Patent Grant
11850538
The present invention relates to a filter life predicting apparatus.
Patent Document 1 discloses a clogging alarm switch for a filter device that senses a differential pressure between a primary side pressure and a secondary side pressure separated by a filter element, and detects clogging of the filter element.
With the clogging alarm switch described in Patent Document 1, the differential pressure at a certain point, that is, the clogging state of the filter element can be known. However, since how long the filter element can be used (a remaining time) changes depending on a type of the filter element and usage environment of the filter element, the clogging alarm switch described in Patent Document 1 cannot obtain the remaining time.
One or more embodiment of the present invention provide a filter life predicting apparatus that allows prediction for how long a filtration member is usable (a remaining time).
A filter life predicting apparatus according to one or more embodiment of the present invention includes, for example, a differential pressure detection unit (detector), a storage unit (e.g., storage or memory), and a life predicting unit. The differential pressure detection unit is provided in a filtration device including a filtration member that filters a liquid. The differential pressure detection unit detects a differential pressure as a pressure difference between a high pressure side and a low pressure side in the filtration device. The storage unit stores differential pressure characteristics. The differential pressure characteristics indicate a relationship between the differential pressure and an attached dust amount as an amount of dust attached to the filtration member. The differential pressure characteristics include information on a life of the filtration member. The life predicting unit obtains a remaining life based on a first differential pressure detected by the differential pressure detection unit at a first time as a time while the filtration device filters the liquid and the differential pressure characteristics. The remaining life indicates how long the filtration member is usable after the first time.
According to the filter life predicting apparatus according to one or more embodiment of the present invention, the first differential pressure that is the differential pressure as the pressure difference between the high pressure side and the low pressure side in the filtration device is detected at the first time as the time while the filtration device filters the liquid. The remaining life that indicates how long the filtration member is usable after the first time is obtained based on the first differential pressure and the differential pressure characteristics. Accordingly, it is possible to predict how long the filtration member is usable (a remaining time).
Here, the storage unit may store a first differential pressure characteristic when a flow rate and a viscosity of the liquid are in a first condition, and a second differential pressure characteristic when the flow rate and the viscosity of the liquid are in a second condition as the differential pressure characteristics. The filter life predicting apparatus may include an acquisition (detector) unit (e.g., including one or more detectors or sensors) that acquires the flow rate and the viscosity of the liquid flowing into the filtration device. The life predicting unit may determine whether the flow rate and the viscosity acquired by the acquisition unit are close to the first condition or the second condition. The life predicting unit may obtain the remaining life using the first differential pressure characteristic when the life predicting unit determines that the first condition is close. The life predicting unit may obtain the remaining life using the second differential pressure characteristic when the life predicting unit determines that the second condition is close. As a result, even when the flow rate and the viscosity of a hydraulic oil changes due to, for example, a change in an environment, the remaining life can be accurately calculated.
Here, the differential pressure characteristics may indicate a relationship between the differential pressure and a time. The differential pressure may be obtained by measuring the differential pressure by filtering the liquid through the filtration device while dusts are continuously put into the liquid by a constant amount. The information on the life may be a life-up time. The life-up time may be an elapsed time in the differential pressure characteristics when the differential pressure is a terminal differential pressure. The terminal differential pressure may be found by adding a predetermined pressure to an initial differential pressure as the differential pressure before the dusts are put. The life predicting unit may obtain the remaining life based on a ratio between an elapsed time in the differential pressure characteristics at the first differential pressure and the life-up time. In this way, since the remaining life is obtained using the differential pressure characteristics obtained by actual measurement, the remaining life can be accurately predicted.
Here, the differential pressure detection unit may continuously detect the differential pressures. The life predicting unit may continuously obtain the remaining lives based on the continuously detected differential pressures to correct the remaining life based on the obtained results. Thus, an accurate remaining life can be obtained.
