IL107156A - Apparatus for filtering contaminated fluids - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention deals with filtering and processing polluted liquids, in particular used oil, but also creosotes or coolants or cooling water. The aim of the invention is to provide a compact, portable and economic device having however a high specific capacity for filtering out of the liquid particles measuring down to a few micrometers, so that for example the purified oils may be reduced. For that purpose, a device for filtering polluted liquids, in particular oils such as used oils and creosotes, but also coolants or cooling water, has a filter, pumps which press the liquid through the filter, and additional fine filters.

Description

Instalation for filtering contaminated fluids Paul COUWENBERGS C. 91286 Apparatus. for filtering contaminated liquids, such as in particular .^ waste oil.

The invention relates to an apparatus for filtering contaminated liquids, particularly oils, waste oils, taroils , as well as coolants, cooling water or the like, using a filter and pumps forcing the. liquid through the filter.

An apparatus with a high-performance filter and a pump for delivering the oil through said filter are known making it possible to filter very coarse foreign particles from waste oil, so that the latter can be burned whilst reducing residues. The oil purified with said apparatus cannot then be reused, e.g. as lubricating oil.

In addition, large installations and factories are known for the purpose of cleaning and reprocessing waste oil, so that the latter can be reused. Such installations can only be set up on a large industrial scale Involving costs of many m llion DM and are only economic if all the waste oil can be transported in from large areas. This involves very high transportation costs, which must be borne by those supplying the waste oil and also fail to make adequately economic the reprocessed oils when compared with new oil. In particular where waste oil occurs, there is a tendency not to reuse the same and instead to dispose of it in some other way and possibly not even in a permitted manner.

The problem of the invention is therefore to further develop an apparatus for filtering oils, which avoids the aforementioned disadvantages and which permits the processing of smaller quantities of contaminated liquids, but which can still extend up to 5000 to 6000 m monthly, in such a way that they can be reused as lubricating oils. The same applies with respect to cooling agents and cooling water.

In the case o£ an apparatus of the aforementioned type the problem of the invention is solved in that additionally ultra-fine filters are used.

It has been found that through the additional provision of ultra-fine filters the particles with a size of approximately 120 um and more which are normally present can be reduced by a factor of 10 /a size of to 20, i.e. down to 5 um, so that the oils purified and processed according to the inventive apparatus only contain particles with a maximum size of about 15 pm and the particle proportion in the oils is also reduced by a factor of approximately 20. Thus, in a specific test using the apparatus according to the invention gravimetric contamination according to ISO/DIS 4405 was reduced from 427 to 26 mg/1.

According to a preferred development a high-performance filter is followed by the ultra-fine filters, the pump being positioned in front of the high-performance filter . According to other preferred developments several ultra-fine filters are arranged in parallel in the flow path and in particular the ultra-fine filters can be connected in groupwise for treating the liquid. Thus, of the ultra-fine filters present one or more groups can be further used for filtering purposes, so that the apparatus according to the invention remains in operation, whereas at least one group is disconnected from the liquid supply and therefore said ultra-fine filters can be cleaned or the filter materials replaced. This contributes to the economic operation of the apparatus according to the invention.

The ultra-fine filters are preferably constructed in such a way that they have a cylindrical casing with a central hollow axis or shaft and that between the two is provided the filter material, such ultra-fine filters corresponding to the filter part of filters such as are e.g. described in DE-OS 3 938 686 or German Utility Model 8 913 769, whose content constitutes part of the presenc application.

- - With respect to a possible running out of oil on cleaning and replacing the ultra-fine filters, accordi g to a preferred development ■ one or more oil collecting tanks or troughs are placed below said filters.

The effective cleaning or purification of tar oils, which can also contain sand is helped in that downstream of the pump and high-performance filter can be provided a heating device with a water devap- orizing flow device.

To reduce the ultra-fine filter load and therefore reduce the frequency with which the filter has to be cleaned and replaced, according to a further development of the invention a magnetic filter or separator is provided with a connect-in magnet for the drawing out from the liquid of magnetizable solid particles- As a result magnetizable particles, i.e. in particular magnetizable metals can be removed beforehand from the waste oil and also particles of said white or black shining metals can be removed from the oil to be processed down to a size of about 5 pm.

