Liquid purification or separation – Processes – Ion exchange or selective sorption
Patent
1994-10-17
1997-09-30
Cintins, Ivars
Liquid purification or separation
Processes
Ion exchange or selective sorption
210484, 264160, B01D 1500
Patent
active
056722770
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to a filter, and more specifically, to a bag-type water absorbing element for extracting water from oil.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A machine requires, oil to lubricate the various moving parts within the machine. Without proper lubrication, the machine may not perform properly and may prematurely wear. This can lead to a shorter life span for the machine and increased maintenance costs. When a foreign fluid, such as water, enters the oil, the lubricity and other properties of the oil may be detrimentally affected. Manufacturers may not warrant a machine if too much residual water is present in the lubricating oil. It is, therefore, important to keep the machine properly lubricated with oil which is free of or contains only very low levels of water.
It is not always possible, however, to keep the oil dry. Machines, such as can seamers used in the brewing and canning industries, are routinely hosed down and steam-cleaned. These machines are also often subjected to changing temperatures which can cause moisture to accumulate on or within the machine. Water may leak into the interior components of the machine and enter the oil supply.
In addition to adversely affecting the lubricity of the oil, as little as 1% residual water in the oil may cause several other problems. Even within an oil environment, water can lead to rust which severely impairs precision parts such as gear mechanisms and bearings. Moreover, the water may lead to hydrogen embrittlement of metal which causes metal particulates to break away and cracks to form. The particulates may act as abrasive grains in the machine and limit its performance. Furthermore, water molecules dan enter the cracks and form additional rust centers within parts of the machine.
When specialized types of oil compounds having anti-wear and other additives are used to lubricate the machine, water dispersed in the oil can react with the zinc, e.g., used in many of such oils. The product of this reaction is a metal soap which can clog valves and other precision machine components. Furthermore, the water oxidizes the antifoam and stabilizer packages present in the oil which may reduce the viscosity of the oil, and lead to friction wear between adjacent moving parts.
Due to the detrimental effects described, the lubricated machines will have to be serviced more frequently, leading to undue system shutdown events and increased costs. Many of these effects can be prevented by providing a system for extracting dispersed water from the lubricating oil.
Various devices and methods have been proposed and employed to extract water from oil, but each suffers from distinct disadvantages. One approach is to use a water absorbing material suspended in a fiberglass mat in a pleated format much like an automobile air or oil filter. The fiberglass mat is laminated in a construction in which the fiberglass is spun-bonded between a propylene-base paper-like sheet and filter paper.
This filter suffers from a large size, low water extraction capacity, and inability to extract water from oils which retain water as a very fine dispersion of water in oil. Also, as the oil viscosity increases, the performance of this type of filter drastically decreases. If a water disperser is present in the oil, as is the case with many high quality oils, this filter can only achieve an often-unacceptable 1% residual water level in the oil. Due to its low capacity, the filter must be replaced frequently, leading to overall system shutdown and increased maintenance costs. Due to the large size of the filter, a large amount of usable oil is removed from the oil circulation system when the filter is replaced. This oil must either be replaced or drip drained back into the machine. Each choice is time consuming and potentially costly. Costs are especially great for replacing used filters because used oil is classified as a toxic substance which must be disposed of in a specified and costly manner.
Recently, bag-type water extractors have been introduced to
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Soviet Inventions Illustrated; Derwent Publications Ltd.; 15 Feb. 1984; 98-004150; Nemtsov, N.S.
Culbert Robert M.
Parker Steven C.
Cintins Ivars
Hydra-Tech Hydraulics, Inc.
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