Here, the life predicting unit may obtain a first remaining life and a second remaining life as the remaining lives. The first remaining life may indicate how long the filtration member is usable after the first time. The second remaining life may indicate how long the filtration member is usable after the second time based on a second differential pressure detected by the differential pressure detection unit at a second time prior to the first time and the differential pressure characteristics. The life predicting unit may correct the differential pressure characteristics based on an elapsed time between the second remaining life and the first remaining life in the differential pressure characteristics and an elapsed time between the second time and the first time, and may correct the first remaining life based on the corrected differential pressure characteristics. As such, correcting the life-up time based on the differential pressures measured at the different times allows obtaining the appropriate remaining life according to a usage environment.
Here, the differential pressure detection unit may include a spool, a magnet, a magnetic flux density detection element, and a correction unit. The spool may be displaced according to the pressure difference. The magnet may be provided on the spool. The magnetic flux density detection element may detect a change in a magnetic flux density based on an amount of displacement of the magnet and output a first voltage according to the change in the magnetic flux density. The correction unit may correct the first voltage into a second voltage proportional to the pressure difference. The life predicting unit may obtain the remaining life based on the second voltage. This allows the differential pressure detection unit to continuously detect the differential pressures. Moreover, by proportionating the differential pressure and the second voltage, processing by the life predicting unit is facilitated.
Here, the differential pressure detection unit may include a temperature acquisition unit. The temperature acquisition unit may acquire a temperature of the magnetic flux density detection element. The correction unit may correct the first voltage based on the temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition unit. As a result, a voltage output from the correction unit becomes accurate, and thus the accurate life prediction is possible.
One or more embodiments of the present invention allows prediction for how long the filtration member is usable (a remaining time).
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
The filtration device 2 is intended for removing dust, etc., contained in a liquid, such as an oil and water, using a filter, and is incorporated, for example, in a hydraulic circuit of, for example, heavy machinery including a hydraulic actuator. Here, a hydraulic oil is used as the liquid.
The filtration device 2 mainly includes a filter element 3, a head 4, a drain 6, and a housing 7.
The housing 7 is a member having a substantially bottomed cylindrical shape having one end substantially closed and the open other end. The drain 6 is provided at the lower end of the housing 7. The drain 6 is not essential.
An opening of the housing 7 is mounted to the head 4. A differential pressure detection unit 5 is provided on the head 4. The differential pressure detection unit 5 will be described in detail later. When the opening of the housing 7 is mounted to the head 4, the filter element 3 mounted to the head 4 is housed inside the housing 7.
The filter element 3 mainly includes an inner tube 11, a filtration member 12, and plates 13 and 14 respectively provided at opposite ends of the filtration member 12.
The inner tube 11 is a member having a substantially hollow cylindrical shape having openings on both ends. The inner tube 11 is formed using a material (for example, a resin or a metal) having a high corrosion resistance.
The filtration member 12 has a substantially hollow-cylindrical shape having a thickness in a radial direction. The filtration member 12 is formed by pleating filter paper having a sheet-like shape using, for example, a synthetic resin, or paper, and connecting both ends of the filter paper pleated to roll the filter paper in a cylindrical shape. A plate 13 is provided on one end (an upper end) and a plate 14 is provided on the other end (a lower end) of the filtration member 12.
A central tube 42 (described in detail later) of the head 4 is inserted into the plate 13. A sealing member 22 (e.g., an O-ring) is disposed between the plate 13 and the central tube 42. The sealing member 22 provides sealing and prevents liquid from leaking out from between the plate 13 and the central tube 42. Furthermore, as the plate 13 is provided with the inner tube 11, when the central tube 42 is inserted into the plate 13, an internal space of the inner tube 11 communicates with the central tube 42. The inner tube 11 is inserted into the plate 14.
The head 4 mainly includes a body 41, the central tube 42, an inflow path 43, an outflow path 44, and a mounting cavity 45.
The body 41 is a substantially cylindrical bottomed member made of, for example, a material having a high corrosion resistance (for example, a metal). An external thread portion 41a is formed on the outer periphery of the body 41 in the vicinity of its open end. The external thread portion 41a is screwed with an internal thread portion 2a (see
A sealing member 21 (e.g., an O-ring) is disposed between the housing 7 and the head 4. The sealing member 21 provides sealing and prevents liquid from leaking out from between the housing 7 and the head 4.
