Filter assemblies, filter elements, and methods for filtering liquids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9782702-B2
Application number	US-201414284777-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2014
Priority date	May 22, 2014
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A filter assembly includes a housing and a first filter, a second filter, and a heat exchanger all positioned in the housing. The filter assembly also includes a first inlet and a first outlet and defines a first liquid flow path. The first liquid flow path may extend within the housing between the first inlet and the first outlet through the first filter and along a first side of the heat exchanger. The filter assembly further includes a second inlet and a second outlet and defines a second liquid flow path. The second liquid flow path may extend within the housing between the second inlet and the second outlet through the second filter and along a second side of the heat exchanger.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A filter assembly comprising:
a housing having a first liquid inlet and a first liquid outlet and defining a first liquid flow path within the housing between the first liquid inlet and the first liquid outlet, the housing further having a second liquid inlet and a second liquid outlet and defining a second liquid flow path within the housing between the second liquid inlet and the second liquid outlet, wherein the first and second liquid flow paths are isolated from one another within the housing;
a first filter located within the housing across the first liquid flow path, the first filter having an outer periphery and including a first permeable filter medium arranged to remove one or more substances from a first liquid flowing along the first liquid flow path through the first filter medium;
a second filter located within the housing across the second liquid flow path, the second filter having an inner periphery and including a second permeable filter medium arranged to remove one or more substances from a second liquid flowing along the second liquid flow path through the second filter medium; and
a thermally conductive heat exchanger located within the housing, the heat exchanger comprising an axial direction, a first side and a second side, and a plurality of elongate ribs extending generally radially from both the first side and the second side of the heat exchanger, wherein none of the plurality of elongate ribs contact one another and the plurality of elongate ribs extend generally helically parallel to each other in the axial direction, wherein the elongate ribs on the first side of the heat exchanger contact the outer periphery of the first filter and the elongate ribs on the second side of the heat exchanger contact the inner periphery of the second filter, wherein at least a portion of the first liquid flow path extends along the first side of the heat exchanger and at least a portion of the second liquid flow path extends along the second side of the heat exchanger to transfer heat from one to the other of the first and second liquids.

2. The filter assembly of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a header and a bowl removably mounted to the header.

3. The filter assembly of claim 2 wherein one of the first inlet and the first outlet is located in the bowl and wherein the other of the first inlet and the first outlet, as well as the second inlet and the second outlet, are located in the header.

4. The filter assembly of claim 1 wherein the housing includes first and second removably attached sections, the filter assembly further including a filter element removably sealed within the housing, wherein the filter element includes at least the first filter and the second filter.

5. The filter assembly of claim 4 wherein the filter element further includes the heat exchanger.

6. The filter assembly of claim 1 wherein the first filter, the heat exchanger, and the second filter are generally cylindrical and are coaxially positioned within the housing, the heat exchanger being located between the first and second filters.

7. The filter assembly of claim 6 wherein the first and second filters each include a plurality of pleats.

8. A filter element comprising:
a filter structure including first and second hollow, generally cylindrical filters and first and second opposite ends, wherein each filter has an inner periphery, an outer periphery, a hollow interior, and a permeable filter medium positioned between the inner and outer peripheries and wherein the first filter is positioned within the second filter, the first filter having an outer diameter and the second filter having an inner diameter which is greater than the outer diameter of the first filter, defining an annular space between the first and second filters, the filter structure further including a thermally conductive heat exchanger positioned in the annular space between the first and second filters, the heat exchanger having a first side facing the first filter and a second side facing the second filter, the heat exchanger comprising an axial direction, and a plurality of elongate ribs extending generally helically parallel to each other in the axial direction from both the first side and the second side of the heat exchanger, wherein none of the plurality of elongate ribs contact one another;
first and second end caps bonded to the first and second ends of the filter structure, wherein the first and second end caps each have a first side and a second side, and wherein the first and second end caps collectively include first, second, and third openings, wherein the first opening extends through the first end cap from the first side to the second side and fluidly communicates with the hollow interior of the first filter via a first liquid flow path and wherein the second end cap blocks off the hollow interior of the first filter, wherein the second opening extends through the second end cap from the first side to the second side and fluidly communicates with the first side of the heat exchanger via the first liquid flow path, wherein the third opening extends through the second end cap from the first side to the second side and fluidly communicates with the second side of the heat exchanger via a second liquid flow path; the first liquid flow path extending between the first opening and the second opening through the filter medium of the first filter and helically along the first side of the heat exchanger; and
the second liquid flow path extending between the outer periphery of the second filter and the third opening through the filter medium of the second filter and helically along the second side of the heat exchanger.

9. The filter element of claim 8 wherein the first and second sides of the heat exchanger each include a plurality of fluid channels extending along the heat exchanger between the first and second ends of the filter structure, and wherein the fluid channels on the first side of the heat exchanger extend adjacent to the outer periphery of the first filter and the fluid channels on the second side of the heat exchanger extend adjacent to the inner periphery of the second filter.

10. The filter element of claim 8 wherein the heat exchanger has an impermeable, nonperforated generally cylindrical body, wherein the first and second sides of the heat exchanger comprise the inside and the outside of the cylindrical body, the heat exchanger further including a plurality of protrusions extending generally radially and helically from both the inside and outside of the body and wherein the protrusions on the inside of the body contact the outer periphery of the first filter and the protrusions on the outside of the body contact the inner periphery of the second filter.

11. The filter element of claim 8 wherein the first and second filters each include a plurality of pleats.

12. A method for filtering first and second liquids comprising:
directing a first liquid along a first flow path within a housing, including passing the first liquid through a first filter having an outer periphery and including a first permeable filter medium within the housing to remove one or more substances from the first liquid and further including passing the first liquid to a thermally conductive heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger comprises an axial direction, a first side and a second side, and a plurality of elongate ribs extending generally radially from both the first side and the second side of the heat exchanger, wherein none of the plurality of elongate ribs contact one another and the plurality of elongate ribs extend generally helically parallel to each other in the axial direction; passing

Assignees

• Pall Corp

Inventors

• Carrion Alexander

Classifications

• B01D29/54

  arranged concentrically or coaxially · CPC title

• B01D27/08

  Construction of the casing · CPC title

• B01D35/18 Primary

  Heating or cooling the filters · CPC title

• B01D35/30 Primary

  Filter housing constructions · CPC title

• B01D2201/46

  Several filtrate discharge conduits each connected to one filter element or group of filter elements · CPC title