US 4,359,330 AGranted

Self-cleaning pulsed air cleaner with integral precleaner

AssigneeDonaldson Company, Inc.

InventorGeorge A. Copley

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Abstract

An air cleaning method and apparatus is disclosed in several embodiments. In one set of embodiments, there is described an air cleaning method and apparatus in which air to be cleaned is drawn toward and through a filter in a particular direction. Periodically, reverse pulses of air are directed through the filter in a direction opposite to normal flow to interrupt the flow of air and to dislodge collected particles from the uncleaned air side of the filter and to enable migration of the particles toward the downstream lower end of the filter. In accordance with other embodiments of the present invention, there is described the addition of inertial precleaner devices located proximate the unfiltered side of each filter for inertially separating heavy particulate matter from the uncleaned air prior to filtration. In addition, the inertial precleaner devices may have closure means operable during the periodic reverse pulse cleaning to remove the dislodged collected particles and prevent reentrainment on the filter.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A cleaner apparatus for removing particulate matter from air, comprising, in combination:

(a) a housing having an unfiltered air inlet, a filtered air outlet and a scavenge means distant from said inlet whereby an air flow may be established from said inlet to said outlet and from said inlet to said scavenge means;
(b) a filter assembly within said housing including:
(1) a filter having unfiltered and filtered sides, said filtered side being isolated from unfiltered air and wherein said isolated side is in fluid communication with said filtered air outlet:
(2) a louvered precleaner located proximate said unfiltered side and defining an intermediate space between said unfiltered side and said precleaner, said precleaner including a divider plate having a plurality of successive louvers therein, each of said louvers defining a passageway through said divider into said intermediate space, said passageways facing generally in the direction of said air flow from said air inlet to said scavenge means whereby said louvers will cause inertial separation of particulate matter suspended in said air flow;
(3) a reverse pulsed jet located proximate said filtered air side, said jet intermittently operable to provide a reverse flow of air through said filter and out of said unfiltered side so that particulate matter will become dislodged therefrom and enter said intermediate space;
(4) closure means responsive to said reverse flow for blocking each of said passageways;
and
(5) outlet means in said intermediate space for putting said space in fluid communication with said scavenge means and for constantly exhausting said reverse flow out of said space so that particulate matter suspended in said flow will tend not to be re-entrained on said unfiltered air side.

5 more elements

A cleaner for removing particulate matter from said, comprising, in combination:

(a) a housing having a top, bottom, and first and second horizontally spaced ends and an air inlet, air outlet and scavenge means for establishing a flow of air from said inlet to said outlet and from said inlet to said scavenge means;
(b) a filter extending longitudinally in said housing including:
(1) a generally V-shaped filter element having first and second halves, each half having inner and outer faces, said halves being joined at one end, forming an interior space being divided into a plurality of separate regions, and being spaced apart at the other end,
(c) reverse cleaning means directed into each of said regions to intermittently provide a pulse of air toward said regions of said filter so as to momentarily dislodge particulate matter from said outer faces;
(d) precleaner means proximate each of said outer faces for inertially separating out particulate matter from said uncleaned air constructed so as to cause said uncleaned air to undergo a partial change in direction, thereby enabling the separation of paticulate matter, said precleaner means including:
(1) louvered dividers located proximate said outer faces of said filter element halves and defining an intermediate space between said dividers and said outer faces, said dividers having a plurality of louvers which provide passageways through said dividers, said louvers being oriented so that said passageways generally face away from the flow of uncleaned air, whereby the uncleaned flowing from said inlet to said scavenge means air must reverse direction to enter said passageways and whereby the heavier particulate matter will be inertially separated;
(e) closure means for closing said passageways when said reverse cleaning means are activated;
(f) outlet means in said intermediate space for exhausting said reverse pulse of air from said intermediate space to said scavenge means whereby dislodged particulate matter may be scavenged from said filter.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/242,999Filed 12 Mar 1981 · continuation in part
Priority: 10 Oct 1980
Granted: 16 Nov 1982
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B01D 46/521
Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, using filters embodying folded corrugated or wound sheet material: using folded, pleated material
B01D 46/12
Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, using filter plates, sheets or pads having plane surfaces: in multiple arrangements
B01D 46/121
In multiple arrangements: v-type arrangements
B01D 46/4281
Auxiliary equipment or operation thereof: venturi's or systems showing a venturi effect