Device and method for monitoring the integrity of filtering installations

In a method for monitoring the integrity of filtration systems having two or more filter elements in one filter housing and having an electronic monitoring and test unit which is provided for monitoring and for carrying out the integrity tests, the improvement wherein data which is stored in electronic memory elements that are arranged on the filter elements is interchanged via a communication part with the monitoring and test unit, with identification data and further specific data for the filter elements being read from the electronic memory elements and being used as the basis for further monitoring and for the integrity test;

• wherein real test values which have been determined are stored in the memory elements and are used for evaluation when another measurement is carried out;
• said improved method comprising the following steps:
• a) reading the data from the electronic memory elements for the filter elements,
• b) evaluating the data in order to determine whether the correct filter elements are installed in the filter housing and/or whether the limiting data has been reached by at least one filter element,
• c) inhibiting the filtration system if at least one filter element has been determined not to be correct and/or if at least one filter element has reached or exceeded the limiting data,
• d) if no inhibiting is carried out on the basis of step (c), limit values (a) and production release values (b) for the respectively intended integrity test are added up,
• e) inhibiting the filtration system if the sum of the production release values exceeds the sum of the limit values,
• f) if no inhibiting is carried out on the basis of step (e), determining a maximum permissible tolerance value (cmax) for the intended integrity test and storing the maximum permissing tolerance value in the monitoring and test unit,
• g) carrying out a collective integrity test,
• h) comparing the real value (creal) of the integrity test as determined on the basis of step (g) with the sum of the production release values added up on the basis of step (d) and the maximum permissible tolerance value as determined on the basis of step (f),
• i) inhibiting the filtration system if the real value (creal) has reached or exceeded the sum of the values based on steps (d) and (f).