According to other preferred developments the inlet stage is a pre- storage tank provided with a screen. As a result very coarse particles with a weight differing considerably from the oil to be pro -cessed can be removed beforehand by deposition in said tank, so that they do not enter the actual filter and cleaning arrangement.

According to a further development of the apparatus the magnetic filter is the inlet stage thereof, whereas in the first development according to the invention the additional magnetic filter is preferably located within the ultra-fine filtering means. On the magnetic filter is advantageously provided a pump with a lever through which, as a function of the liquid used, the latter can be passed on either to a continuous flow heater or to an edge gap filter or separator. It is therefore possible to clean both oils, waste oils and tar oils, as well as coolants or cooling water, the latter after passing through large installations reach the magnetic filter of the inlet stage in heated form. The heated liquid can then be cooled by a heat exchanger or cooling unit provided according to the invention to the necessary temperature. Oils can correspondingly be heated to the necessary temperature. The edge gap filter or separator separates the oil present in the coolant or cooling water from the water and dust, so that the latter are separated from the liquid to be processed upstream of the ultra-fine filters. This reduces the loading on the filter and cleaning arrangement. Correspondingly, when cleaning oils metallic particles are removed therefrom by means of a magnetic shocker, a wide-surface filter and a non-woven fabric roll. Therefore these particles also no longer load the filter and cleaning arrangement.

According to further developments a double filter is provided through which alternately liquid can be filtered by switching over.

Thus, in the second development of the apparatus according to the invention only one installation is necessary for cleaning or purifying oils and coolants/cooling water.

For checking or supervising the work of the apparatus according to the invention, there are inspection windows or glasses positioned upstream and/or downstream and a sampling point is provided.

A flowmeter is provided for checking the flow rate in a preferred embodiment.

The invention provides an apparatus which can be transportably used at the point where waste oils occur, such as in forwarding companies, bus companies and factories, where machines are operated with oil, etc. , so that these enterprises can independently process and reuse the waste oil which they produce without having to call on third parties. This also applies to large motor vehicle workshops, which act as service organizations for third parties and replace their .cusCorners ' oil.

Transportable apparatuses according to the invention can also be provided as regional, smaller central collecting and processing points or stations for filling stations and smaller motor vehicle workshops, where it would not be worthwhile to have their own processing installation.

This economizes on transportation and transportation costs- Despite the relatively high flow rate and therefore the relatively high capacity from the quantitative standpoint and the high output from the qualitative standpoint, namely the purity level is improved by a factor of 100, the coses for an installation according to the invention are lower than those of central installations. The apparatus according to the invention can be operated much more economically than in the case of large installations of known types, particularly as there is no need for a continuous supply of waste oil to permit economic operation.

On assuming a monthly output of 5000 to 6000 m^ with an apparatus purchase cost of about DM 150,000.- (without heating device), then the installation can be adapted to the amount of waste oil expected, in that it is e.g. designed for a higher or lower flow race or throughput and in particular through the design with ultra-fine filters arranged in parallel in the oil feed path there is an advantageous price effect as a result of reducing the volume throughput.

The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter relative to a non-limitative embodiment and with reference to the attached drawings, wherein show: diagrammatic overall view of a first embodiment of the pparatus according to the invention.

Fig. 2 a larger-scale and more detailed development of the filter and cleaning means in side view. I Fig. 3 a part sectional, front view of the apparatus of fig. 2.

Fig. 4 a diagrammatic overall view of a second embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention.

Fig. 5 a rear plan view of a battery of ultra-fine filters.

Fig. 6 the ultra-fine filter battery of fig. 5 in side view.

In the represented first embodiment the apparatus according to the invention has a prestorage tank 1 , in which can take place a deposition of larger particles with a much higher specific gravity than the liquid to be filtered. Generally the liquid should spend 26 hours in this prestorage tank before being supplied to the apparatus according to the invention for further processing.

