A filter device provides for designs that permit variable levels of solid particle and water molecule removal. The filter device retains the particles and the water molecules in the filter medium when removed, thus avoiding the re-entry of the particles and water molecules when the power system has cooled down as is now likely in conventional filters currently in use. Further, the filter device traps the water molecules already present in the fluid being filtered (i.e., native water), as well as any moisture resulting from condensation that may be introduced into the lubrication system whenever it is opened.

A cleaning method according to the present invention comprises mounting the metal filter on a jig that is vertically elevatable and horizontally slidable in a cleaning bath so that the opening is faced downward, descending the jig so that a first nozzle installed in the cleaning bath enters the opening, injecting a predetermined amount of water and a cleaning solution into the cleaning bath so that the metal filter is immersed, spraying compressed air through the first nozzle to discharge bubbles of the compressed air toward an inner surface of the metal filter, draining the cleaning bath, spraying water through a second nozzle to remove the cleaning solution from the metal filter, and spraying the compressed air through the first nozzle to dry the metal filter. An apparatus for cleaning a metal filter is also disclosed.

A method of filtering a main fluid using a rotary fluid filter. A 360 degree filtration cycle is initiated by receiving, at an initial position, a first portion of a main fluid at a front end of a first fluid flow passage extending through a filter body rotationally mounted within a housing. The filter body is rotated in a rotation direction and the first portion of the main fluid is discharged from a rear end of the first fluid flow passage, having passed through a filter received in the first fluid flow passage. The filter body is rotated further in the rotation direction and a first portion of a backwash fluid is received through the first fluid flow passage from the rear end to the front end. The rotational cycle is completed by rotating the filter body back to the initial position.

An annular gas feed element for use in gasification plants with a dry fuel supply. A gas feed ring element for tensioning and fluidizing gas/solid suspensions, in which gas feed ring element there is a housing ring which has a circumferential recess on its inner side, a support ring with a multiplicity of openings, filter material fitted between the support ring and the internal diameter of the housing ring, where the recess and the filter material delimit a distributor chamber, and a gas feed arranged from outside into the distributor chamber. The flangeless gas feed ring element makes rapid tensioning possible and secondly improves the fluidizing behavior and therefore the flow behavior.

An object of the present invention is to prevent precipitation of antimony metal comprised in a molten resin and to prevent product defects of a resin film made of the molten resin due to the contamination of the antimony metal. According to the present invention, a filter medium for filtration of a molten resin containing antimony is provided, and the filter medium is formed of a material not substantially comprising molybdenum.

The invention relates to a method of assembling a fiber network comprising a plurality of metal fibers, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

providing a loose network out of the plurality of metal fibers at an assembling site; fixing the plurality of metal fibers to one another by forming contact points between the single metal fibers by heating the plurality of fibers at a heating rate higher than 50 K/min, in particular higher than 100 K/min, especially higher than 200 K/min, preferably higher than 1000 K/min, to a fixation temperature selected in the range of 50 to 98% of their melting point temperature; and cooling the plurality of fibers at a cooling rate higher than 50 K/min, preferably higher than 100 K/min. The invention further relates to a network of metal fibers comprising a plurality of metal fibers fixed one to another at contact points, wherein the metal fibers non-round cross section, in particular a rectangular, quadratic, partial circular or an elliptical cross section with a large axis and a small axis, or wherein the metal fibers comprise a round cross section, and wherein the fibers comprise a width which is generally constant along a length of the fiber such that a variation of the width of the fiber along its length is less than 40%, preferably less than 30%, in particular less than 20%.

The filter for gel shearing and particle filtration of molten polymer has a first layer of metal fibers of an average equivalent diameter between 8 and 65 m. The cross-section of the metal fibers has two neighboring straight sides with an included angle of less than 90 and one or more irregularly shaped curved sides. The metal fibers have an average length of at least 6 mm. The metal fibers are bonded to each other by metal bonds; where the metal of the metal fibers of the first layer is the bonding agent forming the metal bonds. The filter has a second layer of metal fibers. The average equivalent diameter of the metal fibers of the second layer is smaller than the average equivalent diameter of the metal fibers of the first layer.

A method of fabricating an article includes providing an arrangement of loose nanowires and bonding the loose nanowires in the presence of carbon together into a unitary cellular structure.

A porous panel with a surface area of at least 0.5 m.sup.2 has a first layer of metal fibers of an average equivalent diameter between 8 and 65 m. The cross-section of the metal fibers has two neighboring straight sides with an included angle of less than 90 and one or more irregularly shaped curved sides. The metal fibers are bonded to each other by metal bonds; where the metal of the metal fibers of the first layer is the bonding agent forming the metal bonds. The filter has a second layer of metal fibers. The average equivalent diameter of the metal fibers of the second layer is smaller than the average equivalent diameter of the metal fibers of the first layer. The first layer and the second layer are bonded to each other by metal bonds.

The filter for gel shearing and particle filtration of molten polymer has a first layer of metal fibers of an average equivalent diameter between 8 and 65 m. The cross-section of the metal fibers has two neighboring straight sides with an included angle of less than 90 and one or more irregularly shaped curved sides. The metal fibers have an average length of at least 6 mm. The metal fibers are bonded to each other by metal bonds; where the metal of the metal fibers of the first layer is the bonding agent forming the metal bonds. The filter has a second layer of metal fibers. The average equivalent diameter of the metal fibers of the second layer is smaller than the average equivalent diameter of the metal fibers of the first layer.