Filter having spiral-shaped distributor channels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9314719-B2
Application number	US-201213584790-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2012
Priority date	Aug 12, 2011
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

Fluid distribution filters having spiral filter media and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, for example, a filter assembly can include a canister having a body portion positioned between a first opening and a second opening. The filter assembly can further include a filter media positioned in the body portion of the canister. The filter media can include at least one channel in fluid communication with the first and second openings. The channel can have a spiral-like shape and be configured to distribute incoming fluid across the filter media and move the fluid at a substantially equal velocity across the filter media.

First claim

I claim:

1. A filter assembly, comprising:
a canister having a body portion positioned between a first opening at a first proximal end of the canister and a second opening at a second distal end of the canister opposite the proximal end of the canister; and
a filter media in the body portion of the canister, the filter media forming at least a first channel and a second channel, wherein the second channel is spaced apart from the first channel,
wherein:
the first channel and the second channels each have a substantially spiral shape configured to distribute an incoming fluid substantially evenly across the filter media and move the fluid at a substantially equal velocity along an axial length of the body portion,
the first channel has a first width,
the second channel has a second width different than the first width, and
the first and second channels are configured to filter the incoming fluid and separate the fluid based on density.

2. The filter assembly of claim 1 wherein the filter media is graphene.

3. The filter assembly of claim 1 wherein the filter media is configured to chemically react with the incoming fluid to load a constituent of the incoming fluid onto the filter media.

4. The filter assembly of claim 3 wherein the constituent includes sulfur, and wherein the filter media is configured to react directly with the sulfur to load the sulfur to filter media.

5. The filter assembly of claim 1 wherein the filter media is a first filter media, and wherein the body portion includes:
a first zone positioned a first depth into the body portion as measured from the first opening, the first zone including the first filter media; and
a second zone positioned a second depth into the body portion as measured from the first opening, wherein the first depth is less than the second depth, and wherein the second zone includes a second filter media different from the first filter media.

6. The filter assembly of claim 1 wherein the filter media includes an anti-microbial filtration component.

7. The filter assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a heat source thermally coupled to the canister, wherein the heat source is configured to transfer heat to the filter media to react the filter media with a constituent of the fluid.

8. The filter assembly of claim 1 wherein the canister comprises a thermally transmissive material.

9. A filter system, comprising:
a housing having a first opening, a second opening, and a body portion between the first and second openings, wherein the first opening is fluidly coupled with the second opening via the body portion;
a plurality of spiral-shaped distributor channels extending through at least a top portion of the body portion, wherein the distributor channels are formed from a filter media configured to remove at least one constituent from a fluid; and
wherein:
the plurality of spiral-shaped distributor channels includes a first, second, and third spiral-shaped distributor channel,
the first spiral-shaped distributor channel is spaced a first distance apart from the second spiral-shaped distributor channel, and
the second spiral-shaped distributor channel is spaced a second distance different than the first distance apart from the third spiral-shaped distributor channel.

10. The filter system of claim 9 wherein the distributor channels are configured to force an incoming fluid outward to distribute the fluid substantially evenly across the filter media.

11. The filter system of claim 9 wherein the body portion includes a plurality of zones spaced along an axial length of the housing, and wherein individual zones include different filter media.

12. The filter system of claim 9 , further comprising a heat source thermally coupled to the filter media.

Assignees

• Mcalister Roy E
• Mcalister Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Mcalister Roy Edward

Classifications

• B01D24/14 Primary

  Downward filtration, the container having distribution or collection headers or pervious conduits (B01D24/18 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D53/0407

  Constructional details of adsorbing systems · CPC title

• B01D35/18

  Heating or cooling the filters · CPC title

• B01D39/2055

  Carbonaceous material (solid sorbent compositions comprising free carbon B01J20/20) · CPC title

• B01D24/405

  Special treatment of the feed stream before contacting the filtering material, e.g. cutting (B01D35/24, B01D37/02, B01D37/03 take precedence) · CPC title