US 5,632,902 A · Filtering method and apparatus including valves with valve plugs of a cooled fluid substance

Abstract

Filtering apparatus including two or more passages acting in parallel, each having an extended filter which passes through inlet and outlet ports preferably sealed by substantially solidified plugs of the flowable substance such as polymer being filtered. The flow of such substance through an initially open passage can be terminated so as to permit filter advance under conditions of zero pressure drop whilst flow through the other passage or passages continues. In an additional or alternative mode, flow from a common inlet into a passage is terminated and a secondary outlet conduit in that passage is opened. This creates a counterflow caused by the pressure of substance from the other passage or passages which cleans the filter. Either or any passage or conduit is sealed or valved by a substantially solidified valve plug made of the flowable substance being filtered, said plug being extrudable subsequently when the passage or conduit requires opening to flow. A valve suitable for use in a secondary outlet has a side passage in which a valve plug is formed of a flowable substance in a sufficiently solidified state, having also means for forcing the valve plug into the flow so that the flow of substance can be stopped. A diverter valve may be constructed from two or more such flow valves.

Claims88

Dependent claims

Apparatus for filtering fluid substances comprising a filter body, a filter carrying passage conduit in the filter body having an inlet communicable with a source of a fluid substance, an outlet, means for disposing a filter part in the filter carrying passage conduit between the inlet and outlet and a non-filter carrying conduit through which the substance may pass comprising a flow control means including at least one valve plug means for controlling flow of the substance in a conduit, each valve plug means in a conduit in turn comprising:

(a) a side passage extending laterally from and in flow communication with such conduit;
(b) cooling means for the side passage to form therein a valve plug of solidified substance which plug when moved into said conduit is capable of stopping flow therein;
and
(c) plug moving means for moving the valve plug from the side passage into such conduit so as to stop the flow of the substance therethrough.

1 more element

Apparatus for filtering a flowable substance such as hot polymer comprising a body means having at least two filtering chambers therein, each of which has:

(a) an inlet for material to be filtered and an outlet for filtered material and a secondary outlet for removing collected contaminants;
(b) a filter, a filter inlet port for each of said filtering chambers and a filter outlet port from each of said chambers such that the filter can be passed into, through and out of each chamber;
(c) sealing means including sealing plugs formed in the inlet and outlet ports for sealing the filtering chamber against leakage where the filter enters and leaves the filtering chamber;
and
(d) means for introducing fresh filter medium into the filtering chamber through the filter inlet port and for removing used filter medium through the filter outlet port;
wherein the outlets for filtered substance of the filtering chambers communicate, the apparatus further including flow control means capable of permitting flow of such flowable substance from a source thereof into the inlet of the first filtering chamber, through a filter part situated therein and from the outlet thereof, while preventing such flow from said source into and through the second filtering chamber;
and for alternatively permitting flow of such flowable substance from said source into the second filtering chamber, through a filter part situated therein and from the outlet thereof while preventing such flow from said source into and through the first filtering chamber, the said flow control means including at least one valve which has
(a) a conduit through which the flow is controlled,
(b) at least one side passage extending laterally from and in flow communication with said conduit;
(c) cooling means for each such side passage, capable of forming therein a valve plug of substantially solidified substance while flow of such substance is still permitted through the conduit in flow communication with one of said passages;
(d) plug moving means for moving the valve plug from a side passage into the conduit so as to stop the flow of such substance therethrough;
and
(e) heating means permitting the softening of said valve plug and its subsequent movement out of said conduit when the re-establishment of flow through the conduit is desired.

10 more elements

A process for filtering a flowable substance in apparatus having a filter body containing at least two filtering chambers provided with filters, each filtering chamber being provided with

(a) an inlet for introducing material to be filtered and an outlet for filtered material to exit from,
(b) an inlet port and an outlet port for the filter to be passed into, through and out of said filtering chamber,
(c) filter sealing means including sealing plugs formed in the inlet and outlet ports sealing the filter against leakage as it passes through the inlet and outlet ports;
and
(d) means for selectively introducing a fresh filter part into one or another filtering chamber through its inlet port and for removing a used filter part through its outlet port;
the outlets for filtered material of the filtering chambers communicating;
the process including steps of selectively permitting flow of a flowable substance from a source thereof into and through a second filtering chamber whilst stopping flow in the first filtering chamber, thus creating a condition of substantially zero pressure drop across a filter part in the first filtering chamber, and introducing a fresh filter part into the first filtering chamber and removing a used filter part therefrom;
and alternatively selectively permitting flow of such material from a source thereof into and through the first filtering chamber whilst stopping flow in a second filtering chamber, thus creating a condition of substantially zero pressure drop across a filter part in the second filtering chamber and introducing a fresh filter part into the second filtering chamber and removing a used filter part from the second filtering chamber whilst flow in its is so prevented, wherein the step of preventing such flow in such a filtering chamber includes the further steps of
(a) providing at least one side passage extending laterally from and in flow communication with the inlet conduit of each filtering chamber;
(b) cooling at least one side passage to form therein a valve plug of substantially solidified substance whilst flow of such substance is still permitted through the inlet conduit of the filtering chamber in flow communication with said side passage, and
(c) urging the substantially solidified valve plug from such a side passage into the associated inlet conduit so as to prevent flow of such substance in the inlet conduit, and
(d) removing said valve plug from the inlet conduit when flow within that conduit is to be re-established.

