Coalescence filter and method for purifying a fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10532297-B2
Application number	US-201414554727-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2014
Priority date	Nov 27, 2013
Publication date	Jan 14, 2020
Grant date	Jan 14, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a coalescence filter for purifying a fluid which contains a carrier and at least one liquid contaminant, by coalescing of the at least one contaminant. The coalescence filter comprises an inlet for supplying the fluid to a filter element present in the coalescence filter. The filter element comprises a primary coalescence medium which is provided for coalescing of the at least one contaminant in the primary coalescence medium. The coalescence filter further comprises an outlet for discharging the coalesced contaminant from the filter element. The primary coalescence medium comprises at least one layer of a porous material, and has a total thickness of at least 3.5 mm, preferably at least 4 mm, preferably at least 5 mm, more preferably at least 6 mm, most preferably at least 7 mm, in particular at least 7.5 mm, measured at a pressure of 2N/cm2.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A coalescence filter for purifying a fluid which contains a carrier and at least one liquid contaminant by coalescing of the at least one liquid contaminant, said coalescence filter comprising:
a housing comprising an inlet and an outlet;
a primary coalescence medium having a first and second expansive surface area, wherein between said first and second expansive surface area, said primary coalescing medium exhibits a density in the range of between of 0.08 to 0.50 grams per cubic centimeter and air permeability of equal to or greater than 60 liters per square meter second;
at least one porous drainage layer provided downstream of the primary coalescence medium in a flow direction of the fluid,
wherein said carrier fluid includes the at least one liquid contaminant at a first concentration;
wherein said coalescence filter is configured in a way such that said fluid is introduced through the inlet of the housing and flows through the primary coalescence medium from said first expansive surface area of said primary coalescence medium to said second expansive surface area and then through the at least one porous drainage layer, wherein said primary coalescence medium comprises pores forming quasi-continuous channels arranged in a way so that upon passage of the fluid through said primary coalescence medium causes said at least one liquid contaminant to segregate into the quasi-continuous channels, wherein said quasi-continuous channels extend in the flow direction of the fluid and are configured to convey said at least one liquid contaminant under influence of said fluid flow through said primary coalescence medium to the at least one porous drainage layer, and wherein said fluid exhibits a reduced liquid contaminant concentration upon exiting said second expansive surface area of said primary coalescence medium,
wherein said primary coalescence medium comprises a plurality of stacked or wrapped adjacent layers of a sheet-form porous filter material layer and having at least four successive layers of the same sheet-form porous filter material layer,
wherein the stacked or wrapped adjacent layers are arranged in a way such that no layer of air is present between adjacent layers so that the pores of successive stacked or wrapped adjacent layers of the sheet-form porous filter material layers at least partly overlap so that pores from a previous layer link up at least partly with pores in the successive layer,
wherein the pores of the primary coalescence medium have an average diameter between 5 and 100 μm, and
wherein the primary coalescence medium has a total thickness of at least 3.5 mm measured at a pressure of 2 N/cm 2 .

2. The coalescence filter of claim 1 , wherein said density is in the range of 0.10 to 0.25 grams per cubic centimeter.

3. The coalescence filter of claim 2 , wherein said density is in the range of 0.12 to 0.17 grams per cubic centimeter.

4. The coalescence filter as in claim 1 , wherein said coalescence filter further comprises a performance modifying layer wherein said performance modifying layer having a first and second expansive surface area, and wherein said performance modifying layer maximizes the transfer of said at least one liquid contaminate segregated from the fluid by the primary coalescing media.

5. The coalescence filter as in claim 4 , wherein said performance modifying layer further provides a barrier to resist return transfer or re-entrainment of said coalesced contaminate liquid into said fluid flow.

6. The coalescence filter as in claim 4 , wherein at least a fraction of said fluid flow is at an incident angle of 1 to 90 degrees to said primary coalescence medium such that at 90 degrees the fluid flow is perpendicular to said first expansive surface area of said primary coalescing media.

7. The coalescence filter as in claim 1 , wherein said quasi-continuous channels further comprise a transitional zone.

8. The coalescence filter as in claim 7 , wherein said primary coalescing media is comprised of a fibrous component having an oleophilic property and wherein said a transitional zone forms on an exit or trailing aspect of said expansive surface area of said primary coalescing media.

9. The coalescence filter as in claim 1 , wherein the pores at least partly overlap so that said pores from a previous layer link up at least partly to form the quasi-continuous channels.

10. The coalescence filter according to claim 1 , wherein said primary coalescing media comprises a fibrous component having an oleophobic property.

11. The coalescence filter according to claim 1 , wherein the primary coalescence medium comprises fibers having an average diameter between 0.25-20 μm.

12. The coalescence filter according to claim 1 , further comprising a second primary coalescence media having a different affinity for the at least one liquid contaminant than the primary coalescence media.

13. The coalescence filter according to claim 1 , wherein the air permeability is between 100-2,000 liters per square meter second.

14. The coalescence filter according to claim 1 , wherein the primary coalescence medium has a total thickness of at least 7.5 mm measured at a pressure of 2 N/cm 2 .

15. A method for purifying a fluid which contains a carrier and at least one contaminant, wherein the fluid is conducted through a coalescence filter according to claim 1 , for reducing the concentration of the at least one contaminant by coalescing of this contaminant in the coalescence filter.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the fluid is chosen from the group of compressed air contaminated with one or more hydrocarbons, contaminated water or contaminated hydrocarbons.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one contaminant belongs to the group of liquids, aerosols, macro drops or mixtures of two or more of these materials.

18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein at least a fraction of said fluid is supplied to the coalescence medium at an angle of 1 to 90°.

19. A coalescence filter for purifying a fluid which contains a carrier and at least one liquid contaminant by coalescing of the at least one liquid contaminant, said coalescence filter comprising:
a housing comprising an inlet and an outlet;
a primary coalescence medium comprising a first and second expansive surface area, wherein between said first and second expansive surface area, said primary coalescing media exhibits a density in the range of between of 0.08 to 0.50 grams per cubic centimeter and air permeability of equal to or greater than 60 liters per square meter second;
at least one porous drainage layer provided downstream of the primary coalescence medium in a flow direction of the fluid;
wherein said coalescence filter is adapted to receive the fluid, and said fluid comprises the at least one liquid contaminant at a first concentration;
wherein said coalescence filter is configured to allow said fluid to be introduced through the inlet of the housing to flow through the primary coalescence medium from said first expansive surface area of said primary coalescence medium to said second expansive surface area and then through the at least one porous drainage layer, wherein said primary coalescence medium comprises pores forming quasi-continuous channels, and said quasi-continuous channels are configured so that upon passage of the fluid through said primary coalescence medium, said at least one liquid contaminant is segregated into the quasi-continuous channels, and wherein said quasi-continuous channels exte

Assignees

• Atlas Copco Airpower Nv

Inventors

• Bultinck Evi
• De Wolf Isabelle
• Goris Ken
• Wouters Jo
• Kasper Gerhard

Classifications

• C02F2101/32

  Hydrocarbons, e.g. oil · CPC title

• C02F1/40

  Devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material (cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; devices in sewers for separating liquid or solid substances from sewage E03F5/14, e.g. for use in drains leading to the sewer E03F5/16) · CPC title

• C02F1/001

  Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance (C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00) · CPC title

• B01D46/003

  including coalescing means for the separation of liquid · CPC title

• B01D17/0202

  by ab- or adsorption · CPC title