Liquid purification or separation – With alarm – indicator – register – recorder – signal or... – Responsive to fluid flow
Patent
1999-07-01
2000-12-12
Drodge, Joseph W.
Liquid purification or separation
With alarm, indicator, register, recorder, signal or...
Responsive to fluid flow
100 48, 100194, 210106, 210141, 210227, 210387, 210400, 210401, B01D 2528
Patent
active
061593591
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a filter apparatus and a method for operating a filter apparatus and, more particularly, to a filter apparatus for extracting liquids from a wet slurry fluid and for producing a substantially dry filter cake of the solid materials in the slurry. The invention comprises a modular filter formed from individual separable upper and lower plate members combined to form stacked multiple filtration chambers which duplicate the single filter chamber form and include operating mechanisms that open or close each of the filter chambers in programmed order, either simultaneously or sequentially.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In many industrial processes and in fluid production systems, a slurry of solids suspended in a liquid is produced and it becomes necessary to separate the solids from the liquids so that each material may be treated in ways that will make disposal or use of the treated materials both economical and environmentally effective. In most such processes or systems, the slurry material is fed to a filter apparatus which may take many forms including a belt press, a vacuum filter or a pressure filter. In one form of pressure filtration apparatus a pair of plate members form an internal space chamber separated by a filter media. The plate members are pressed together at mating surfaces with the filter media positioned between the mating surfaces and spread across the interior space separating one plate from the other plate. Slurry materials are fed into the chamber while filtrate liquids are taken away leaving behind the solids of the slurry accumulated on the filter media. After a sufficient amount of solid materials have been accumulated, the plates are separated and the filter media with the accumulated solids is replaced and the filtration process is then repeated with a clean filter media. The filtrate fluid and solids are then separately used, treated or disposed of in an acceptable manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accord with the present invention, a filter apparatus is formed with plate members which mate with each other to create a filter chamber between the plate members and a filter medium is positioned between the mating plate members. The filter chamber is adapted to receive the slurry to be filtered and to receive controlled fluids or gasses under pressure to force the liquids from the slurry. The chamber is adapted with suitable means to support a filter medium that will pass the liquids extracted from the slurry while the solids are retained within the chamber. The plates are moved relative to each other to mate the sidewalls and seal the chamber during the filtering process and, after the filtering has been completed, the plates are separated to permit the solids from the slurry to be removed from the filter chamber. In the form of modular units, the upper and lower mating plates are formed as the upper and lower surfaces of a single structure with the upper surface forming a support surface for the filter media and the other surface formed to define a filter chamber when mated to an upper surface of a duplicate structure. Combining modules of these structures in a stack of units produces the stacked modular filter apparatus of the present invention.
When closed against mating structures with a filter medium supported on the support surface, a filter chamber is formed and when slurry fluids are forced into the chamber and treated by wash fluids and/or pressurized gasses a substantially dry filter cake of solids from the slurry is produced on the filter medium. When the mating structures are separated, the dry filter cake remains on the filter medium. The solid filter cake can then be removed from the chamber by movement of the filter medium. The movement of the filter cake is accomplished by moving the filter medium from between the separated plate members both for the purpose of removal and for introducing a clean filter medium between the plates. The plates are then ready to be pressed against each other again for a repeat of the
REFERENCES:
patent: 2418153 (1947-04-01), Barnett
patent: 3760945 (1973-09-01), Davis
patent: 4568460 (1986-02-01), Bratten
patent: 4861494 (1989-08-01), Bratten
patent: 5059318 (1991-10-01), Benesi
patent: 5292434 (1994-03-01), Benesi
patent: 5462677 (1995-10-01), Benesi
patent: 5573667 (1996-11-01), Benesi
Drodge Joseph W.
Feix Donald C.
LandOfFree
Modular filter apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Modular filter apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Modular filter apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-212869