9 more elements

A process of filtering a flowable substance in apparatus comprising at least two filtering chambers provided with filters, each of which has

(a) an inlet conduit for substance to be filtered and an outlet for filtered substance;
(b) an inlet port and an outlet port for a filter which passes through the filtering chamber;
(c) sealing means including sealing plugs for the filter inlet and outlet ports;
(d) means for selectively introducing a fresh filter part into one or another filtering chamber through its inlet port and for removing a used filter part through its outlet port;
and
(e) a secondary outlet for each filtering chamber positioned between the inlet conduit of the filtering chamber and the filter part in use within the filtering chamber, the secondary outlet being selectively controllable so as to either prevent or permit removal of the flowable substance from the filtering chamber;
the process including the steps of selectively permitting flow of such substance from a source thereof into the inlet conduit of a second filtering chamber;
exposing the second filtering chamber to the pressure of substance exiting from the first filtering chamber and permitting flow of substance through the secondary outlet of the second filtering chamber so as to create a counterflow of substance through a filter part situated within the second filtering chamber;
and likewise selectively permitting flow of such substance from a source thereof into the inlet conduit of the second filtering chamber whilst preventing such flow into the inlet conduit of the first filtering chamber;
exposing the first filtering chamber to the pressure of substance exiting from the second filtering chamber and permitting flow of substance through the secondary outlet of the first filtering chamber so as to create a counterflow of substance through a filter part situated within the first filtering chamber;
each secondary outlet being provided with a valve which has
(a) a conduit through which flow is controlled;
(b) at least one side passage extending laterally from and in flow communication with said conduit;
(c) cooling means for each side passage, operable to form therein a valve plug of substantially solidified substance, and
(d) means for urging the valve plug from the side passage into the conduit so as to stop the flow of substance therethrough, and
(e) heating means for re-softening and removal of the valve plug when reopening of the conduit is required.

13 more elements

A process for filtering a substantially fluid substance using apparatus including a filter body containing at least two filtering chambers provided with filters and providing each filtering chamber with

(a) an inlet conduit for substance to be filtered and an outlet for filtered substance;
(b) an inlet port and an exit port through which a filter is passed into, through and out of the filtering chamber,
(c) means for selectively introducing a fresh filter part into the filtering chamber through its inlet port and for removing a used filter part through its outlet port;
and
(d) cooling means for forming seals in the filter inlet and outlet ports in the form of plugs of the substance being filtered or of another substance, the plugs being movable during the movement of the filter;
the process including the steps of selectively permitting flow of substance from a source thereof into the inlet conduit of a first filtering chamber, through a filter part therein and from the outlet thereof, whilst preventing such flow into and through a second filtering chamber, exposing the second filtering chamber to the pressure of substance exiting from the first filtering chamber and using such pressure to effect or assist movement of a filter in the second filtering chamber by the movement of a sealing plug, situated in the outlet port, in the direction of filter advance;
and likewise selectively permitting flow of substance from a source thereof into the inlet conduit of the second filtering chamber, through a filter part therein and from the outlet thereof, whilst preventing such flow into and through the first filtering chamber, exposing the first filtering chamber to the pressure of substance exiting from the second filtering chamber and using such pressure to effect or assist movement of a filter in the first filtering chamber by moving the sealing plug in which it is embedded in the direction of filter advance;
wherein the step of preventing such flow in such a filtering chamber includes the further steps of
(a) providing at least one side passage extending laterally from and in flow communication with the inlet conduit of the filtering chamber in which flow is to be stopped,
(b) cooling said side passage so as to form in it a valve plug of substantially solidified substance whilst the flow of such substance is still permitted through the communicating inlet conduit of the filtering chamber;
and
(c) urging the substantially solidified valve plug from the side passage in which it was formed into the inlet conduit of the filtering chamber through which flow is to be stopped, and
(d) re-heating said valve plug when its removal is required so that flow through said filtering chamber can be re-established.

10 more elements

A process for filtering a flowable substance in filtering apparatus provided with at least two filtering chambers provided with filters, each of which has

(a) an inlet conduit for substance to be filtered and an outlet for filtered substance;
(b) a perforated filter support for supporting a filter part disposed across the filtering chamber and situated between its filter inlet port and outlet port;
(c) a secondary outlet situated between the substance inlet of said filtering chamber and the filter part therein;
and
(d) thermal and mechanical control means for selectively permitting or preventing flow of substance through the secondary outlet by the controlled formation and movement of a valve plug of the substantially solidified substance;
the process including the steps of selectively permitting flow of such material from a source thereof into the inlet of a first filtering chamber whilst flow into a second filtering chamber is stopped by means of a valve plug, so as to filter the substance in the first filtering chamber;
subsequently terminating flow into the inlet of the first filtering chamber by means of a valve plug whilst permitting flow into the second filtering chamber where filtering is then carried out, in each case carrying out a counterflow operation in the filtering chamber whose inlet is obstructed by means of a valve plug, the counterflow operation comprising the steps of:
exposing the filtering passage within which counterflow is to take place to the pressure of substance already filtered in another filtering chamber, through which at that time filtering is taking place;
using thermal control means to soften the valve plug blocking the secondary outlet of the filtering chamber in which counterflow is to take place, so as to permit this plug to move out of the apparatus and allow counterflow through the filter part in the communicating filtering chamber so as to flush contaminants therefrom, and thereafter once more stopping flow in the secondary outlet through which counterflow took place by means of a fresh valve plug thermally formed in a side passage in flow communication with the said secondary outlet and urged into the said secondary outlet so as to once more stop counterflow.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Filtering method and apparatus including valves with valve plugs of a cooled fluid substance

Life of this patent

Filtering method and apparatus including valves with valve plugs of a cooled fluid substance

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims88