source and at least one outlet port for outputting the cleaning fluid injected through the cleaning nozzle. The outlet port is disposed proximate to an outlet end of the cleaning nozzle. The cleaning nozzle has an external width less than an internal width of the sintered filter to be cleaned. The cleaning nozzle has a nozzle length greater than a full depth of the sintered filter to be cleaned. The outlet port can be disposed in a side of the cleaning nozzle proximate to the outlet end of the cleaning nozzle. The outlet port can include more than one outlet ports.