The central tube 42, which is a substantially cylindrical member, is integrally formed with the body 41. The central tube 42 extends from the bottom surface of the body 41 at the center thereof along the same direction that the side surface of the body 41 protrudes. The central tube 42 is inserted into a hollow portion of the plate 13.
A space S1 defined by the side surface of the body 41 and the central tube 42 (i.e., a space outside the central tube 42) is in communication with the inflow path 43. Furthermore, a space S2 inside the central tube 42 is in communication with the outflow path 44.
Among hydraulic oils, a hydraulic oil L1 to be filtered is fed to the filtration device 2 via the inflow path 43. The hydraulic oil L1 flows in the housing 7, is then filtered by the filtration member 12, and flows out to the inside of the inner tube 11. Furthermore, a hydraulic oil L2, which was filtered and flowed out to the inside of the inner tube 11, is discharged through the outflow path 44 to the outside of the filtration device 2.
The mounting cavity 45 is formed in the vicinity of the bottom surface of the body 41. The differential pressure detection unit 5 is provided in the mounting cavity 45. An internal thread (not illustrated) is formed in the mounting cavity 45, and an external thread 51e (see
The vicinity of a bottom portion of the mounting cavity 45 communicates with the outflow path 44, that is, the space S2. Since the bottom surface of the differential pressure detection unit 5 has an opening, the space S2 communicates with a cavity 511 (see
An internal thread portion 45a of the mounting cavity 45 is in communication with a space S1 via a hole 46. The space S1 communicates with a cavity 512 (see
Next, the differential pressure detection unit 5 will be described in detail. The differential pressure detection unit 5 is equivalent to a differential pressure detection unit according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. The differential pressure detection unit 5 continuously detects a pressure difference between a high pressure side and a low pressure side (a pressure difference between the space S1 and the space S2) in the filtration device.
The differential pressure detection unit 5 mainly includes a case 51, a holder 52, a Hall element 53, a spool 54, a magnet 55, and a spring 56.
The case 51 has a substantially cylindrical shape and is provided with cavities 51a and 51b at the ends thereof, respectively. The cavities 51a and 51b each has a substantially cylindrical shape. The cavities 51a and 51b having respective bottom surfaces facing each other.
The cavity 51a is formed in the +z-side end of the case 51. An internal thread portion 51c is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the cavity 51a. The holder 52 is provided inside the cavity 51a.
The holder 52 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and an external thread portion 52a is formed therearound. The holder 52 is provided in a height-adjustable manner (a position in the z direction) inside the cavity 51a by screwing the external thread portion 52a with the internal thread portion 51c.
A substrate 53a including the Hall element 53 is provided on the bottom surface (the surface on the −z side) of the holder 52. In a state in which the holder 52 is disposed inside the cavity 51a, the center axis of the Hall element 53 substantially matches a center axis ax of the case 51.
Three cables 52c, 52d, and 52e connected to the Hall element 53 are provided in the holder 52. The cable 52c is for a power source (GND), the cable 52d is for a power source (+5 V), and the cable 52e is for a signal output (a voltage V1) of the Hall element 53.
The cavity 51b is formed in the −z-side end of the case 51. The cavity 51b mainly includes the cavity 511 and the cavity 512. The diameter of the cavity 511 is greater than the diameter of the cavity 512. Center axes of the cavities 511 and 512 match the center axis ax of the case 51.
The spool 54 is provided inside the cavity 51b. The spool 54 is a member having a substantially cylindrical shape. The spool 54 mainly includes a front end portion 54a, a flange portion 54b, and a rear end portion 54c.
The front end portion 54a is inserted into the cavity 512. The flange portion 54b has a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the cavity 511 and is inserted into the cavity 511. When the spool 54 is provided inside the cavity 51b, the center axis of the front end portion 54a and the center axis of the flange portion 54b match the center axis ax.
The spool 54 slides the inside of the cavity 51b along the center axis ax (in the z-direction). Thus, the spool 54 divides the cavity 51b into a high-pressure side space S3, which is formed by the cavity 512 and the flange portion 54b, and a low-pressure side space S4, which is formed by the cavity 511 and the flange portion 54b.
