SYSTEM FOR SEPARATING SUSPENDED SUBSTANCES FROM A LIQUID USING A CYCLONE FILTER-TYPE ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A system which separates suspended substances from a liquid with a cyclone filter assembly that is rotationable symmetrically about a longitudinal axis. The invention is has a filter element with a filter wall configured as a single-layered perforated sheet with perforation holes having a hole diameter ranging from 5 .Math.m to 80 .Math.m inclusive at a radially outer filter wall surface with sensors for measuring a pressure difference between the filtrate chamber and a separation. A respective shut-off valve is located along first and second discharge lines, and a control actuates at least one of motor and at least one shut-off valve as a function of the pressure difference.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A system for separating suspended substances from a liquid comprising: a cyclone filter assembly including a filter housing which is rotationablesymmetrically about a longitudinal axis; a filter element disposed centrally about the longitudinal axis havng a filter wall configured as a perforated sheet including holes having a largest dimension ranging from 5 .Math. to 80 .Math., a radially extending outer filter wall defining a hollow cylinder radially surrounding a filtrate chamber delimiting a flow channel having an annular cross section and including a swirl chamber into which a flow feed line opens which is mounted eccentrically by and transversely to the longitudinal axis, and a separation channel connected downstream from the swirl chamber; a flow guide including at least one flow guide element extending parallel to the longitudinal axis, radially separated from the filter element and inside the separation channel and is mounted to rotate about the longitudinal axis and is connected to a first discharge line and the separation channel is connected to a second discharge line; means for measuring a pressure difference between the filtrate chamber and the separation channel; shut-off valves respectively disposed in the first and second discharge lines; and a control for actuating at least one of the motor and at least one of the shut-off valves as a function of the pressure difference.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the holes have a constant hole diameter.

16. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the respective holes have a smallest hole diameter at an outer filter wall surface which increases in diameter inwardly into the outer filter wall.

17. The system as claimed in claim 14, comprising: a monitoring apparatus including liquid sensors for detecting liquid filling of the cyclone filter assembly with at least the filter element being completely surrounded by liquid.

18. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one flow guide surface element has a gap ranging from 1 mm to 10 mm.

19. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one flow guide surface element rotates inside the at least one filter element, is completely surrounded by liquid and hydrodynamic suction of the liquid acts locally between the at least one flow guide element and a an outer wall of the filter element.

20. The system as claimed in claim 14, comprising: a pressure source upstream of the flow feed line providing pressurized liquid containing suspended substances to be separated which enters the swirl chamber which inside the separation channel cause helical flow to be orientated around the longitudinal axis which flows in a flow direction in the swirl chamber produced by liquid flow from the pressure source.

21. The system as claimed in claim 14, comprising: a first suction apparatus disposed in the first discharge line and a second suction apparatus is disposed in the second discharge line.

22. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the means for measuring a pressure difference includes at least one pressure sensor respectively located in each of the first and the second discharge lines.

23. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the shut-off valves are throttle valves.

24. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the holes have a slit dimension at a radially outer filter wall surface having a slit length 1 and a slit width b, for which 5 .Math.m ≤ 1, b ≤ 80 .Math.m.

25. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first and second discharge lines are each disposed vertically above a fill level of liquid filling the cyclone filter element.

26. A method for operating a system as claimed in claim 14,wherein the control maintains a pressure difference between the separation channel and the filtrate chamber equal to or less than 200 mbar upon actuation of at least one of the motor and the shut-off valves along at least one of the first and second discharge line.

27. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the holes have a slit dimension at the outer filter wall with a slit length being 1 and a slit width being b, for which 5 .Math.m ≤ 1, b ≤ 80 .Math.m.

28. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the holes have a slit dimension at the outer filter wall with a slit length being 1 and a slit width being b, for which 5 .Math.m ≤ 1, b ≤ 80 .Math.m.

29. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the holes have a slit-shaped hole dimension at an outer filter wall surface with a slit length 1 and a slit width b, for which 5 .Math.m ≤ 1, b ≤ 80 .Math.m.

30. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the holes have a smallest dimension at the outer filter wall.

31. The system as claimed in claim 15, comprising: a monitoring apparatus including liquid sensors for detecting liquid filling the cyclone filter assembly with at least the filter element being completely surrounded by liquid.

32. The system as claimed in claim 16, comprising: a monitoring apparatus including liquid sensors for detecting liquid filling the cyclone filter assembly with at least the filter element being completely surrounded by liquid.

33. The system as claimed in claim 17, comprising: a monitoring apparatus including liquid sensors for detecting liquid filling the cyclone filter assembly with at least the filter element being completely surrounded by liquid.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The invention will now be described by way of example, without limitation to the general inventive concept, with the aid of an exemplary embodiment and with reference to the drawing, in which:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic system with a cyclone filter

WAYS OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION; INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a system for separating suspended substances from a liquid, with a filter assembly 1 of the cyclone filter type with a filter housing 3 which is rotationally symmetrical about a longitudinal axis 2, which comprises a filter element 5 disposed centrally to the longitudinal axis 2 and which is also a hollow cylinder radially surrounding an inner cylindrical filtrate chamber 4 which delimits a flow channel which is annular in cross section, which has a swirl chamber 7 into which a flow feed line 8 opens eccentrically and transversely to the longitudinal axis 2, as well as having a separating channel 6 which is connected along the longitudinal axis 2 indirectly or directly downstream of the swirl chamber 7, as well as with a flow guide surface assembly which has at least one flow guide surface element 9 which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis 2 that is disposed radially separated from the filter element 5 and inside the separating channel 6, and which is rotatably mounted about the longitudinal axis 2 which can be driven by a rotary motor 10.

[0028] The filter element 5 has a filter wall configured as a single-layered perforated sheet with the perforation holes having a largest hole diameter ranging from 5 .Math.m to 80 .Math.m inclusive at the radially outer filter wall surface.

[0029] A pressure source 11 is disposed upstream of the flow feed line 8, which liquid flows containing materials which are to be separated enters the swirl chamber 7 of the cyclone filter 1 under pressure, so that inside the separating channel 6, a helical flow is generated which is orientated around the longitudinal axis 2 in a direction of flow prescribed by the swirl chamber 7 and a flow rate determined by the pressure source 11.

[0030] The separating channel 6 is in fluid communication with the first discharge line 13 and the filtrate chamber 4 is in fluid communication with the second discharge line 12. At least one pressure sensor p1, p2 as well as at least one shut-off valve or throttle valve 14, 15 are respectively disposed along the first and second discharge lines 13, 12. In addition, a first suction apparatus 17 is disposed along the first discharge line 13 and a second suction unit 16 is disposed along the second discharge line 12.

[0031] The pressure difference between the filtrate chamber 4 and the separating channel 6 can be measured with pressure sensors p1, p2. Both pressure sensors p1, p2 are connected to a control unit 18 which activates the rotary motor 10, manipulates its speed of rotation, and controls the throttle valves 14, 15, the pressure source, and the first/second suction apparatus 16, 17 as a function of the pressure difference Δp = p1-p2. The control of at least one of the aforementioned components is carried out on the requirement that the pressure difference Δp must be kept below 0.2 bar, which preferably is below 100mbar.

[0032] The system shown in FIG. 1 enables operation as a function of the degree of contamination of the liquid contaminated with solid particles. If, for example, the liquids are only slightly contaminated, then the shut-off valve/throttle valve 15 can be closed and the rotary motor 15 switched off. If the pressure along the first discharge line 13 drops, then this is an indication of the start of clogging or blockage of the filter element 5. As a consequence of this, at least one of the rotary motor 10 being activated and the shut-off valve 15 being opened can be performed.

TABLE-US-00001 List of reference numerals 1 cyclone filter 2 longitudinal axis 3 filter housing 4 filtrate chamber 5 filter element 6 separating channel 7 swirl chamber 8 flow feed line 9 flow guide surface element 10 rotary motor 11 pressure source 12 first discharge line 13 second discharge line 14 first shut-off valve/throttle valve 15 second shut-off valve/throttle valve 16 first suction unit or apparatus 17 second suction unit or apparatus 18 control unit/apparatus p1 pressure sensor p2 pressure sensor