AU2007229420A1

AU2007229420A1 - Supporting of Filter Panels

Info

Publication number: AU2007229420A1
Application number: AU2007229420A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Kevin John Lownie
Original assignee: Howden Australia Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Howden Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2006-10-30
Filing date: 2007-10-22
Publication date: 2008-05-15
Anticipated expiration: 2027-10-22
Also published as: AU2007229420B2

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Howden Australia Pty Ltd Unit 23, 38-46 South Street Rydalmere NSW 2116 Kevin John Lownie HODGKINSON McINNES PATENTS Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Levels 21, 201 Elizabeth Street Sydney NSW 2000 HMP Ref: P20606AU01 Supporting of Filter Panels 2006906021 dated 30 October 2006 Invention Title: Details of Associated Provisional Applications: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:

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O SUPPORTING OF FILTER PANELS c) O FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to demister (filter) panels used in the ventilation flow systems, particularly in mines. In particular, the invention relates to a frame for use in a ventilation flow system, a filter panel system, a ventilation flow arrangement, and a method of replacing at least one installed filter panel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Mines typically have upcast ventilation shafts, with exhaust air from the underground mine operations being drawn to the surface by large fans. However, mines also often experience the ingress of water into these shafts, in particular saline water that enters the shaft via aquifers. As the airflow enters the upcast shaft and travels to the surface, it often encounters large quantities of such water. The dissolved-salt content of such water can be very high (it is usually more salty than sea water). The upcast airflow entrains a significant amount of this water, and this is carried via the fans and then discharged into the atmosphere and the immediate area surrounding the fans. This creates the following problems. Firstly, the salts damage mechanical components of the fans, requiring loss of production, and hence lost revenue, and high maintenance costs.

Secondly, the precipitation of the entrained water discharged by the fans results in serious environmental damage, and can destroy vegetation within several hundred metres of the fans.

Traditionally, demister (or filter) panels have been used to remove water from the air being discharged from the fans. These panels have traditionally been located on the discharge (downstream) side of the fans as this facilitates accessibility when the fans are stopped.

One type of demister panel comprises louvers with corrugations thereon. Typically, the demister panels are disposed vertically with the flow of air via the panels being horizontal. The incoming air with entrained water is subjected to several rapid changes in direction as it passes through the demister louvers. These changes of direction causes the water droplets to come into contact with the surface of the demister louvers and they are trapped by small protrusions at the trailing edges the louvers. The water thus collected runs down the surfaces of the panels under the force of gravity, and is O collected by a gutter at the bottom which drains the water away.

Typically, at the top of the ventilation shaft, there is a shaft top collar which includes a right angle bend, that diverts the vertical flow of the exhaust air through 90 degrees so Nthat the flow is parallel with the surface. The demister panels are usually housed in a demister box which is disposed downstream of the fans so that the panels are in the flow path of the air.

NI While the existing demister panels address the environmental problems mentioned above, the panels need to be cleaned, and this can be time-consuming so that the effective cost resulting from lost production may be quite considerable. In addition, accessing panels in order to clean or replace them usually requires that the fans be shut off. This, in turn, usually necessitates suspending of mining operations which contributes to the problems surrounding lost production. Furthermore, mechanical elements of the panel arrangements are often subject to the damaging effects of the contaminated water.

The present invention, at least in preferred embodiments, seeks to overcome or at least minimize at least some of the disadvantages of the prior art as outlined above, or to provide a viable alternative thereto.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION According to a first embodiment of the invention, there is provided a frame for use in a ventilation flow system in which ventilation air travels along a flow path in a flow direction, the frame including: connection means for connecting the frame to the flow system; and panel supporting means for supporting at least one filter panel transversely in relation to said flow direction, the supporting means being configured to receive a said panel at one side of the flow path, and to guide the panel across the flow path towards the opposite side thereof.

O In a preferred embodiment, the panel supporting means is configured to allow the panel to be removed from the supporting means at said other side.

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N, In a preferred embodiment, the panel supporting means is elongate and has a first end which, when the frame is in use, is adjacent said one side of the flow path, and a second end which is adjacent said second side of the flow path.

Preferably, the panel supporting means includes a support passage having a first i opening at said first end and a second opening at said second end, the passage being configured to receive the at least one filter panel therein.

In a preferred embodiment, the panel supporting means is configured for supporting a plurality of said panels in an edge-to-edge relationship.

In a preferred embodiment, the frame is configured to direct said air along the flow path via the at least one panel supported by the panel supporting means, wherein the panel supporting means does not intrude into the flow path.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a filter panel system including: a frame according to the first aspect of the invention; and at least one filter panel supported by the panel supporting means.

