Variable-Thickness Pleated Filter Media for Lower Pressure Drop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pleated filter media assemblies have limited filtration capacity due to uniform thickness, which restricts the usable filter media surface area and can introduce additional complexities or reduce filtration efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The filter media is designed with varying thickness between inner and outer pleat tips, featuring a thinner portion at the inner pleat tips and a thicker portion at the outer pleat tips, allowing for increased usable surface area and improved filtration performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If uniform thickness filter media is used in pleated annular assemblies, then manufacturing is simplified, but filtration capacity is limited due to restricted usable surface area
Solution Approach 1:
The filter media is designed with variable thickness where the inner portion adjacent to the center tube has a first thickness and the outer portion has a second thickness greater than the first thickness. This local differentiation allows the thicker outer region to provide additional filtration surface area while the thinner inner region accommodates the pleat structure near the center tube, thereby increasing overall filtration capacity without complicating the manufacturing process
2Device complexity
If uniform thickness media is wrapped around center tube, then structural simplicity is maintained, but flow area is limited and pressure drop increases
Solution Approach 1:
The variable thickness design creates a thicker outer portion that expands the available flow area for fluid passage while maintaining the pleated annular structure. The thinner inner portion near the center tube allows proper pleat formation and accommodation, while the thicker outer region provides increased surface area for filtration and improved flow characteristics, reducing pressure drop without requiring complex structural modifications
Data Source
AI summary
Thicker and thinner portions of a filter media sheet are provided in a filter element. The filter element includes a ring of filter media disposed around a central support tube. The filter media comprising a pleated layer of media including inner pleat tips adjacent the tube, and outer pleat tips radially outwardly spaced from the tube. The layer varies in thickness between the tips, such that a thinner portion of media is at the inner pleat tips than as at the outer pleat tips.