The high-pressure side space S3 communicates with the space S1 (see
The spool 54 is provided with the magnet 55. When the spool 54 is disposed inside the cavity 51b, the magnet 55 is disposed on a surface opposed to a bottom surface 513 of the cavity 51b of the spool 54. In other words, the magnet 55 is provided on the side opposite to the Hall element 53 with the bottom surface 513 interposed therebetween.
The spring 56 has one end provided on the rear end portion 54c and the other end secured to the case 51 via an E-ring 56a. The spring 56 urges a force on the spool 54 in a direction from the cavity 511 toward the cavity 512 (a force in the +z direction). The spool 54 is capable of moving in the +z direction by the urging force of the spring 56 until the flange portion 54b contacts a bottom surface 514 of the cavity 511.
Next, an action of the differential pressure detection unit 5 will be described. When, for example, clogging of the filtration member 12 does not occur and a pressure difference between the space S1 (the space S3) and the space S2 (the space S4) (hereinafter referred to as a differential pressure) is less than or equal to a threshold value, the spool 54 is at a position (the position illustrated in
In contrast, when the pressure in the space S1 (the space S3) increases because of, for example, clogging of the filtration member 12, the spool 54 is moved downward (in the −z direction) against the urging force of the spring 56. In this way, the spool 54 is displaced according to the differential pressure. As the spool 54 moves downward, the magnet 55 also moves downward.
The Hall element 53 detects a change in a magnetic flux density based on the amount of displacement of the magnet 55 and outputs a voltage in response to the change in the magnetic flux density. An output signal from the Hall element 53 is a minute analog voltage. The use of the Hall element 53 allows the differential pressure detection unit 5 to continuously detect the differential pressures.
The temperature/flow rate acquisition unit 25 acquires a flow rate and a temperature of the liquid flowing into the filtration device 2. For example, a flow rate sensor having a temperature measurement function can be used for the temperature/flow rate acquisition unit 25. The flow rate and the temperature of the liquid acquired by the temperature/flow rate acquisition unit 25 is input to the life predicting unit 8.
The differential pressure detection unit 5 mainly includes a Hall sensor IC 57, a thermistor 58, and a correction unit 59. The Hall sensor IC 57 and the thermistor 58 are each connected to the correction unit 59. The Hall sensor IC 57, the thermistor 58, and the correction unit 59 are provided on the substrate 53a (see
The Hall sensor IC 57 is formed by incorporating the Hall element 53 and a signal conversion circuit into a package, and is provided on the substrate 53a. The Hall sensor IC 57 adjusts and amplifies the minute analog voltage output by the Hall element 53. The output from the Hall sensor IC 57 (referred to as a voltage V2) is input to the correction unit 59.
The thermistor 58 acquires the temperature of the Hall sensor IC 57, and is provided in the vicinity of the Hall sensor IC 57. The temperature acquired by the thermistor 58 is input to the correction unit 59.
The correction unit 59 corrects the voltage V2 input from the Hall sensor IC 57 into the voltage V1 proportional to the differential pressure. The correction unit 59 may be an analog circuit, or may be a processor that reads and executes a program stored in a storage unit. The correction unit 59 mainly includes an output characteristic correction unit 59a, a temperature characteristic correction unit 59b, and a magnetic field change correction unit 59c.
The output characteristic correction unit 59a is a basic function unit of the correction unit 59. Even though the change in a magnetic field is constant, the output from the Hall element 53 (the voltage V2) changes curvilinearly. The output characteristic correction unit 59a corrects this curvilinear change into a straight line. To achieve the correction unit 59 by an analog circuit, a non-linear amplifier is used for the output characteristic correction unit 59a.
As illustrated in
The temperature characteristic correction unit 59b corrects the voltage V2 based on the temperature acquired by the thermistor 58. To achieve the correction unit 59 by an analog circuit, a non-linear amplifier is used for the temperature characteristic correction unit 59b.
