DEVICE AND METHOD FOR FILTERING A FLUID, IN PARTICULAR FOR PLASTICS PROCESSING PLANTS

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for filtering a fluid, in particular a liquefied plastic, with a housing with backflush channel and screen carrier and filter element whereby, in order to accelerate and improve the backflush effect, one or more displacement cylinders are provided that guide material removed from the production at adjustable high pressure and speed to the screen to be cleaned from the clean screen side to the dirty screen side, whereby an additional pressure generator ensures constant process pressure.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a device for filtering a fluid, in particular a liquefied plastic, with a housing with a supply channel, a discharge channel and a backflush channel, whereby in the flow path of the fluid, in a screen carrier slideably supported crosswise to the flow direction, two filter elements are arranged in corresponding screen chambers and can be linked to the supply channel and the discharge channel.

2. Discussion of Background Information

Devices for filtering a fluid are known, e.g., from DE 35 27 173 C1. With these known devices, the arrangement is made such that two screen carriers are arranged parallel to one another so that the supply of the device connected to the filter device does not need to be disconnected during the flushing of the screen chambers of the one screen carrier. The melt free of contamination used for flushing purposes is removed downstream of the screen carrier just now in the operating position. The backflush effect is essentially determined by the flow rate of the backflush flow, which for its part again depends on the back pressure of the downstream device connected to the filter device. This back pressure is generally relatively low and cannot be influenced at will. This results in a poor or, primarily in the case of larger screen surfaces, only partial flushing clean of the soiled screen. Moreover, a loss of mass occurs in the main flow at the time of the backflushing, which loss of mass is greater, the longer time is necessary for an adequate flushing of the screen chamber or the screen of the screen carrier currently in the backflush position.

WO 92/16 351 A1 discloses a filtering device for fluids to be purified that operates with an accumulator piston acting in a cylinder. In order to make the rinsing operation quick, effective and uniform over the surface of the screen and to avoid additional loss of mass in the main flow during backflushing, there is a reservoir in the screen carrier body. The reservoir is filled with purified melt during normal operation and which an accumulator piston can move. In the backflushing position of the screen carrier body the melt located in the reservoir is forced through the screen and into the backflush channel in the backflushing direction. The use of an additional cylinder chamber and accumulator piston is laborious and always carries the risk that plastic residues will remain in the chamber processed by the accumulator piston, which residues can crack and thus cause problems.

With this known device it is therefore necessary for the reservoir present in the screen carrier body that is acted on by the accumulator piston to be filled with purified melt. At the time this storage chamber is filled, a pressure loss naturally occurs at the discharge channel or in the equipment or tool attached to the filter device, so that the process pressure is not constant.

A device is known from DE 17 88 037 U1 for separating mixtures containing liquid and solid matter, in which the liquid containing solid material is guided through a screen, whereby an accumulator piston is moved back at the same time. A discharge line is connected to the area of the accumulator piston, through which line the purified liquid is discharged. The connection between the accumulator piston and the discharge line is equipped with a check valve that opens when the accumulator piston generates a corresponding pressure in the discharge line. At the same time, the purified liquid can also be pressed through the screen again with the movement of the accumulator piston, in order to clean the screen of trapped solid particles. A device of this type cannot be used for liquefied plastic, in particular because in the discharge channel the check valve provided there would very quickly clog and become unusable. Moreover, material being retained in the area between the check valve and accumulator piston would disintegrate, i.e., dead zones are also present here which definitely must be avoided in processing liquid plastic.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to a method and a device in which the backflushing effect can be greatly improved, yet at the same time the loss of mass in the main flow at the time of the backflush is also avoided. The displacement piston arranged in the channel is always flushed around by material so that no material can decompose here and the pressure at the screen carrier housing outlet can be kept constant.

This is attained through the teaching of originally filed claim 1 defining the device and with a method with the features of originally filed claim 10.

According to this teaching the so-called displacement pistons are assigned to the partial channels leading from the screen chamber or chambers to the discharge channel. These partial channels are thus embodied straight and relatively long, and a displacement piston opens into these partial channels which, in the backflushing position, feeds the contaminant-free material located in this partial channel to the back of the filter element, namely in turn at a pressure that is much higher than the pressure that normally prevails on the clean screen side in the production position of the screen carrier. In this manner, an additional pressure generator ensures a constant process pressure in the supply channel, even when the displacement piston is drawn back.

Furthermore, the invention provides that the screen carrier can be displaced such that the filter elements can be removed from the screen chambers.

Connection plates are preferably connected to the housing accommodating the screen carrier, whereby the displacement pistons are more easily replaceable and the channels are easier to produce.

The displacement piston or pistons can be acted on hydraulically, mechanically, e.g., via toggle lever systems, toothed racks, etc.

A flow divider can be housed in the supply channel and a flow diverter can be housed in the discharge channel in order to thus create good flow conditions.

The operating pressure of the displacement piston or pistons can be preset.

Finally, in the invention a backflushing method with a device for filtering a fluid, in particular a liquefied plastic is provided. In the backflush position of the screen carrier the screen in the backflush position is acted on via displacement pistons with a pressure that acts exclusively in the direction of the backflush flow and which can be much higher than the operating pressure prevailing on the production side of the screen. Also, a constant process pressure can be maintained via a pressure generator in the supply channel.

The device according to the invention and the method according to the invention have the great advantage that the backflushing occurs immediately as soon as a corresponding demand signal occurs. Also, a constant process pressure prevails in the connected apparatus or tool.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained below on the basis of the drawings. The drawings show:

FIG. 1 shows a device with two displacement pistons; and

FIG. 2 shows a section through the screen carrier with a device according to FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a housing 1 accommodating a screen carrier 4, whereby a supply channel 2 and a discharge channel 3 are arranged in the housing 1. A connection plate 18 connects to the side of the screen carrier 4 facing downstream.