Preferably, the filter panel system includes a plurality of said filter panels supported by the panel supporting means, the panels being positioned in an edge-to-edge relationship.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided ventilation flow arrangement including: a ventilation flow system configured for directing ventilation air along a flow path in a flow direction; a frame according to the first aspect of the invention, connected to the ventilation flow system by said connection means; and at least one filter panel supported by the panel supporting means, transversely in relation to said flow direction.

O Preferably, the ventilation flow arrangement includes a plurality of said filter panels supported by the panel supporting means, the panels being positioned in an edge-to- O edge relationship.

Preferably, the ventilation flow system includes at least one fan for forcing ventilation air along said flow path, wherein the frame is disposed upstream of the at least one fan N with respect to said flow direction.

N, According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for use with a 0frame according to the first aspect of the invention wherein the frame is in use in a said ,IC ventilation flow system, being a method of replacing at least one installed filter panel supported by the panel supporting means, the method including the steps of: adding a further panel to the panel supporting means at said one side of the flow path, and removing at least one said installed panel from the panel supporting means at one of said one side and said opposite side of the flow path.

In one preferred embodiment, the step of removing at least one said installed panel precedes the step of adding a further panel to the panel supporting means, and includes removing the at least one panel from the panel supporting means at said one side of the flow path.

In another preferred embodiment, the step of removing at least one said installed panel includes removing the at least one panel from the panel supporting means at said opposite side of the flow path.

Preferably, the step of adding a further panel causes the at least one installed panel to be pushed towards said opposite side of the flow path.

Preferably a plurality of the installed filter panels are supported in an edge-to-edge relationship by the panel supporting means, wherein the step of adding a further panel causes that one of the installed panels closest to said opposite side of the flow path to be pushed from the supporting means.

Preferably, the method includes the step of using mechanical means to move said panels towards said opposite side of the flow path.

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SBRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with 5 reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a frame, according to an embodiment of the invention, for supporting demister (filter) panels in a ventilation 0 flow system; Figure 2 is a schematic partial side view of a ventilation flow system with a frame according to Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of the ventilation flow system and frame as shown in Figure 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Figures 1 to 3 depict a frame 10 for supporting demister (or filter) panels 12 on a mine ventilation flow system S. The ventilation flow system S is for directing exhaust air from a mine as indicated by the arrow A in Figure 3.

In the preferred embodiment shown, the panels 12 are provided with rollers 14.

The frame 10 includes a duct 16 for connecting the frame 10 in-line in the ventilation flow system S.

The frame 10 has a pair of opposed flanges 18 which define between them a passage The passage has a first open end 22 and an opposite second open end 24.

The flanges 18 are adapted to support the panels 12 in an edge-to-edge arrangement, by supporting the rollers 14.

In use, panels 12 can be slid into the passage 20 via the first open end 22 in a direction R, this sliding being facilitated by the rollers 14.

O If a full complement of panels 12 are already installed in an edge-to-edge arrangement in the passage 20, then sliding a further panel (represented by the panel 12.1) into the O passage via the first open end 22 causes the already-installed panels to be pushed in the direction R towards the second open end 24. This, in turn, results in the panel immediately adjacent to the second open end 24 being pushed from the frame 10 (as Sindicated by the panel 12.2).

In this manner, the panels 12 that are already installed in the passage 20 can be completely replaced, by inserting replacement panels one-by-one, via the first open end The frame 10 is used in the ventilation flow system S to support the panels 12, in the passage 20, so that the panels are disposed transversely relative to the flow direction of the air in the ventilation flow system. As the frame 10 is installed in-line with respect the ventilation flow system S, the path of air along the ventilation flow system passes through the duct 16, and via the panels 12, as indicated by the arrows P.

The panels 12 are used to filter out salt that is entrained in the air that travels in this manner from the mine, so that the air emerging from the panels on their downstream side is substantially salt free or so that the salt content thereof is substantially reduced.

It will be appreciated that, over time, the panels 12 will be fouled with salt deposits, and will thus become at least partially clogged and ineffective. They will therefore need to be removed and replaced with clean panels. The above method can be used to effect this. The removed, fouled panels 12 can be suitably cleaned and later reinstalled in the manner described, thereby displacing the previous replacement panels in the passage The flanges 18 are configured so as not to protrude into the path P and are therefore not exposed to the salty exhaust air travelling along the ventilation flow system. In addition.

as a consequence of this, replacement of the panels 12 in the manner described above ensures that the air travelling along the ventilation flow system S will continue to be filtered.