Note that in the present embodiment, the temperature characteristic correction unit 59b corrects the voltage V2 by correcting the voltage V3 linearly corrected by the output characteristic correction unit 59a, but may directly correct the voltage V2.
The magnetic field change correction unit 59c corrects the voltage V2 so that the distance between the magnet 55 and the Hall element 53 (namely, the differential pressure) is proportional to the strength of the magnetic field. To achieve the correction unit 59 by an analog circuit, a non-linear amplifier is used for the magnetic field change correction unit 59c.
The correction unit 59 performs correction on the voltage V2 by the output characteristic correction unit 59a, correction by the temperature characteristic correction unit 59b, and correction by the magnetic field change correction unit 59c to correct the voltage V2 to the voltage V1 proportional to the differential pressure. This facilitates processing by the life predicting unit 8. The correction unit 59 outputs the voltage V1 to the life predicting unit 8.
However, the magnetic field change correction unit 59c is not essential, and the correction of the voltage V2 by the magnetic field change correction unit 59c is not essential as well. Since the correction of the voltage V2 by the magnetic field change correction unit 59c is supplementary, even when the magnetic field change correction unit 59c does not correct the voltage V2, the voltage V1 corrected by the correction unit 59 is proportional to the differential pressure.
The life predicting unit 8 is configured by, for example, a computer, and includes a CPU and a memory. The life predicting unit 8 mainly includes a control unit 81, a storage unit 82, and an output unit 83. The storage unit 82 is a memory, and is constituted by a Random Access Memory (RAM), which is a volatile storage device, or a Read Only Memory (ROM), which is a non-volatile storage device. The output unit 83 includes an output device, such as a display, and an interface (I/F) connecting the control unit 81 and other devices.
The storage unit 82 stores differential pressure characteristics indicating a relationship between the differential pressure and an attached dust amount, which is an amount of dust attached to the filtration member.
The vertical axis in
When the attached dust amount is small, the differential pressure increases little by little in association with the increase in attached dust amount. Meanwhile, when the attached dust amount is increased, the differential pressure increases greatly in association with the increase in attached dust amount. In the present embodiment, a time point at which the differential pressure becomes a terminal differential pressure, which is found by adding a predetermined pressure (here, 100 kPa) to the differential pressure before the dust is put (an initial differential pressure) is determined as life-up (the life comes at the end=the remaining life is 0%). An elapsed time to the life-up in the differential pressure characteristics (a life-up time) is included in the differential pressure characteristics and is stored in the storage unit 82. Note that the predetermined pressure is not limited to 100 kPa.
The differential pressure characteristics are changed by flow rate or viscosity (namely, a fluid temperature), so the differential pressure characteristics need to be obtained under a condition that the flow rate and the temperature of the hydraulic oil are constant. Therefore, a plurality of the conditions for the flow rate and the viscosity of the hydraulic oil are determined, and the differential pressure measured under these conditions is preliminarily stored in the storage unit 82.
In the present embodiment, in addition to the differential pressure characteristics (denoted as differential pressure characteristics A) illustrated in
The storage unit 82 stores information indicative of the relationship between the voltage V1 and the differential pressure.
The control unit 81 is achieved by reading out a predetermined program stored in the ROM into the RAM and executing the program by a Central Processing Unit (CPU). The control unit 81 mainly includes an attached dust amount sensing unit 81a and a remaining life calculation unit 81b.
The attached dust amount sensing unit 81a senses the attached dust amount attached to the filtration member 12 based on the voltage V1 output from the correction unit 59, that is, the differential pressure, and the differential pressure characteristics stored in the storage unit 82. The attached dust amount sensing unit 81a determines which condition A, B, or C is the closest to the flow rate and the temperature (that is, the viscosity) acquired by the temperature/flow rate acquisition unit 25, and senses the attached dust amount using the differential pressure characteristics associated with the closest condition. Note that, since the temperature is proportional to the viscosity, determining the temperature unambiguously determines the viscosity.
