Liquid purification or separation – Processes – Separating
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-19
2002-04-02
Popovics, Robert J. (Department: 1723)
Liquid purification or separation
Processes
Separating
C210S798000, C210S323200, C210S332000, C210S333010, C210S409000, C210S411000, C134S022180, C141S001000, C141S098000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06365054
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention may relate to a plant for filling containers and a method of operating a plant for filling containers.
2. Background Information
In a known method of cleaning filter equipment, the filter cake produced at the filter on the side of the unfiltrate of the filter equipment is removed thereby that the interior space at the inlet-side, as well as part of the filtrate space positioned above the interior space at the inlet-side, is filled with water from the unfiltrate side when the exit-side is closed, such that the air positioned above the water is compressed in the filtrate space. Upon introduction of water and compression of the air in the upper space of the filtrate space, a discharge is opened all of a sudden such that the air under pressure causes an intense back-flow of the water present in the filtrate space, through the filter, and thereby the filter cake accumulated on the unfiltrate side of the filter is removed from the filter, and is mixed with the water present in the unfiltrate space, and with this is removed through the drain from the filter equipment.
This method is rather simple, but has the decisive disadvantage which is to be seen therein that the filter cake removed from the filter is mixed with such a volume of water which is nearly equal to the total volume of both interior spaces of the filter equipment. Since this water which includes the filter cake can not be passed to sewage in this condition, subsequently a laborious separation of the sludge from the water is necessary. This is the cause of high equipment costs and not insignificant operating costs. Subsequently, the unfiltrate space or, respectively, its walls need to be cleaned.
In a further known method for cleaning filter equipment with installed filter, a cleaning fluid is brought to an overpressure, in a separate container, and for carrying out the cleaning, is brought, via an inlet conduit, to the removal-side of the filter equipment, and from there is pressed through the filter in the direction opposite to the direction of filtration. For moving the cleaning fluid from the accumulated, or special, container to the filter equipment, a gaseous medium under overpressure is used.
As cleaning medium, usefully, water is employed and as gaseous medium air is used. For distribution of the cleaning fluid serve nozzle-shaped constrictions arranged, respectively, at the candle end on the removal-side, or impact bodies arranged at a distance from such constriction in the candle interior, by which the in-flowing cleaning fluid is deflected to all sides in the direction of the interior walls of the candles.
This has the disadvantage that the nozzle-shaped constrictions are present for the introduction of cleaning fluid into the interior of the filter candle, as well as for the air under pressure, such that on termination of a pressure impulse, a post-flow, or, in other words, a trailing or tailing type of flow behavior, of cleaning fluid is not possible. Cleaning of the interior of the boiler or, respectively, its walls is not possible with this method.
Furthermore, it is known to clean the lower portion of a boiler filter with a group of nozzles which extend vertically and in circumferential manner.
Such a cleaning method allows only cleaning of the free space beneath the filter candles. Wall sections disposed above the free space of the boiler filter, accordingly, can not be impacted and cleaned in accordance with the requirements. In addition, due to being fixedly secured at a rotor, the nozzle groups create a uniform or, particularly, a stream of spray which is constant with respect to position, which allows only impacting of definite areas.
In other words, one possible advantage of the present invention, in at least one possible embodiment, is concerned in one aspect with cleaning of the filter housing of filters with candles or elements of a tubular filter arrangement, in which vertical tubes or cartridges, in other words, candles, are supported by a filtrate-chamber tube sheet in a vertical cylindrical vessel, compare pages 18-92 and 18-93 in “Liquid-Solid Operations and Equipment” in PERRY'S CHEMICAL ENGINEERS' HANDBOOK, Seventh Edition, Robert H. Perry and Don W. Green, 1997, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., ISBN 0-07-049841-5, incorporated herein by reference.
Also in other words, in filtration is achieved the separation of two phases, particulate form, i.e., solid particles or liquid droplets in suspension, and continuous, i.e., liquid or gas, from a mixture, herein also referred to as unfiltrate or liquid to be filtered, by passing the mixture through a porous medium. This may be cylindrical element filters, often referred to as candle filters, in which cylindrical elements or sleeves may be mounted vertically and suspended from a header sheet, which divides the filter vessel into two separate compartments. One possible advantage of candle filters or filter elements may be that as the cake grows on the tubular elements the filtration area increases and the thickness of a given volume of cake is therefore less than it would be on a flat element, compare Filtration, in Volume 10 of KIRK-OTHMER, ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY, Fourth Edition, Jacqueline I. Kroschwitz, editor, 1993, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., ISBN 0-471-52679-9 (v. 10), also incorporated herein by reference.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
One possible object of the present invention may be to contact the inner walls of such a filter commencing already at the upper portion, essentially in all-around manner with cleaning liquid.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In at least one possible embodiment, the present invention preferably teaches that this object can be accomplished by the method of cleaning filter housings of the type described in the foregoing, thereby that in the upper region of the unfiltrate portion a cleaning medium is directed against the lower wall of the intermediate bottom and/or the upper region of the wall of the unfiltrate portion, with such a direction of flow that a substantially closed cleaning film, flow, or sheet of water or other liquid can be guided, from the upper wall of the unfiltrate portion, downwardly along this wall.
In at least one possible embodiment of the present invention, it may be further suggested that the cleaning medium is introduced in the upper region of the unfiltrate portion from the exterior and is, as a film, guided in circumscribing manner.
For a boiler filter it may be further contemplated that the cleaning device is configured as one in the upper, outer region of the unfiltrate portion extending spray ring, the spray nozzles of which are directed against the lower boiler wall of the intermediate bottom and/or are directed against the upper region of the wall of the unfiltrate portion and co-act with a flow directing apparatus.
Furthermore, it may be contemplated that the cleaning device is comprised of a recess in the support region of the intermediate bottom upon the unfiltrate portion, and this can be contacted with cleaning liquid introduced from the exterior.
With the method in accordance with at least one possible embodiment of the present invention and a proposed apparatus, an essentially advantageous cleaning of the wall parts of such an unfiltrate portion may be carried out in an essentially simple manner. Particularly, there may be provided a substantially closed rinsing film or sheet which, practically, may take its course from the upper wall region to the bottom and flushes away the still softened components of the unfiltrate or, particularly, the sludge, cake, filter cake, or deposit mass.
When use is made of a circumferential flush pipe, inlet pipe, or spray ring, or a plurality of at least one of these structures, by aimed distribution of the cleaning liquid with flow direction against the upper wall parts, which are sloped accordingly, there may be produced an optimal film. This formation can experience a further enhancement, through periodical impacting of the nozzles of such a spray ring. Partic
Kolczyk Markus
Krüger Roland
Kuhnt Rainer
Oechsle Dietmar
KHS Maschinen - und Anlagenbau AG
Nils H. Ljungman & Associates
Popovics Robert J.
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