# US 10,500,528 B2 · Clogging estimation method and filter monitoring system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,500,528 B2 - Document ID: US10500528B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/523,344 - Filed: 2015-10-13 - Published: 2017-08-31 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2014-10-30 - Assignees: Think-Lands Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Think-Lands Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kunio Miyaji; Kenji Furuki; Hitoshi Era; Kei Mori; Kazuo Kawaguchi; Hidetsugu Yamaguchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10500528B2 ## CPC - B01D 35/143: Filter condition indicators - B01D 2201/56: Wireless systems for monitoring the filter - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) ## Abstract The ability to estimate a filter clog by a means other than measuring fluid pressure is presented. The filter monitoring system of the present disclosure comprises a vibration data transmission unit, which is mounted on a filtration device, detecting filter vibrations associated with the operation of filtration device described above, sending such as vibration data, and a clog estimation unit, which detects the phenomenon of declining vibration value caused by a filter clog, estimating the degree of blockage for the filter described above. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A clog estimation method comprising: detecting vibration of a filtration device comprising a filter, the filtration device configured to receive fluid from a first pipe, filter the fluid by the filter, and discharge the fluid to a second pipe; and estimating a degree of clogging of the filter by detecting a phenomenon of reduction in a vibration value caused by a filter clog based at least in part on the vibration of the filtration device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The clog estimation method of claim 1 further comprising: reducing noise vibration from vibration data of the filtration device; and estimating the degree of clogging of the filter using the vibration value of the vibration data after reducing the noise vibration from the vibration data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The clog estimation method of claim 2 further comprising: detecting second vibration data of the filtration device, an effect of the vibration of the filtration device on the second vibration data is less than the effect of the vibration of the filtration device on the vibration data of the filtration device; reducing the noise vibration from vibration data of the filtration device based at least in part on the second vibration data; and estimating the degree of clogging of the filter using the vibration value of vibration data after reducing the noise vibration from the vibration data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The clog estimation method of claim 2 further comprising: identifying filter property data representing characteristics related to the vibration of the filtration device from the vibration data of the filtration device transmitted by a transmitter; estimating the degree of clogging of the filter using the vibration value of the vibration data using the filter property after reducing the noise vibration from the vibration data. ### Claim 5 A filter monitoring system comprising: a vibration data transmission unit mounted to a filtration device, the filtration device configured to receive fluid from a first pipe, filter the fluid by a filter included in the filtration device, and discharge the fluid to a second pipe, the vibration data transmission unit detects vibration data comprising vibration of the filter caused during operation of the filtration device and transmits the vibration data, and a clog estimation unit, which estimates the degree of clogging of the filter by detecting a phenomenon of reduction in a vibration value caused by a filter clog in a filter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The filter monitoring system of claim 5 further comprising: a second clog estimation unit installed at a location of the filtration device such that a vibrational impact caused by the filter on the second clog estimation unit is less than the vibrational impact on the clog estimation unit, wherein the second clog estimation unit detects second vibration data comprising noise vibration and transmits the second vibration data, the clog estimation unit reduces the noise vibration from the vibration data based at least in part on the vibration data and the second vibration data, estimate, and estimates the degree of clogging of the filter based at least in part on the vibration data with reduced noise vibration. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The filter monitoring system of claim 6 wherein the clog estimation unit reduces the noise vibration from vibration data by subtracting the second vibration data from vibration data described above. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The filter monitoring system of claim 6 wherein a number of the second vibration data transmission unit equals to a number of the vibration data transmission unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The filter monitoring system of claim 6 wherein a number of the vibration data transmission unit is greater than a number of the second vibration data transmission unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The filter monitoring system of claim 6 wherein the clog estimation unit: Calculates, at during a filtration process, relationship data representing the relationship between a plurality of noise vibration of a respective plurality of second vibration data transmission units using a plurality of vibration data detected by the plurality of second vibration transmission units, and reduces, during a later filtration process, the noise vibration of the plurality of vibration data of the plurality of vibration data transmission units based at least in part on the relationship data and the second vibration data of one second vibration data transmission unit installed corresponding to the plurality of vibration data transmission units. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The filter monitoring system of claim 5 wherein the clog estimation unit stores noise vibration data detected during non-operation time of the filtration device, and reduces noise vibration from the vibration data, based at least in part on the noise vibration data. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) The filter monitoring system of claim 5 wherein the clog estimation unit reduces noise vibration from the vibration data based at least part on filter property data representing characteristics related to the filter vibration, the filter property data is identified from vibration data. ### Claim 13 (depends on 5) The filter monitoring system of claim 5 wherein the clog estimation unit reduces noise vibration from the vibration data based at least in part on comparison between the vibration data detected during the operation and non-operation of the filtration device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The filter monitoring system of claim 12 further comprising a clog estimation unit identifies the filter property data by analyzing vibration patterns for a plurality of frequency ranges of the vibration data, the filter property data comprises a frequency range of the plurality of frequency ranges, the vibration value decreases in the frequency range as the filter clogs, and estimates the degree of clogging of the filter using the vibration value of the frequency range. ### Claim 15 (depends on 5) The filter monitoring system of claim 5 further comprising a server unit controlling the filter monitoring system, wherein the clog estimation unit reduces noise vibration from the vibration data using filter property data supplied by the server unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 7) The filter monitoring system of claim 7 wherein a number of the second vibration data transmission unit equals to a number of the vibration data transmission unit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 7) The filter monitoring system of claim 7 wherein a number of the vibration data transmission unit is greater than a number of the second vibration data transmission unit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The filter monitoring system of claim 12 wherein the clog estimation unit reduces noise vibration from the vibration data based at least in part on comparison between the vibration data detected during the operation and non-operation of the filtration device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The clog estimation method of claim 1 wherein the filtration device is disposed in a housing, and the detecting the vibration of the filtration device comprises detecting vibration of the housing. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The clog estimation method of claim 1 wherein the fluid comprises liquid. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The clog estimation method of claim 1 further comprising estimating a time for replacing the filter based at least in part on the vibration value and a threshold value. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The clog estimation method of claim 1 wherein the vibration of the filtration device is at least one of x-axis vibration, y-axis vibration, or z-axis vibration. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The clog estimation method of claim 1 further comprising: detecting pressure in the filtration device, wherein the vibration value decreases as a pressure value of the pressure increases as the filter clogs; and estimating the degree of the clogging of the filter based at least in part on the vibration value and the pressure value. ### Claim 24 (depends on 5) The filter monitoring system of claim 5 wherein the clog estimation unit determines a pattern of change in the vibration value and detects the phenomenon of reduction in the vibration value based at least in part on the pattern. ### Claim 25 (depends on 5) The filter monitoring system of claim 5 wherein the clog estimation unit set a threshold value when the filter is installed to the filtration device, and identifies reduction in the vibration value when the vibration value is below the threshold value. ### Claim 26 (depends on 5) The filter monitoring system of claim 5 wherein the clog estimation unit notifies a user a time for preparing to replace the filter and a time for replacing the filter based at least in part on the degree of clogging of the filter. ### Claim 27 (depends on 5) The filter monitoring system of claim 5 wherein the vibration data transmission unit comprises a vibration detector attached to an outer periphery of the filtration device and a transmitter, the vibration detector configured to detect the vibration data, and the transmitter configured to transmit the vibration data.