For example, assume that when the flow rate and the viscosity acquired by the temperature/flow rate acquisition unit 25 are the closest to the condition A, the Hall element 53 performs detection at any given time during which the filtration device 2 filtrates a hydraulic oil and the voltage V1 output from the correction unit 59 is 0.6 V. First, the attached dust amount sensing unit 81a refers to information indicating the relationship between the voltage V1 and the differential pressure illustrated in
The remaining life calculation unit 81b obtains a remaining life indicating how long the filtration member can be used (a remaining time) based on the attached dust amount and the differential pressure characteristics. The remaining life calculation unit 81b obtains the remaining life using the differential pressure characteristics selected by the attached dust amount sensing unit 81a. Hereinafter, the description will be given with an example in which the attached dust amount sensing unit 81a acquires the value on the horizontal axis of the differential pressure characteristics A.
Next, the remaining life calculation unit 81b obtains a percentage of the distance II when the distance I is defined as 100%. Here, the distance II is approximately 75% of the distance I. Therefore, the remaining life calculation unit 81b obtains that the remaining life of the filtration member 12 is approximately 25%. Additionally, the remaining life calculation unit 81b obtains the time of the remaining life based on the percentage of the remaining life. For example, in a case where the life-up time is approximately 1000 hours, the remaining life calculation unit 81b obtains the remaining life time (the remaining usable time) as approximately 250 hours (approximately 1000 hours×0.25).
In other words, the attached dust amount sensing unit 81a obtains the time corresponding to the differential pressure in the differential pressure characteristics, and the remaining life calculation unit 81b obtains the remaining life based on a ratio between the time obtained by the attached dust amount sensing unit 81a and the life-up time.
According to the present embodiment, the remaining time is obtained using the differential pressure as the pressure difference between the high pressure side and the low pressure side in the filtration device 2, and therefore how long the filtration member can be used (the remaining time) can be predicted. For example, with the use of a differential pressure detection device using a reed switch, the reed switch only turns on and off at a predetermined differential pressure, and thus a user can know only that the differential pressure has reached the predetermined pressure. In contrast, in the present embodiment, since the voltage proportional to the differential pressure is continuously obtained using the Hall element 53, the user can obtain the differential pressure other than the predetermined differential pressure, thereby ensuring predicting the remaining life accurately.
In addition, in the present embodiment, since the differential pressure detection unit 5 continuously detects the differential pressure, the remaining life can be continuously calculated. Thus, the user can know the remaining life at any timing, and this facilitates inventory management of the filter element 3.
In addition, according to the present embodiment, since the remaining life is obtained using the differential pressure characteristics obtained by actual measurement, the remaining life can be accurately predicted. In addition, the differential pressure characteristics under a plurality conditions in which the flow rate and the viscosity of the hydraulic oil differ are preliminarily stored, and the remaining life is obtained using the differential pressure characteristics under the conditions closest to the flow rate and the temperature of the fluid filtered by the filtration device 2. Accordingly, even when the flow rate or the viscosity of the hydraulic oil changes due to, for example, a change in a usage environment, the remaining life can be accurately calculated.
The time to the life-up of the filtration member 12 possibly changes depending on the environment in which the filtration device 2 is used. For example, the use of the filtration device 2 under a dust-rich environment increases the attached dust amount to the filtration member 12 per unit time, shortening the life of the filtration member 12. In addition, the use of the filtration device 2 under in an environment with a small dust amount reduces the attached dust amount to the filtration member 12 per unit time, lengthening the life of the filtration member 12. The second embodiment of the present invention has a configuration that corrects the remaining life according to the usage environment. Hereinafter, a filter life predicting apparatus 1A according to the second embodiment will be described below. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference signs, and description of the components is omitted.
The life predicting unit 8A is configured by, for example, a computer, and includes a CPU and a memory. The life predicting unit 8A mainly includes a control unit 81A, the storage unit 82, and the output unit 83. The control unit 81A is achieved by reading a predetermined program stored in the ROM into the RAM and executing the program by the Central Processing Unit (CPU) and mainly includes the attached dust amount sensing unit 81a and a remaining life calculation unit 81c.
