How do you prevent overloading, blocking, and damage in industrial filters?
Filtration involves separation of two phases while one phase passes through a media and the other is retained. The retained phase accumulates in the filter and if not removed at certain intervals, it can lead to all sorts of complications, such as difficulties during removal, blocking or even disastrous damage of the filtering device. There were a number of attempts to control or monitor the loading of filters but results have been mediocre. This has to do with the fact that it is difficult to measure phase differences such as solid/liquid-phases inside the filtering device.
Solution:
DrM now developed and patented a new device which does not attempt to monitor the phase but rather the forces acting on the filtering device. When overfilling occurs the filtering elements are displaced and such displacement is detected and a signal indicates that filtration shall be terminated.
The design incorporates distance sensors which are mounted above certain sections of the filtering device, in this case our FUNDABAC® candle filter. Displacements of a few mm are enough to activate a signal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FUNDABAC® Overfill Protection Device (OPD)?
The OPD is a patented DrM device that protects filters from overfilling. Rather than trying to monitor the phase difference inside the filter, it monitors the forces acting on the filtering device: when overfilling occurs the filter elements are displaced, that displacement is detected, and a signal indicates that filtration should be terminated.
What problem does the Overfill Protection Device solve?
In filtration the retained phase accumulates in the filter and, if it is not removed at certain intervals, it can cause difficulties during removal, blocking, or even disastrous damage to the filtering device. Previous attempts to control or monitor filter loading gave only mediocre results, because it is difficult to measure solid/liquid phase differences inside the filtering device.
How does the Overfill Protection Device work?
The design incorporates distance sensors mounted above certain sections of the filtering device, in this case the FUNDABAC® candle filter. When the filter elements are displaced by overfilling, displacements of only a few millimetres are enough to activate a signal, indicating that filtration should stop.
Why is monitoring forces better than monitoring the phases inside the filter?
Directly measuring phase differences such as solid and liquid phases inside a filtering device is difficult, which is why earlier loading-monitoring attempts performed poorly. By instead detecting the physical displacement caused by the forces of overfilling, the OPD provides a simple and reliable indication that the filter is overloaded.