The prestorage tank 1 has an inlet pipe 51 , which extends down to screens 52. Within the prestorage tank a suction nozzle 2 extends above the screens 52 and by means of said nozzle the liquid is sucked out of the tank 1 by means of a pump. The screens prevent coarse particles rising up to a suction head 2a of the suction nozzle 2 and are consequently not sucked, off. The suction head 2a of the suction nozzle 2 is constructed, as a float, so that the head always rests on the liquid surface 53, independently of the filling level and the suction nozzle 2 only subjects the same to suction from the upper liquid area. So that the suction head 2a can follow the liquid level, the suction nozzle 2 is movable, at least in the axial direction. For this purpose, as shown, it can be constructed as a telescopic tube 54 or it could also be e flexible hose.

In the represented embodiment below the screens 52 in the vicinity of the mouth of the inlet pipe 51 there is an extruder 55 with stationary magnets 56 placed on its periphery. The magnets attract more particularly the larger magnetizable particles and this is facilitated by the movement of the liquid through the extruder.

This is also assisted by an air supply in the liquid. The particles engaged on the magnets 56 are then stripped from the extruder and removed by the same from the tank 1.

A coarse filter 57 is placed in a suction line 2b connected to the suction nozzle 2. To said coarse filter can be connected a heating unit 3 for the processing of tar oils, in order to heat the latter and give them a higher viscosity and also expel from the liquid water moisture. For this purpose there is a heating to above 100°C, so that water is evaporated and can be separated. This takes place in a water devaporizing flow device 4, which can be connected to the heating unit 3.

Unit 3 is followed by the filter means 6 with an inlet 7, a magnetic filter 8, the pump unit 9, which is preferably in the form of a geared pump having a pressure of 0.6 bar and a power of several kW. The pump 9 is then connected to a per se known high-performance filter 11, preferably of type SLE 270030. The high-performance filter 11 is carried by a frame 12. The inlet for the high-performance filter 11 is positioned laterally at 13 (fig. 2), whilst the outlet is positioned centrally below the filter 11 at 14. Such high-performance filters are known per se.

The oil filtered warm in the high-performance filter is then supplied to the ultra-fine filters 16, which filter the smallest particles out of the heated oil and finally supply same via the outlet 17 for further or reuse.

The magnetic filter 8 has a very powerful magnet" by means of which magnetizable particles can be drawn out of the flow path. On the top of the magnetic filter 8 is provided a vent valve 21. The magnetic filter 8 also has an indicator or display 22. It is also provided with its own switch 23, so that it can be switched on and off as.required (fig. 3).

For the electrical supply and operation of the complete installation a terminal box 24 is provided.

Upstream of the pump unit 9 is provided a coarse filter 26, which prevents very coarse particles from entering and damaging the pump unit 9, to the extent that such particles have not already been separated in the prestorage tank 1, e.g. because their specific gravity does not significantly differ from the liquid or because for some reason no such prestorage tank has been provided- Between the magnetic filter 8 and the pump unit 9 at the inlet 7a there is a cut-off valve 8, in order to optionally block the system. In addition, an inspection window can be formed through which it is possible to check the consistency, particularly the cloudiness of the liquid compared with the liquid discharged at the outlet, where it is also possible to provide an inspection window.

The liquid cleaned by means of the high-performance filter 11 is passed via a branch 46 of the outlet line of two parallel distributing pipes 27,28 to two, i.e. in each case a group of several ultra-fine filters 16. By means of the change-over switch 29 the liquid can be supplied either to one or other group of ultra-fine filters or simultaneously to both. The two first alternatives make it possible, despite the operation of the installation, for the ultra-fine filters to which liquid is not being supplied to be replaced and therefore there is no need to completely stop the processing.

By means of a central inlet 31 on the underside of the ultra-fine is discharged again filters, the liquid passes into an ultra-fine filter 16 and''by. means of a lateral outlet 32 also located on the underside out of said filter and is passed -via collecting lines to the main pipe 33 and in- the latter to the discharge flange 34. The main line 33 can contain a flowmeter 36. Upstream of the discharge flange there is also, a viewing panel 37. A blocking device can.also be provided here.

Waste oil, but also tar oils which are to be cleaned are initially placed in the prestorage tank and are intermediately stored there for an adequate period, e.g. 24 hours, so than the coarser solids are separated therein. Optionally a plurality of prestorage tanks can be provided and to these are in each case connected the filter means.