The remaining life calculation unit 81c obtains a remaining life indicating how long the filtration member can be used (the remaining time) based on the attached dust amount and the differential pressure characteristics. The remaining life calculation unit 81c differs from the remaining life calculation unit 81b in that the remaining life is corrected based on the continuously detected differential pressures. Hereinafter, a point that the remaining life calculation unit 81c corrects the remaining life based on the continuously detected differential pressures will be described.
Note that the remaining life calculation unit 81c continuously obtains the remaining lives, obtains the remaining life of the filtration member 12 at the time T1 at the time point of the elapse of the time T1, and obtains the remaining life of the filtration member 12 at the time T2 at the time point of the elapse of the time T2.
Next, the remaining life calculation unit 81c obtains the elapsed time between the remaining life of the filtration member 12 at the time T1 and the remaining life of the filtration member 12 at the time T2 in the differential pressure characteristics (the elapsed time between the time T1 and the time T2 in the differential pressure characteristics). Here, the difference between the distance III and the distance IV when the distance I is defined as 100% is 5%, and therefore, in a case where the life-up time is approximately 1000 hours, the remaining life calculation unit 81c calculates that between the time T1 and the time T2 is approximately 50 hours.
The remaining life calculation unit 81c corrects the horizontal axis of the differential pressure characteristics, namely, the life-up time, based on the result of comparison between the elapsed time between the time T1 and the time T2 in the differential pressure characteristics and the elapsed time between the actual time T1 and the actual time T2. For example, in a case time between the actual time T1 and the actual time T2 are approximately 25 hours and the time obtained from the difference between the distance III and the distance IV is approximately 50 hours, the remaining life calculation unit 81c halves the horizontal axis and the life-up time of the differential pressure characteristics. For example, in a case where the life-up time is approximately 1000 hours, the remaining life calculation unit 81c calculates the life-up time as approximately 500 hours (approximately 1000 hours×½).
Then, the remaining life calculation unit 81c corrects the remaining life time (the remaining usable time) from the time T2 based on the corrected differential pressure characteristics (the life-up time). For example, in a case where the life-up time is corrected into approximately 500 hours, the remaining life calculation unit 81c obtains the remaining life time from the time T2 as approximately 100 hours (approximately 500 hours×0.2).
According to the present embodiment, regardless of the environment in which the filtration device 2 is used, the accurate remaining life can be obtained. For example, the filtration device 2 used in the dust-rich environment increases the attached dust amount per unit time, thereby shortening the life-up time. As such, since the remaining life changes depending on the usage environment of the filtration device 2, correcting the life-up time based on the differential pressures measured at different times allows obtaining the appropriate remaining life according to the usage environment. In addition, after the usage environment of the filtration device 2 changes, the remaining life is obtained at two different times, and the remaining life is corrected based on the result and the differential pressure characteristics, thus ensuring correcting the remaining life according to the change in the usage environment.
The embodiments of the invention are described above in detail with reference to the drawings. However, specific configurations are not limited to the embodiments and also include changes in design or the like without departing from the gist of the invention. A person skilled in the art can appropriately change, add, and convert each element in the embodiments.
Additionally, in the present disclosure, “substantially” is a concept not only including the case of being strictly the same, but also including an error and deformation to the extent that a loss of identity does not occur. For example, “substantially parallel” is not limited to the case of being strictly parallel, and is, for example, a concept including some errors. Additionally, for example, the case of expressing “parallel,” “orthogonal,” “matching,” and the like includes not only the case of being strictly parallel, orthogonal, matching, and the like, but also the case of being substantially parallel, substantially orthogonal, substantially matching, and the like. Additionally, in the present disclosure, “vicinity” means to include a region in a certain range (the range can be determined arbitrarily) near a reference position. For example, the case of expressing “in the vicinity of A” is a concept that a region in a certain range near A may include A or may not include A.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-231947 | Dec 2018 | JP | national |
This application is a continuation application of International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2019/046956 filed on Dec. 2, 2019, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-231947 filed on Dec. 11, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20210285803 A1 | Sep 2021 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2019/046956 | Dec 2019 | US |
| Child | 17336983 | US |
