Patent Application
20220047974
The present invention relates to a rotary pressure filter, comprising a filter housing, and a filter drum rotatable around a rotation axis and accommodated inside the filter housing, wherein the filter drum comprises a plurality of filter cells arranged in a succeeding manner in a peripheral direction of the filter drum, wherein the rotary pressure filter is divided into a plurality of treatment zones which are separated by sealing elements, wherein the plurality of treatment zones comprises at least a suspension insertion zone which is adapted to introduce a suspension to be filtered into the filter housing an onto the filter cells, and a discharge zone which is adapted to remove a filter cake being the solid result of the filtration of the suspension from the filter cells, and wherein the rotary pressure filter is configured in its operating state such that a pressure being present in the suspension insertion zone is higher than a pressure being present in the discharge zone, and that, each time a filter cell, coming from the discharge zone and containing gas having the discharge zone's pressure, enters the suspension insertion zone, the pressure of the suspension insertion zone drops.
Rotary pressure filters are known for many years in the field of filtrating a suspension comprising solid particles and a liquid component. In rotary pressure filters of the known type, the suspension is filtered through filter cells, wherein the filter cells comprise a mesh or fabric that is adapted to let pass the liquid component of the suspension and to hold back the solid particles of the suspension.
The solid particles form a so-called “filter cake” on the filter cell may be removed from a respective filter cell at the end of a filtration cycle. Usually, this is performed by a scraping unit in a lower part of the rotary pressure filter, e.g. using the gravity force to convey the filter cake out of the system.
Even, when installing a gate between an environment around the rotary pressure filter and the inside of the rotary pressure filter, especially at the treatment zone comprising the scraping unit, also called “discharge zone”, a pressure in the discharge zone is often close to an environmental pressure, e.g. 1 bar, wherein a pressure in a suspension insertion zone in which suspension is introduced onto the filter cells is much higher, e.g. 6 to 7 bar.
After the filter cake is discharged from a respective filter cell, at least the space of the filter cell in close vicinity to the mesh/fabric of a respective filter cell, e.g. the space where the filter cake used to be, is filled with a gas having the pressure of the discharge zone. In its operating state, the rotary pressure filter rotates the filter drum such that the above-mentioned filter cell subsequently enters the suspension insertion zone. After passing a sealing element that is separating the discharge zone from the suspension insertion zone in an airtight manner, the gas and/or liquid being present in the suspension insertion zone expands rapidly into the “fresh” filter cell resulting in a pressure drop of the pressure inside the suspension insertion zone.
This pressure drop affects the efficiency of the rotary pressure filter, since it takes some time to build up the operational pressure for introducing the suspension onto the filter cells correctly. Furthermore, a repeating pressure drop and pressure build-up may stress the components of the rotary pressure filter resulting in a reduced lifetime of the system.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a rotary pressure filter which shows a reduced, if not even eliminated, pressure drop each time a filter cell coming from the discharge zone enters the suspension insertion zone.
This object is solved by a rotary pressure filter of the type described above which further comprises equipment that is configured to reduce and/or to slow the pressure drop of the pressure in the suspension insertion zone each time a filter cell coming from the discharge zone enters the suspension insertion zone
In general, it was due to the effort of the inventors of this invention who investigated the reasons for the pressure drop and who discovered the negative effects of this pressure drop so that they came up with the idea to provide a rotary pressure filter that is configured to reduce the pressure drop by using additional equipment.
By reducing the pressure drop, a more efficient filtration and a more continuous introduction of suspension onto the filter cells is possible.
In an embodiment of the present invention the equipment may comprise a liquid insertion zone as a separate treatment zone separated by sealing elements from the other treatment zones, located, with respect to the rotation direction of the filter drum, prior to the suspension insertion zone and after the discharge zone, wherein the liquid insertion zone is adapted to introduce liquid into the filter housing an onto the filter cells. Therefore, the filter cells may be at least partially prefilled with liquid when entering the suspension insertion zone. The incompressible liquid in the filter cells may block the expansion of the gas being present in the suspension insertion zone into the filter cells. As a result, the pressure in the suspension insertion zone may stay at least almost constant when a filter cell is entering the suspension insertion zone.
