FILTER DEVICE AND SEPARATING APPARATUS

Abstract

A filter device has a support tube, which has an inner face and an outer face and which forms an interior adjoining the inner face, into which interior an inlet opening leads, the support tube having through-openings, which connect the interior to a surrounding space adjoining the outer face of the support tube, and a first filter element, which has an inner face and an outer face. The first filter element is disposed in the interior of the support tube and the outer face of the first filter element is adjacent to the inner face of the support tube. A support body is disposed in the interior of the support tube and the support body adjoins the inner face of the first filter element. The filter device can be disposed in a filter housing and, in particular, can also be used in separating water from hydrocarbons.

Claims

1. A filter device (1), having a support tube (10), which has an inner face (11) and an outer face (12), forming on the inner face (11) an interior space (IR) into which an inlet opening (13) empties, and having through openings (14), which connect the interior space (IR) to a surrounding space (UR) situated on the outer face (12) of the support tube (10), and having a first filter element (20) with an inner face (21) and an outer face (22), the first filter element (20) being arranged in the interior space (IR) of the support tube (10) and its outer face (22) being situated adjacent to the inner face (11) of the support tube (10), characterized in that a support body (30) is arranged in the interior space (IR) of the support tube (10) and adjacent to the inner face (21) of the first filter element (20).

2. The filter device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the support body (30) extends along the support tube (10).

3. The filter device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the first filter element (20) is a folded filter.

4. The filter device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the support body (30) has the shape of a helix, a spiral, or a screw.

5. The filter device (1) as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that a pitch angle (W) of the support body (30) is greater than 20 degrees, preferably greater than 25 degrees.

6. The filter device (1) as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that a pitch height (H) of the support body (30) amounts to at least 50%, preferably at least 70% of the overall diameter (D) of the support body (30).

7. The filter device (1) as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the support body (30) is formed at the inlet.

8. The filter device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the support body (30) is a helical spring, especially a helical compression spring.

9. The filter device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a material cross section area (A) of the support body (30) amounts to at most 10%, preferably at most 5% of the overall cross section area (Q) of the support body (30).

10. The filter device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the support body (30) has a round material cross section area (A) and/or overall cross section area (0).

11. The filter device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a second filter element (40) sits on the outer face (12) of the support tube (10).

12. The filter device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at least one filter coat layer (41) of the second filter element (40) is hydrophobic.

13. The filter device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at least one filter coat layer (41) of the second filter element (40) is hydrophilic.

14. A separating apparatus having a filter device (1) as claimed in claim 1 and having a filter housing with an interior space, in which the filter device (1) is arranged, wherein a housing entrance leads into the inlet opening (13) of the filter device (1), wherein the interior space (IR) of the support tube (10) is connected by the through openings (14) to the interior space of the filter housing, and wherein a housing drain leads out from the interior space of the filter housing.

15. The use of a filter device (1) as claimed in claim 12 when carrying a flow of fluid (F1) based on a hydrocarbon, wherein solids (S) are filtered out from the fluid (F1) with the first filter element (20), and wherein free water (F2) is separated from the fluid (F1) with the second filter element (40).

Description

THERE ARE SHOWN

[0029] FIG. 1 a longitudinal cross section through a filter device; and

[0030] FIG. 2 a transverse cross section through a filter device.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section and FIG. 2 a transverse section through a filter device 1. The same reference numbers therefore pertain to equivalent components and FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described together. The filter device 1 comprises a support tube 10 having an inner face 11 and an outer face 12, with an interior space IR formed on the inner face 11. At the end, the support tube 10 is closed by a closure element 15, 16, while an inlet opening 13 empties through one of the closure elements 15 into the interior space IR. Through openings 14 are formed in the support tube 10, connecting the interior space IR to a surrounding space UR situated at the outer face 12 of the support tube 10.

[0032] In the support tube 10 there is located a first filter element 20, especially a folded filter, having an inner face 21 and an outer face 22. The first filter element 20 is arranged with its outer face 22 adjacent to the inner face 11 of the support tube 10. Folds 23 of the first filter element 20 extend along the support tube 10.

[0033] Furthermore, a support body 30 is arranged in the interior space IR of the support tube 10 and adjacent to the inner face 21 of the first filter element 20. This extends along the support tube 10. The support body 30 here has the shape of a single-thread helix, i.e., a curve winding around the envelope surface of a cylinder with constant pitch. The pitch angle W of the helical support body 30 is greater than 20 degrees. The pitch height H of the helical support body 30 is more than 50% of the overall diameter D of the support body 30. A round material cross section area A of the support body 30 is less than 10% of the round overall cross section area Q of the support body 30. In particular, the support body 30 is a helical compression spring made of metal.

[0034] The support tube 10 and the first filter element 20 lie loosely against each other in a middle region and are only sealed off against each other in the region of the two ends of the support tube 10, especially adjacent to the closure elements 15, 16.

[0035] On the outer face 12 of the support tube 10 is located a second filter element 40 having multiple filter coat layers 41. At least one of these can be, for example, hydrophilic or hydrophobic.

[0036] If a fluid F1 consisting of a hydrocarbon flows through the filter device 1, solids S can be filtered out from the fluid F1 with the first filter element 20, as indicated in FIG. 2. Free water F2 can be separated from the fluid F1 with the second filter element 40.

[0037] The invention is not limited to one of the above-described embodiments, but instead can be modified in many ways.

[0038] All of the features and benefits emerging from the claims, the description, and the drawing, including design details, spatial arrangements, and method steps, may be essential to the invention either in themselves or in the most diverse of combinations.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0039] 1 Filter device [0040] 5 Support tube [0041] 11 Inner face [0042] 12 Outer face [0043] 13 Inlet opening [0044] 14 Through opening [0045] 15 Closure element [0046] 16 Closure element [0047] 20 First filter element [0048] 21 Inner face [0049] 22 Outer face [0050] 23 Fold [0051] 30 Support body [0052] 40 Second filter element [0053] 41 Filter coat layer [0054] A Material cross section area [0055] D Overall diameter [0056] F1 Fluid [0057] F2 Free water [0058] H Pitch height [0059] IR Interior space [0060] Q Overall cross section area [0061] S Solids [0062] UR Surrounding space [0063] W Pitch angle