Tapered Foldable Support Material for Pleated Filter Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing support and drainage elements in filtration systems are inefficient in providing uniform support and drainage, leading to issues such as filter media damage and uneven fluid distribution, particularly in pleated filters where conventional constant thickness materials do not match local flow rates to needed flow areas.
Innovation Solution
The use of foldable mesh or non-woven fabric elements with tapered designs, where each element has a fold or hinge allowing greater length from the fold to one end than the other, enabling them to contact pleat sides in a way that reduces edgewise flow resistance and provides uniform spacing, thus improving fluid distribution and reducing filter media damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If constant thickness support and drainage materials are used, then the structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but the materials do not match local flow rates to needed flow areas, leading to uneven fluid distribution and filter media damage
Solution Approach 1:
The support and drainage material employs tapered elements with varying thickness along their length, creating different bulk regions (first bulk, second bulk, third bulk) that correspond to different flow requirements at different locations within the pleated filter. This local variation in geometry allows the material to match local flow rates to needed flow areas, improving fluid distribution and preventing filter media damage while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through extrusion or forming processes.
2Device complexity
If conventional support and drainage elements are used, then the device complexity is low, but edgewise flow resistance is high and fluid distribution is uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The support and drainage material is divided into multiple separate elements, each with a tapered geometry creating distinct bulk regions. These segmented elements are positioned between pleats of the filter media, allowing fluid to flow more evenly across the filter surface by reducing edgewise flow resistance in each segment while maintaining overall structural support and drainage functions.
3Reliability
If foldable mesh elements with tapered designs are used, then fluid distribution is improved and filter media damage is reduced, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The support and drainage material utilizes foldable or hinge elements that can dynamically adjust their configuration. The tapered geometry of these foldable elements allows them to flex and adapt to the pleated structure of the filter media, maintaining effective support and drainage while distributing fluid more uniformly. This dynamic capability enables the material to accommodate variations in pleat compression and expansion without compromising filtration performance.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A support and drainage material comprising: a plurality of separate first elements, each separate first element comprising a first foldable layer comprising a mesh or a non-woven fabric having a first end and a second end and a fold or a hinge between the first end and the second end, the first foldable layer having a first major surface extending from the first end to the second end, and a second major surface extending from the first end to the second end, the first foldable layer having a first bulk through the first foldable layer, extending between the first major surface and the second major surface; wherein, each separate first element when folded, has a length from the fold or hinge to the first end that is greater than a length from the fold or the hinge to the second end, the length from the fold or the hinge to the first end comprising a first portion, and the length from the fold or the hinge to the second end comprising a second portion; wherein the support and drainage material is suitable for use with pleated filters comprising a plurality of pleats, wherein each separate first element contacts separate pleats such that the first portion contacts one side of a pleat, and the second portion contacts another side of the pleat, and the first portion of one of the separate first elements contacts the second portion of an adjacent separate first element. Filter including the support and drainage material and methods of use are also disclosed.