The liquid introduced in the liquid insertion zone may be fresh water and/or washing liquid and/or filtrate and/or mother filtrate being the liquid result of the filtration of the suspension of a previous filtration cycle. Especially when using mother filtrate as liquid, the liquid part of the filtration result, i.e. the part of the suspension being able to pass through the filter cell and into a drainage duct, may be fed into the liquid insertion zone prior to being discharged from the rotary pressure filter.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention the equipment may comprise a further suspension insertion zone, as a separate treatment zone separated by sealing elements from the other treatment zones, located, with respect to the rotation direction of the filter drum, prior to the suspension insertion zone and after the discharge zone, wherein the further suspension insertion zone is adapted to introduce suspension into the filter housing an onto the filter cells. Thus, the filter cells may at least partially be prefilled with suspension and/or with a filter cake when entering the suspension insertion zone. Even if there is no liquid component present in the filter cell or its drainage duct, having a similar effect as using mother filtrate as liquid, also the filter cake formed on a respective filter cell may provide an increased resistance for the gas of the suspension insertion zone to expand into the filter cell. As a result, the pressure in the suspension insertion zone may stay at least almost constant when a filter cell is entering the suspension insertion zone.
In order to supply suspension to the further suspension insertion zone, it may be connected to a first suspension pump conveying suspension to the suspension insertion zone, and the further suspension insertion zone may be connected to a second suspension pump conveying suspension to the further suspension insertion zone, wherein the first suspension pump may be different from the second suspension pump.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention the equipment may comprise that a drainage duct, that is adapted to guide filtrate being filtered through the filter cells out of the filter housing, is in fluid connection with a further treatment zone being succeeding to the suspension insertion zone, and the suspension insertion zone may be closed to the drainage duct such that filtrate being filtered in the suspension insertion zone may leave the filter drum in the succeeding further treatment zone at earliest. That is, the suspension insertion zone has no opening to the drainage duct such that the gas being present in the suspension insertion zone may not expand further than into the filter cells and, if applicable, into a space downstream of the filter cells which rotates together with the filter drum. As a result, the pressure in the suspension insertion zone may stay at least almost constant when a filter cell is entering the suspension insertion zone.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention the equipment may comprise a gas insertion device being arranged at the suspension insertion zone, wherein the gas insertion device may be adapted to introduce gas, such as air, into the suspension insertion zone being additional to the gas already present in the suspension insertion zone. When the pressure of the gas being present in the suspension insertion zone drops, e.g. due to a filter cell entering the suspension insertion zone, the gas insertion device is adapted to introduce gas into the suspension insertion zone in order to compensate for the increased volume available for the gas inside the suspension insertion zone.
Here, the equipment may further comprise a check valve that is located, with respect to the gas flow inserted into the suspension insertion zone, on an upstream position of the gas insertion device which is adapted to prevent suspension to exit the suspension insertion zone through the gas insertion device. The check valve, as known, is adapted to only allow a passage in one direction and to prevent a passage in the other direction. By using a check valve, the gas insertion device is adapted to only supply gas to the suspension insertion zone but does not receive gas and/or suspension from the suspension insertion zone.
Advantageously, the equipment may further comprise a pressure detection unit that is adapted to detect the pressure inside the suspension insertion zone, and a gas pump that is adapted to introduce gas into the suspension insertion zone when the pressure inside the suspension insertion zone detected by the pressure detection unit falls below a predetermined value. It is therefore ensured that the gas insertion device is only activated when the pressure inside the gas insertion device drops below the predetermined value, e.g. below 6 to 7 bar. Hence, an insertion of gas which may lead to an undesired overpressure may be prevented.
The gas insertion device may also comprise a gas reservoir portion that is adapted to be filled with compressed gas prior to an operation of the rotary pressure filter. The gas reservoir portion of the gas insertion device may provide a simple embodiment of balancing the pressure inside the suspension insertion zone. When connecting the interior of the gas reservoir portion to the suspension insertion zone in a fluid communicating manner, a pressure balance may be generated such that the pressure inside the suspension insertion zone and the pressure inside the gas reservoir portion are the same. As soon as the pressure inside the suspension insertion zone drops, the overpressure of the gas reservoir portion expands into the suspension insertion zone and thereby reduces the pressure drop of the suspension insertion zone's pressure.
In an embodiment of the invention, the gas reservoir portion may comprise an opening being in fluid connection with the inside of the filter housing, and the opening of the gas reservoir portion may be located in the lower half, preferably at the bottom, of the gas reservoir portion with respect to a vertically orientation of the gas reservoir portion in its mounting state. By arranging the opening in the lower half, preferably at the bottom, of the gas reservoir portion with respect to a vertically orientation of the gas reservoir portion in its mounting state it may be ensured that the gas reservoir portion is not permanently obstructed by incompressible material having entered the gas reservoir portion and thus reducing the volume of the gas reservoir portion.