The oil is subsequently sucked out of the prestorage tank 1 via the suction nozzle 2 using the pump unit 9 and in the case of tar oils is initially passed through the heating system 3, where heating takes place to a temperature of approximately 100°C, so that, water moisture can be given off via the water devaporizing flow device 4. The liquid to be cleaned then passes into the magnetic separator 8, in which magnetizable particles are separated. The liquid is then forced by the pump unit through the high-performance filter 11, where a first filtering takes place. The liquid is then forced through the ultra-fine filter 16, where it is possible to filter the snallest particles down to a size of approximately 15 um. After passing through the ultra-fine filter ' 16 the purified oil can be discharged via the outlet 34 and supplied for its reuse.

According to another embodiment the apparatus according to the invention firstly has a magnetic filter 101 with a self-cleaning device in the form of a prefilter into which the liquid is introduced by means of a gravity line 102. In the magnetic filter 101 there is a magnetic prefiltration, in that magnetizable particles are removed from the liquid by magnets. Coarse, iron-containing particles are built up into a filter cake in such a way that also smaller dixr particles can be removed from the liquid in this way. If the not shown chamber for receiving the filter cake has reached a certain level of filling, then automatic removal takes place.

The apparatus shown in fig. 4 is usable both for filtering waste oil, hydraulic oil, tar oil and for filtering and cleaning cooling water from machines and coolants from tool systems. When filtering the first-mentioned media, following the corresponding setting of a lever 104 on a pump 103, the liquid passes via an inlet 105 into a continuous flow heater 106. With a pressure of 4 to 5 bar the pump 103 removes the liquid prepurified by the magnetic filter 101 from a not shown chamber serving as a preliainary tank and placed below the filter 101. In order to heat the liquid to 80°C in the case of a flow rate of 2 o /h, the continuous flow heater 106 preferably has a calorific power of 84.6 kW. By means of the heater 106 the oils to be purified ere given a higher viscosity and water and moisture present are expelled from the liquid. The continuous flow heater 106 is provided with a thermostat and excess pressure valve in order to prevent overheating of the liquid. An electromagnetic shocker 107 is connected to the continuous flow heater 106 and as a merate.

This filter stage is a wide-surface or wide-bed filter 108 on which are deposited the agglomerated particles, as well as dust, slurry, sludge, soot, etc. and in this way a filter cake forms. The flow rate is preferably 220 1/min. However, in large installations it can be 400 or 6001/mia. By means of a not shown ηοα-woven fabric roll serving as a continuous roll the particles forming the filter cake are discharged almost dry at the end 109 of said filter area By means of a second pump 111 the prefiltered liquid passes to a double filter 112, whose filters can |be operated' alternately, which prevents any coarser particles still present fro m entering the ultra-fine filter system. The double filter 112 can be formed by ceramic or paper cartridge filters. However, it is also possible to use a high-grade steel screen, whose pore size is 3 to 5 urn.

A flow counter 113 can be directly connected to the double filter or can follow the latter. The counter can have a permanent or daily counting mechanism. This makes it possible to check the throughput in the case of waste oil purification. The filtered liquid then passes into the ultra-fine filter system 114 and is supplied there to the ultra-fine filters 115. The latter filter the smallest particles from the liquid and pass the latter on via an outlet 116 by means of which the fine-filtered medium enters a not shown empty tank for receiving the purified medium, particularly oil. By means of the ultra-fine filter system 114 in particular residual substances of metals such as lead, zinc, aluminium, soot, emulsions and water are filtered out to a high degree.

In this construction the apparatus according to the invention also has a switch box 117 by means of which all the switching operations take place and which has warning and overload indicators and, if necessary, shuts down or switches off the complete installation.

If the apparatus according to the invention shown in fig. 3 is used for coolant or cooling water purification, then the medium, particularly if high water percentages must be separated and which after passing through large installations has a temperature of approximately 50 to 70°C in the same way as oils, passes through the magnetic filter 101. The medium is then supplied via the pump 103 to an edge gap filter 118 after reversing the lever, instead of to the continuous flow heater 106. OilsVare separated from the water by said edge gap filter 118. By means of a not shown valve in the lower area of the filter 118 solid sludge or dirt is removed.

