Filtration Systems

About Filtration Systems and Filtration System Manufacturers Including: Air Filtration System, Coalescing Filter, Filter Media, Filtering Systems, Filtration Equipment, Filtration Products, Filtration, Industrial Filters, Membrane Filtration, Oil Filtration, Pressure Filter & Water Filtering Systems.

Filtration systems include a broad array of filtration products and filtration equipment designed to separate or clarify a process stream through the separation of elements and the removal of suspended debris. Industrial filters cleanse and physically or mechanically separate elements in air, gas and fluid lines utilizing several different filtration methods. Vacuum and pressure filter are popular types of filter media that may use filtering screens in addition to various other processing techniques. Membrane filtration is one of the most common types as it involves the use of a porous film or thin sheet. Depending upon the material, pore sizes can vary to capture only large particles as in waste water treatment or everything down to microscopic bacteria in potable water treatment. In addition to fluid or water filtering systems, air filtration system are used in a wide variety of industries including food and beverage processing, chemical, pharmaceutical, mining, pulp and paper, automotive and agriculture. Oil filtration and coalescing filters are examples of more application specific types of filtration. Commercial and residential filtering systems also abound which provide general air and water purification. Filters are responsible not only for efficient material processing, but also human safety. There are several factors to consider in order to ensure the most effective filtration system is in use for a specific application.

There are several different manners in which filtration systems separate materials in a mixed process stream. Membrane filtration as mentioned above involves the use of media that trap contaminants. Foams and other materials employ similar techniques though additional filtration options include the use of gravity, centrifugal force, chemical solvents, biological and even electrically charged apparatus. Gravity and centrifugal force filters use hydrostatic or rotational pressures which remove heavier particles from the flow line. Chemical filters function by either dissolving specific contaminates or attracting them and, through the use of gravity, pulling them from the system. Not as common, but thoroughly effective, biological filters use digestive microbes to remove unwanted organic compounds. There are two main types of filtration systems that depend upon the use of electrical charges to purify air and fluid supplies. Electrodialysis (ED) uses membranes which allow the passage of either positively or negatively charged ions while excluding the passage of the opposite. Easily clogged, many utilize the second type, electrodialysis reversal (EDR) instead as it works in the same many, but periodically reverses the electrical current in order to exchange the fresh product flow and the concentrates waste with in the series of membranes. Reverse osmosis (RO, electrodionization (EDI) and ultrafication (UF) processes are less common but equally efficient options. Each type has benefits and advantages particular to specific filtration applications.

In many instances the aforementioned products and methods of filtration are used in conjunction with one another in a compilation filtration system. The use of variable filters allows for more complete processing of a given gas or fluid supply. Several of the same type of filter media may also be used in a single system. Placed in short succession with increasingly high restrictive properties, these systems progressively increase particulate separation. This effectively improves filtration as well as improves product longevity as filters are less likely to clog and require replacement or cleaning. Industries where solids recovery is necessary often utilize this type of progression filtration in as it pre-sorts contaminates based upon material size. It is important to consider particulate size when selecting any type of filtering system as they may vary significantly. Not only the size, but the type of slurry should also be taken into account to ensure that filter materials are compatible and will hold up to continuous or batch loading, an important consideration in its own right. Common materials used in the construction of aluminum, plastics, steel, stainless steel, Teflon, carbon, nylon, resins, sand and a number of synthetic fibers. Further variables include the filtration rate, filter location, stream viscosity and temperature, filter load capacity, maximum flow, absorption and pressure drop or the ability of the filter to function through continued use and blockages. Filtration rate is the speed at which a stream can be forced through the filter while still providing maximum particulate removal. Filters may be at the intake, inline or exhaust. Often times filters are incorporated at each point of the manufacturing process. Stream viscosity and temperature influence the material construct of a filter as it must be compatible. Load capacity, flow, absorption and pressure drop all rely heavily on the specific design of a filter and can impact production rates and filter efficiency.

The over all purpose of a filtration system is to make the air or fluid as clean as possible, and as clear as needed for a specific application. The goal may be to retain the suspended solids, or cake for further use or the clarified air of liquid may be desired. In many applications both are utilized. In any event, a tremendous number of industrial materials require constant filtration to optimize operations and materials alike. Coolants, corrosive chemicals, gasoline, oil, diesel fuel, hydraulic fluid, lubricants, water, inks, dies, paints, air intake and exhaust air list just a few of the process streams that require stringent filtration in order to comply with industry specific regulations. Technical Committee 131 of the International Standards Organization (ISO) maintains regulations applicable to all types of filtration. Other organizations pertaining to filtration, worker safety and environmental protection among others also monitor the degree of filtration present and required in specific applications. Beyond regulations alone, filtration systems are essential to human health and safety in industrial, commercial and residential environments. HEPA, ULPA and HVAC filters are just a few examples of the many advancements in filtration systems that promote health for the home, the office and the environment.

 

Filtration Systems and Filtration System Manufacturers Image Provided by Precision Filtration Products

Filtration Systems and Filtration System Manufacturers Images Provided by Precision Filtration Products

Filtration System Types

• Air filtration systems cleanse, purify and reduce the overall number of particulates and other impurities present in an air source.
• Cartridge filtration involves the use of a porous cartridge filter, commonly made of polypropylene (PP) or ceramic, which catches particles as liquids pass through it. Cartridge filtration is an easy filtration method but not suitable for liquids with high turbidity and fouling remains a common problem leading to filter replacement.
  
