Cleaning and liquid contact with solids – Processes – Hollow work – internal surface treatment
Patent
1996-04-02
1998-11-10
Scheiner, Laurie
Cleaning and liquid contact with solids
Processes
Hollow work, internal surface treatment
134 20, 134 2218, 134 39, 210111, 210106, 210130, 210203, 210223, 210791, 210793, B01D 4104, B08B 900
Patent
active
058337660
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This Application is a 371 of PCT/DE94/00972 Aug. 19, 1994.
The invention relates to a method for regenerating replacement filters for fluids with a particle-retaining filter element, a replacement filter for regeneration by such a method, a conditioning system for working the method, and a transport container for use in such a conditioning system.
Replacement filters with particle-retaining filter elements have become widespread over the last few decades in various areas of technology, particularly hydraulic and lubricating oil circuits. The advantages of such filters are particularly the low price and their easy and rapid replaceability with minimum downtimes and low labor requirement.
However the disadvantage of such filters is their disposal, since such filters must be treated as special waste because of the residual fluid and filtrate content. The number of such replacement filters has proven particularly problematical. The use of motor vehicle oil filters alone generates over 35 million such used replacement filters every year in Germany.
Most of these filters are usually burned in hazardous waste combustion plants. Because of the large amount of residual material generated and the expensive process of offgas scrubbing, such disposal is not only expensive but does not even solve the waste problem since the postcombustion materials, which have a high metal content, and the residual material from stack gas scrubbing must be disposed of.
To remedy this problem, a system was proposed in EP 0 279 469 B1 by which such used replacement filters could be comminuted. This made it possible to send the oil-soaked filter insert and the residual oil to combustion as formerly and to use the metal components as scrap.
Even though the use of such a system does relieve the pressure on disposal areas, this relief is only temporary since the amount of recyclable scrap that can be consumed by Germany's dwindling steel industry will diminish. Moreover, the possibility of recycling used oil is not utilized in this fashion.
In addition, the metal components must be cleaned to remove the residual oil clinging to them. This is usually done with organic solvents which are not only extremely volatile but also pose considerable environmental problems in disposal after use.
Accordingly, the goal of the invention is to produce a method and devices for reducing the volume of waste represented by used replacement filters.
This goal is achieved according to the invention by a method for regenerating replacement filters for fluids with a particle-retaining filter element with the following steps: removing fluid residues from the replacement filter, flushing the filter element with a flushing agent opposite the direction of flow through the replacement filter when in use, removing flushing agent residues from the replacement filter, measuring the flow resistance of the filter element, and comparing the measured flow resistance with one or more preset limit values.
The method according to the invention makes it possible to regenerate used replacement filters and hence to reuse replacement filters. By measuring the flow and comparing the measured flow resistance, the quality of the regenerated replacement filter can be checked and confirmed and unusable replacement filters can be rejected.
The goal is also achieved according to the invention by a conditioning system for working such a method, characterized by a flushing device for flushing a filter element of a replacement filter, one or more measuring devices for determining the flow resistance of a replacement filter, and a comparator for comparing a measured flow resistance with one or more preset limit values as well as a removal device for regenerated replacement filters.
Preferably a feed device for replacement filters to be regenerated is provided for automatically supplying the conditioning system. In addition, a drying device may be provided to dry a replacement filter.
With the system according to the invention, it is now possible to regenerate used replacement filters by exploi
REFERENCES:
patent: 5035797 (1991-07-01), Janik
patent: 5089129 (1992-02-01), Brigman
patent: 5186829 (1993-02-01), Janik
patent: 5298158 (1994-03-01), Anderson
patent: 5538626 (1996-07-01), Baumann
patent: 5584987 (1996-12-01), Mules
Hein Marco
Osterwald Mark
Utermohlen Ralf
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