- - A separator can be used in place of an edge gap filter 118.

After said filtering the liquid medium passes to a heat exchanger or cooling unit 119 and is cooled there to approximately 20°C.

To said heat exchanger 119 is either directly connectable the ultra-fine filter system 114, or aftar shifting a lever 120 the medium passes via the pump 111, the double filter 112 and optionally the flowmeter 113 into the system 114. The lever 120 is shifted by means of the switch box 117.

The complete components 101 to 120 are installed on a common, not shown foundation, which can be reinforced with steel framing. The overall installation can be constructed in stationary or movable manner and this also applies to all the necessary pipes, connections and fittings. At the installation location it is then merely necessary to install the power supply terminals, as well as the liquid supplies and outflows.

The arrangement of ultra-fine filters 201 shown in figs. 5 and 6 is usable both for the ultra-fine filters 16 of figs. 1 to 3 and the ultra-fine filters 115 of fig. 4. The ultra-fine filter system has an ultra-fine filter battery 202, which in the represented embod-iaenc has three reciprocately displaced units 203,204,205 with the filters 201. Below the battery 202 is provided a tank 206 for receiving the purified medium. By means of an inlet 20? with distributing pipes 208 the heated or cooled medium is supplied to the individual units 203,204,205. On the individual distributing pipes 208 are provided stopcocks 209, which make it possible to shut down a unit 203,204 or 205 in order to replace the ultra-fine filter 201. The ultra-fine filters 201 in each case have a casing 210 with a lid and a clamp closure. Upstream of the ultra-fine filter casing 210 is located the inlet with a pressure barometer 211.

Between the stopcock 209 and the barometer 211 there is a drain 212 for sludge and dust. After cleanins in the ultra-tine filter 201 the cleaned medium passes to the outlet 213, which preferably has a check valve. Via said outlet 213 the medium either passes into the tank 206 or into a pipeline, for supply to its new use or reuse.

Claims (1)

1. 4 C L A M Apparatus for filtering contaminated particularly waste tar as well as cooling with filters and pumps forcing the liquid through the filters wherein several additional filters arranged downstream of a filter parallel to each other in the flow and a magnetic filter with a magnet which can be turned on so as to draw magnetizable solid particles from the liquid is provided Apparatus according to claim characterized in that the filters follow the filter Apparatus to or 2 characterized in that the positioned of the filter Apparatus according to claim characterized in that the fine filters be in in groups for treating the Apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to characterized in that the filters have a cylindrical casing with a central and that between the two is provided filter Apparatus according to one of the preceding ized in that the stage is a prestorage tank provided 15 Apparatus according to claim characterized that the inlet to and the outlec from the positioned on different sides of the screen Apparatus according to claim 6 or characterized that the outlet from the is provided a Apparatus according to one of the claims 6 to characterized that an extruder is placed below the inlet Apparatus according to claim characterized with e cruder are associated stationary magnetic means in such a way that the extruder strip off izable coarse particles which have collected there and same from the tank Apparatus according to one of the preceding ized in that downstream of the pump and filter is provided a heating device a water orizing flow device Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that the magnetic filter is the inlet stage of the Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized that the magnetic filter is arranged within a filter means 16 Apparatus according to claim 12 characterized in that a ump a lever follows the magnetic filter Apparatus according to 14 characterized in that the pump as followed by a continuous flow heater for oils or an edge gap filter or separator for coolants or cooling Apparatus according to claim 15 characterized in that the coutinuous flow heater is followed by an electromagnetic shocker filter Apparatus according to claim characterized in that the edge gap filter or separator is followed by a heat ger cooling Apparatus according to one of the preceding cterized by a further pump Apparatus according to one of the preceding ized by a double filter Apparatus according to one of the preceding ized by an upstream positioned inspection window Apparatus according to one of the preceding ized by a sampling Apparatus according to one of the preceding ized by a flowmeter Apparatus accord to one of the preceding ized in that there is an oil collecting particularly below the filters For the PARTNERS insufficientOCRQuality