Filter elements embodied as screens 5, 6 are provided in screen chambers 7, 8 in the screen carrier 4. It should be pointed out that the term “screen carrier” is used in connection with the term “screen,” however, the term “screens” also relates to the different types of screens, filters and other retaining devices for contaminants.

A flow divider 19 is discernible in the supply channel 2 (FIG. 2) and a pressure generator 24, e.g., a pump, is arranged in front of the supply channel 2.

Furthermore, backflush channels 9 and 10 that open into the atmosphere are provided in the housing 1.

Partial channels 20, 21 are embodied in a straight line and accommodate displacement pistons 22 and 23 that can be activated via a mechanical tappet device in the arrangement shown in FIG. 1. In the arrangement according to FIG. 1, a connection plate 18 is discernible, through which the displacement pistons 22, 23 can be more easily replaced in the event of damage or the like.

FIG. 2 shows a section in the longitudinal axis of the screen carrier 4. FIG. 2 also shows the screens 5 and 6 and the screen chambers 7 and 8, as well as the partial channels 20 and 21.

To return to the representation in FIG. 1, the displacement piston 23 is in a position in which the screen 5 in the screen carrier 4 produces the connection between the supply channel 2 and the discharge channel 3, i.e., the device is thus in the production position.

In contrast, the displacement piston 22, however, is moved downward and, moreover, the screen 6 located in the screen carrier 4a is connected to the backflush channel 9 through displacement of the screen carrier 4a. In this position, the displacement piston 22 guides the clean material located in the partial channel 20 assigned thereto with adjustable, relatively high pressure to the clean screen side and thus freed from dirt the dirty screen side of the screen 6 located in the screen carrier 4a.

In the arrangement according to FIGS. 1 and 2, the end face of the displacement pistons 22 or 23 is always flowed around by material so that no dead zones occur in which material can decompose.

The pressure generator 24 additionally arranged in the area of the supply channel 2 is preferably a pump, but other pressure generators can also be used. The pump or other pressure generators ensures that, regardless of the backflush, i.e., regardless of whether both channels 20 and 21 are in use or only one channel, and regardless of where the displacement piston 22 or 23 is in channel 20 or 21, the process pressure in the area of the discharge channel 3 is always kept constant. This is very important for the equipment or tool connected to the discharge channel 3.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. A device for filtering a liquefied plastic, comprising: a housing; a supply channel; a discharge channel; backflush channels; two screen carriers slidably supported crosswise to a flow direction; at least two filter elements each of which are arranged in corresponding screen chambers and linked to the supply channel and the discharge channel; at least two displacement pistons being inserted in a corresponding partial channel leading from the screen chamber to the discharge channel, the at least two displacement pistons feed a mass free of contaminants out of the corresponding partial channels through the at least two filter elements to a corresponding backflush channel of the backflush channels when at least one of the two screen carriers is in the backflush position; and a pressure generator arranged in the supply channel, the pressure generator being structured to maintain a constant process pressure at the discharge channel and downstream equipment during a production phase.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the pressure generator is a pump.

15. The device according to claim 13, wherein the screen carriers are displaceable such that the at least two filter elements can be removed from the screen chambers.

16. The device according to claim 13, further comprising connection plates attached to the housing and accommodating the screen carriers.

17. The device according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the displacement pistons are activated hydraulically.

18. The device according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the displacement pistons is activated mechanically.

19. The device according to claim 13, further comprising a flow divider arranged in the supply channel in front of the screen chambers.

20. The device according to claim 13, further comprising a flow diverter arranged in the discharge channel.

21. The device according to claim 13, wherein the operating pressure for the displacement pistons is adjustable.

22. The device according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the two displacement pistons is structured to load a clean screen side with purified plastic melt when a respective of the two screen carriers is in the backflush position.

23. A device for filtering a liquefied plastic, comprising: a housing accommodating a screen carrier, a supply channel and a discharge channel; backflush channels provided in the housing which are open into atmosphere; partial channels arranged between the supply channel and the discharge channel; displacement pistons arranged in the respective partial channels; and a pressure generator arranged in the supply channel, the pressure generator being structured to maintain a constant process pressure at the discharge channel and downstream equipment during a production phase.

24. The device according to claim 23, further comprising a mechanical tappet device structured to activate the displacement pistons.

25. The device according to claim 23, further comprising a connection plate connecting to a side of the screen carrier facing downstream.

26. The device according to claim 23, wherein the pressure generator is a pump.

27. The device according to claim 23, wherein the pressure generator is structured such that regardless of a backflush a process pressure in an area of the discharge channel always is kept constant.

28. The device according to claim 23, wherein filter elements are screens in screen chambers in the screen carrier.

29. The device according to claim 23, further comprising a flow divider in the supply channel.

30. The device according to claim 23, wherein an end face of the displacement pistons is always flowed around by material so that no dead zones occur in the material can decompose.

31. The device according to claim 23, wherein one of the displacement pistons is in a position in which a screen in the screen carrier produces a connection between the supply channel and the discharge channel.

32. A method for backflushing a liquefied plastic, comprising: loading a clean screen side of a filter element with purified plastic melt with a displacement piston when a screen carrier is in a backflush position; plunging the displacement piston into a partial channel leading from a supply channel to a discharge channel when the screen carrier is in the backflush position and forcing the plastic melt out of the partial channel through the filter element in the backflush position; acting on the filter element with a pressure that is higher than an operating pressure prevailing on a production side of the filter element; and maintaining a constant melt pressure at the discharge channel via a pressure generator arranged in the supply channel.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the backflush pressure is adjustable.

34. The method according to claim 32, further comprising controlling the melt pressure depending on a pressure value measured at the discharge channel.