The gas reservoir portion may comprise an extendible portion that is formed by a stretchable material and/or by a folded wall structure. The stretchable material may, for example, be made of a plastic material. The folded wall structure may, for example, be formed like a bellows. The gas reservoir portion may also be made from a rigid material, e.g. metal or plastics.
Furthermore, the gas reservoir portion may be adapted to accommodate suspension from the suspension insertion zone such that the pressure inside the suspension insertion zone and the gas pressure inside the gas reservoir portion are balanced. It is therefore ensured that, even if there is not sufficient gas inside the suspension insertion zone to fill the gas reservoir portion creating a pressure balance between the suspension insertion zone and the inside of the gas reservoir portion, a pressure balance may still be achieved by allowing suspension to enter into the gas reservoir portion. The suspension entered into the gas reservoir portion may be expelled from it due to an expansion of the gas of the gas reservoir portion, since there may be, in a pressure balanced state, gas present above the suspension which may expand when a pressure drop occurs in the suspension insertion zone.
Advantageously, the gas reservoir portion may be arranged outside of the filter housing. The gas insertion device may further comprise a valve that is adapted to let gas pass into the gas reservoir portion from outside, e.g. supplied by a source for pressurized gas. By arranging the gas reservoir portion outside of the filter housing, an easy access to the gas reservoir portion and/or the valve is ensured in order to refill the total gas volume inside the combined spaces of the suspension insertion zone and inside of the gas reservoir portion. Due to leakage and/or gas which leaves the system through the drainage duct a gradually reduction of the gas volume may occur.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention the equipment may comprise at least one sealing element that is chamfered on an edge facing the filter drum and facing the suspension insertion zone such that a filter cell entering the suspension insertion zone opens to the suspension insertion zone in a single point, wherein the area of the filter cell being open to the suspension insertion zone enlarges when the filter drum rotates the respective filter cell further into the suspension insertion zone. By establishing a fluid connection between the filter cell and the suspension insertion zone beginning in one single point, namely the point of the chamfer which is located closest to the discharge zone, assuming that the edges dividing the filter cells are arranged perpendicular to the rotation direction of the filter drum. Of course, it is also conceivable to provide inclined edges of the filter cells with respect to the rotation direction of the filter drum, wherein the effect stays the same as long as a fluid communication between the filter cells and the suspension insertion zone is at first only established in a very restricted area, e.g. a single or only very few areas having an extension of below 1 cm2. By rotating the filter drum further in its rotation direction, the fluid communication between the filter cells and the suspension insertion zone may enlarge. It is thus ensured that the pressure drop is slowed down. The pressure drop may also be reduced in this way because of the suspension entering the suspension insertion zone while the connecting area of the filter cell to the suspension insertion zone enlarges.
In the following the present invention will be described in more detail with respect to several embodiments, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which:
In
The rotary pressure filter 10 comprises a filter housing 12 which, in the side sectional view of
The filter drum 14 comprises plural filter cells that are adapted to receive suspension to be filtered and to separate a liquid component of the suspension from solid particles of the suspension. The filter may, therefore, comprise a filter cloth and/or a filter mesh such that the liquid component of the suspension passes the filter cloth and/or filter mesh and the solid particles remain on it. The liquid component typically then leaves the rotary pressure filter 10 via a duct system which is located on the inside of the rotary filter drum 14.
The filter housing 12 comprises a plurality of sealing elements 16 that are pressed onto the outside of the filter drum 14 in a manner that a space between the filter housing 12 and the filter drum 14 on one side of the sealing element 16 is separated from a space between the filter housing 12 and the filter drum 14 on the other side of the sealing element 16 in an air-tight and liquid-tight manner. Hence, the sealing element 16 may have a larger extension in the circumferential direction of the filter drum 14 than any of the filter cells, i.e. when a filter cell is passing a respective sealing element 16, there is a position in which the sealing element 16 is fully covering the opening of the filter cell.