According to a preferred embodiment, the frame 10 is disposed upstream of fans (not shown) that draw air from the mine along the ventilation flow system S and through the frame. Thus, the air that reaches the fans has had most or all of the salt removed by the panels 12 thereby minimising the chance of damage that might otherwise be caused to O the fans due to the salt content of the air from the mine. However, it will be appreciated N, that in other embodiments, the frame 10 may be installed downstream of the fans.

Regardless of whether the frame 10 is disposed on the upstream or downstream side of Nthe fans, a significant advantage is that it enables the replacement of panels 12 in the manner described above, without the need to shut off the fans. Accordingly, mining operations, which might need to be discontinued if the fans were to be shut down, can continue uninterrupted thereby reducing down-time production losses.

The cross-sectional area of a typical mine ventilation flow system S can be relatively large, for example having a width of around 15m and a height of around 4m, and hence having a cross-sectional area of around 60m 2 This requires that the panels 12 also be of suitably large dimensions. As a result, installing, sliding, and removing panels 12 as described above would not be feasible if done by hand. Therefore, suitable mechanical means such as a winch (not shown) or the like can be used to achieve this.

The rollers 14 also facilitate the sliding of the panels 12 along the passage 20 in the direction R. However, in other embodiments, the panels 12 might not be equipped with rollers and other suitable means for supporting the panels may be used instead.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to those embodiments, but may be embodied in many other forms.

For example, instead of replacing the panels 12 by inserting replacement panels into the passage 20 in the direction R and removing the already-installed panels from the second open end 24, the already-installed panels can first be removed from the first open end 22, and the replacement panels then installed via the same end. While this is a viable alternative, it does have the disadvantage that, between the time that panels 20 are removed and the time that replacement panels are inserted to take their place, air from the mine will be able to pass via the frame 10 unfiltered.

Claims

3. A frame according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the panel supporting means is elongate and has a first end which, when the frame is in use, is adjacent said one side of the flow path, and a second end which is adjacent said second side of the flow path.
4. A frame according to claim 3 wherein the panel supporting means includes a support passage having a first opening at said first end and a second opening at said second end, the passage being configured to receive the at least one filter panel therein. A frame according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the panel supporting means is configured for supporting a plurality of said panels in an edge-to-edge relationship.
6. A frame according to any one of the preceding claims, configured to direct said air along the flow path via the at least one panel supported by the panel supporting means, wherein the panel supporting means does not intrude into the flow path.
7. A filter panel system including: a frame according to any one of claims 1 to 6; and at least one filter panel supported by the panel supporting means. 1U
8. A filter panel system according to claim 7, including a plurality of said filter Spanels supported by the panel supporting means, the panels being positioned in O an edge-to-edge relationship.
9. A ventilation flow arrangement including: a ventilation flow system configured for directing ventilation air along a flow path in a flow direction; N, a frame according to any one of claims 1 to 6 connected to the ventilation flow system by said connection means; and at least one filter panel supported by the panel supporting means, transversely in relation to said flow direction. A ventilation flow arrangement according to claim 9, including a plurality of said filter panels supported by the panel supporting means, the panels being positioned in an edge-to-edge relationship.
11. A ventilation flow arrangement according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the ventilation flow system includes at least one fan for forcing ventilation air along said flow path, wherein the frame is disposed upstream of the at least one fan with respect to said flow direction.
12. A method for use with a frame according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the frame is in use in a said ventilation flow system, being a method of replacing at least one installed filter panel supported by the panel supporting means, the method including the steps of: adding a further panel to the panel supporting means at said one side of the flow path, and removing at least one said installed panel from the panel supporting means at one of said one side and said opposite side of the flow path.
13. A method according to claim 12 wherein said step of removing at least one said installed panel precedes the step of adding a further panel to the panel supporting means, and includes removing the at least one panel from the panel supporting means at said one side of the flow path.
14. A method according to claim 12 wherein the step of removing at least one said installed panel includes removing the at least one panel from the panel O supporting means at said opposite side of the flow path. A method according to claim 14 wherein the step of adding a further panel causes the at least one installed panel to be pushed towards said opposite side of the flow path. I 16. A method according to claim 15, wherein a plurality of the installed filter panels are supported in an edge-to-edge relationship by the panel supporting means, wherein the step of adding a further panel causes that one of the installed panels closest to said opposite side of the flow path to be pushed from the supporting means.
17. A method according to claim 16, including the step of using mechanical means to move said panels towards said opposite side of the flow path.
18. A frame substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
19. A filter panel system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A ventilation flow arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
21. A method of replacing at least one installed filter panel substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.