System method and apparatus for high pressure liquid jet cleaning of sintered filters

A system comprising:

• a sintered filter having a housing having an inner wall and a sintered filter element comprising bound metal particles defining non-linear pore paths between the bound metal particles, the sintered filter element being disposed within the housing in such a way as to define spaces between the inner wall of the housing and the sintered filter element through which a fluid being filtered flows through the housing, the housing having an inlet and an outlet, the sintered filter element having an open end and a closed end, the open end of the sintered filter element located at the outlet of the housing;
• a cleaning fluid source;
• a cleaning nozzle having an inlet end coupled to the cleaning fluid source and at least two outlet ports for outputting cleaning fluid injected through the cleaning nozzle, the cleaning nozzle being inserted into the sintered filter such that the cleaning nozzle extends through the outlet of the housing and the open end of the sintered filter element and into an inner volume defined by the sintered filter element, and the cleaning nozzle having an external width that is less than an internal width of the outlet of the housing such that a space
• through which cleaning fluid can flow is defined between an outer surface of the cleaning nozzle and the inner surface of the outlet of the housing;
• and a holder for supporting the sintered filter, the holder being attached to the sintered filter at the inlet of the housing.