Dow Global Technolgoies LLC

Steven E O'Reilly

John H Mallard

George D Caffell

Scott T Burr

David Levitt

Gene A McKay

Eugene A Mckay

A hydroclone () including a tank () with a fluid inlet (), a filtered fluid outlet (), an effluent outlet (), a process fluid outlet () and a chamber () including an inner peripheral wall () centered about a central axis (X). The hydroclone further includes: i) a filter assembly () located within the chamber () which has an outer membrane surface () symmetrically located about the central axis (X) and encloses a filtrate chamber () that is in fluid communication with the filtered fluid outlet (), and ii) a cleaning assembly () concentrically located and rotatably engaged about the membrane surface (). A fluid pathway () extends from the fluid inlet () and defines a vortex region () between the inner peripheral wall () of the chamber () and the membrane surface () and is adapted for receiving incoming fluid. An inlet flow shield () is concentrically located about the filter assembly () and is adapted to block at least a portion of fluid flowing into the chamber () from the fluid inlet () from impacting the membrane surface ().

Hydroclone with inlet flow shield

Filter assemblies and fluid flow inhibitors that are particularly well suited for use in centrifugal separation enhanced filtration devices are described. Moreover extensible filter assemblies are described. In one aspect of the invention, extensible filtration assemblies can be used to operate in circulating fluid filtration devices. Such extensible filter elements can use fluid manifold to reduce the effects of fluid circulation inside filter elements and to reduce reverse flow problems in such filters. Additionally, indexable filter elements and invertable filtration elements can be used to extend filter life in filtration in filtration devices.

Apparatus and method for implementing hydroclone based fluid filtration systems with extensible isolated filter stages

Cleaning assemblies and particulate tolerant fluid bearings that are particularly well suited for use in centrifugal separation enhanced filtration devices are described. In one aspect of the invention, at least one bearing is arranged to carry a circulating cleaning assembly such that the cleaning assembly can rotate around a filter membrane during filtering operation of the filtration device. The bearing is preferably arranged to maintain the circulating cleaning assembly in a substantially coaxial alignment with the filter membrane and in a substantially stable longitudinal position relative to the filter membrane as the circulating cleaning assembly is rotated around the filter membrane. In another aspect of the invention a variety of particulate tolerant bearings are described.

Cleaning assembly for use in fluid filtration systems

A hydrocyclone () having a tank () including a fluid inlet (), a filtered fluid outlet (), an effluent outlet (), a process fluid outlet () and an inner peripheral wall () enclosing three vertically aligned chambers () including a vortex chamber () in fluid communication with the fluid inlet through a fluid pathway () adapted for receiving an incoming fluid flow and generating a vortex fluid flow about a filter assembly () which is located within the vortex chamber which encloses a filtrate chamber () which is in fluid communication with the filtered fluid outlet (). An effluent separation chamber () is located bellow the vortex chamber and is in fluid communication with the vortex chamber and the effluent outlet. A process fluid chamber is located bellow the effluent separation chamber and is in fluid communication with the effluent separation chamber and the process fluid outlet.

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Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Steven E O'Reilly