• Centrifugal separators, also called "centrifugal filters" or "cyclone separators," use cyclones in which substances, such as immiscible liquids, gases and solids, are separated during rapid rotation from the contaminated fluid. The rotation of the cyclone is caused by the entrance of the pressurized fluid from which the contaminants must be removed.
  
• Chemical filtration removes contaminants through the use of a chemical medium, such as activated carbon, in the filter. Chemical filtration remains common in the filtration of gases.
  
• Coalescing filters are specialized filter media designed to collect and remove oil and other vapors or mists from process air streams.
• Electrostatic filtration is a filtering process that involves electrically charged media that use an electric field to filter substances and remove particles as small as .01 micrometers in size. As the substances pass through the charged media, certain particles are attracted to the charged media.
  
• Filter media are fibrous or porous materials is composed of fine or coarse semi-permeable matrices that trap or chemically dissolve particulates while allowing the base product, gas or fluid, to pass through.
• Filtering systems encompass a wide range of products and equipment designed to purify, clarify and remove suspended debris from fluid and gaseous process streams.
• Filtration equipment includes filters, strainers, and housings.
• Filtration products are used in a number of industrial, commercial and residential applications to reduce or eliminate unwanted particulates from a fluid or gaseous process flow. These items are widely available and include both the filter media and housing assemblies used to hold them in place.
• Filtration is the process of passing fluid through a filter to remove contaminants.
• Industrial filters are heavy duty filtration systems that serve to effectively remove particulates and suspended debris from process streams as well as the air and fluid flow lines of manufacturing operations and facilities.
• Liquid filtration may involve the removal of particles from a liquid, known as "liquid-solid filtration," or the separation of liquids from gases, known as "gas-liquid filtration."
  
• Membrane filtration involves the use of a membrane as the filter media to allow the passage of substances such as air and water, while preventing the passage of other substance particles. Membrane filters are small and automated and used for applications that include purifying blood during dialysis treatments, removing bacteria and odors and desalinating water.
  
• Nanofiltration is a type of membrane filtration used to remove extremely small particles. The effectiveness of nanofiltration lies between that of reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration.
  
• Oil filtration is necessary to remove particles and contamination that may hinder the functioning of equipment. Oil filtration remains common in the automotive/trucking and agricultural industries, as well as other industries that utilize equipment requiring the use of motor, hydraulic and other types of oils.
  
• Pressure filters are those filtration products that employ compressed air or pressurized fluid as the principle means of moving a process stream through filter media in order to separate materials and remove suspended debris.
  
• Reverse osmosis is a type of filtration method in which water is pushed under pressure through a membrane, while contaminants are prevented from passing through the filter. Filtered contaminants include sodium, phosphorus, aluminum, lead and fluoride.
  
• Water filtering systems involve the purification of water for drinking purposes. Wastewater is also filtered to remove excess particles.
  
• Wet/dry filtration is a biological filtration process involving the exposure of the filter medium to air to facilitate nitrification. Wet/dry filters are commonly used in aquariums.
  
• Ultrafiltration is a type of membrane filtration that removes particles ranging from 0.002 to 0.1 micrometers in size. Filtered substances include bacteria and viruses.

Filtration System Terms

Apex - The outlet located at the bottom of a cyclone.
 
Centrifugation - The use of rotational forces to separate liquids and solids.
 
Coagulation - The neutralization of the electrical charges on fine particles in water using chemicals called coagulants. The coagulants cause the particles to clump together, and the clumps are then skimmed or drained off or filtered from the water.
 
Collecting Efficiency - The capability of a device to capture and retain particles.
 
Decantation - Removing the top layer of a fluid after the heavier material, which can be either a solid or a denser liquid, has settled.
 
Demineralization - The act of removing dissolved mineral salts from water.
 
Dense Membrane - A non-porous membrane.
 
Effluent - The treated substance that emerges from the filtration system.
 
Fluid - Any liquid, gaseous or vapor substance.
 
Flux - The amount or volume of a substance passing through a given unit of a membrane or filter in a given amount of time.
 
Fouling - The clogging of membrane filters due to the buildup of particles on the membrane and in the membrane pores.
 
Homogeneous Membrane - A membrane in which the properties remain the same throughout the substance.
 
Influent - The substance that enters the filtration system to be filtered.
 
Membrane - A film structure, having a thickness greater than its lateral measurements, through which substances flow as the chemical separation of substance particles occurs.
 
Osmosis - The process of passing a fluid through a membrane to increase fluid concentration.
 
Osmotic Pressure - The superficial hydrostatic pressure on a semi-permeable membrane caused by osmosis.
 
Overflow - The stream of fluid that leaves the cyclone through the vortex finder.
 
Permeability - The ability of a fluid substance to pass through a material. Filters have varying degrees of permeability that allow substances of different sizes to pass through them.
 
Potable Water - A unit of water containing fewer than 500 parts per million (ppm) that is suitable for drinking.
 
Ppm (Parts per Million) - Unit of measurement indicating one part per every million parts of air, water, etc.
 
Slurry - A liquid containing suspended solids.
 
Strainer - Filtration mechanism for the removal of coarse particles from liquid substances. Strainers usually function as an initial filtration method used prior to other filters that remove smaller particles.
 
Vortex Finder - The outlet at the top of the cyclone through which overflow exits.