Each of those spaces between the filter housing 12 and the filter drum 14 may be regarded as a single treatment zone in which the suspension to be filtered and/or the components of the suspension that remain in the filter cell is treated differently, e.g. washed, dried or removed from a respective filter cell. In
At the end of a filtration cycle, the rotary pressure filter 10 comprises a discharge zone 24 through which a solid component of the suspension remaining on the filter cell can be removed from a respective filter cell and transferred out of the filter housing 12. For example, the discharge zone 24 may comprise a scraping device (not shown) that is adapted to remove a filter cake built on a filter cell, e.g. by using a blade. In the embodiment shown in
In the example of
It shall be mentioned at this point that the term “liquid component of the suspension” is not strictly limited to liquids but may also comprise small particles that are small enough to pass the barrier of the filter cell, i.e. the cloth and/or mesh.
A zone 31 represents a drying zone in which dry air is introduced into the filter housing 12 through an inlet 33. The dry air passes the filter cake formed in and on a respective filter cell and leaves the rotary pressure filter 10 through an outlet 35. Thereby remaining liquids may be further removed from the filter cake.
The rotary pressure filter 10 of
It is to be understood that a pressure in a space between the filter housing 12 and the filter drum 14 that is located in the suspension insertion zone 18 is much higher, e.g. 6 to 7 bar, than in a corresponding space that is located in the discharge zone 24, where usually ambient pressure (a pressure existing on an outside of the filter housing 12) is existent, e.g. 1 bar, or in a space of the cleaning zone 34. The duct system, especially the outlet 22, may run dry after a liquid component (or, in later treatment zones, a washing liquid) has left the rotary pressure filter 10 such that there is gas existent in the duct system at ambient pressure. Each time a “fresh” filter cell is entering the suspension insertion zone 18 a connection is established between the space between the filter housing 12 and the filter drum 14 and the outlet 22 resulting in a rapid pressure drop, as described here in the introduction. On the one hand, this may reduce the effectivity of the filtration, and on the other hand, the rotary pressure filter 10 is stressed extensively by the rapid changes of pressure.
In order to overcome these negative effects, several approaches may be described in the following with reference to the embodiments of
In the embodiment of
In another favorable embodiment, suspension itself may be used as this liquid to be filled into the filter cells in the liquid insertion zone 40. It is conceivable to use a suspension that is to be filtered by the rotary pressure filter 10′. The suspension is inserted into the liquid insertion zone 40 through the inlet 42. Thus, a respective filter cell and the part of the duct system that follows the filter cloth and/or mesh and rotates with the filter drum 14 are already prefilled with suspension when the filter cell enters the suspension insertion zone 18 having the above-described effect of a reduced pressure drop. Furthermore, a thin layer of filter cake may already be built on the filter cell. This may reduce the flow rate of the suspension in the suspension insertion zone 18 through the filter cell which additionally may reduce the pressure drop because of the barrier effect of the filter cake layer.
In order to supply suspension to the liquid insertion zone 40 a suspension pump may be provided for the rotary pressure filter 10′ that may be separate from a suspension pump which supplies suspension to the suspension insertion zone 18.
In the embodiment of the rotary pressure filter 10″ of
Referring now to the embodiment of
The gas insertion device 44 or the gas pump of the gas insertion device 44, respectively, may be adjusted to supply gas having a predefined pressure, e.g. 6 to 7 bar, to the suspension insertion zone 18. In a balanced state, the pressure that is present inside the suspension insertion zone 18, i.e. in the space between the filter housing 12 and the filter drum 14, corresponds to the predefined pressure of the gas insertion device 44. As soon as the pressure in the suspension insertion zone 18 drops, because of a “fresh and empty” filter cell entering the suspension insertion zone 18, the gas insertion device 44 supplies additional gas to the suspension insertion zone 18. Thus, a pressure drop is rapidly returned to the balanced state resulting in a reduced and shortened pressure drop. This effect is also based on the fact that gas being present on the gas pump side of the check valve 48 may expand quickly when the pressure decreases inside the suspension insertion zone 18.
In order to determine a pressure inside the suspension insertion zone 18 and/or of the gas insertion device 44, a pressure determination unit (not shown) such as a pressure sensor may be provided.
The embodiment of
Also, the check valve 48 is removed. In order to avoid suspension entering the gas reservoir portion 50 and in order to avoid that all gas leaves the gas reservoir portion 50, the gas reservoir portion 50 is connected on its bottom to the port 46. Even if suspension enters the gas reservoir portion 50, it may be expelled with a next balancing action. If a pressure in the suspension insertion zone 18 exceeds a predefined value, gas may flow back into the gas reservoir portion 50 from the suspension insertion zone 18. Compared to the embodiment of
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2018/079817 | 10/31/2018 | WO | 00 |
