How to Easily Avoid Filter Installation Problems!
Ask Filter Man
Correctly installing your Ronningen-Petter™ industrial filter is the
first step in ensuring the life expectancy of your unit - as well as
optimal performance. Incorrect installation can affect the filter's
systems, cause it to operate poorly or physically damage the equipment.
The following list is a brief collection of easily-avoidable
installation conditions that may cause problems during filter
installation:
Low System Pressure
Since DCF and MCF™ filters rely on a purge operation to clear
captured solids from the filter, having enough system pressure is
important to successful purging. Ronningen-Petter recommends a minimum
of 30 psi of system pressure to ensure an adequate purge. This pressure
may need to be higher when the process liquid has high viscosity or the
solids are sticky. The Stealth Purge option with external water
flushing is an alternate solution that is independent of system
pressure.
Purge Line Plumbing
A common error when installing mechanically-cleaned filters is
incorrectly plumbing the purge line. The best situation for a purge
line is to make it short in length, placing it on a downhill grade from
the filter, and draining it into a collection tank. Since typical purge
operations are less than 1 second in duration, there is very little
flow in a purge line due to system pressure.
If the line runs uphill, solids will collect in the line and never
flush away. In addition, a water flush line on the purge header may be
needed if the purged materials are especially challenging.
Check Valves On Filter Outlet Plumbing
Running an outlet line into long, head-high runs (such as uphill) is an
uncommon, yet potentially damaging situation. When the filter purges, a
water-hammer situation may develop if flow reverses from the outlet
side of the filter.
In the worst case scenario, this may cause the elements to collapse.
However, this situation is easily prevented by placing a flow check
valve on the outlet line from the filter.
Filter Placement Around Pumps
Since Ronningen-Petter filters are pressure filters, they should always
be placed on the outlet side of pumps. Placing the filter on the
suction side of a pump may result in erratic operation or damage to the
filter elements.
Backpressure on outlet lines Ronningen-Petter filters will always work
best when there is some backpressure on the filter's outlet. The
worst performance scenario for a filter is when the outlet runs
directly to an atmospheric tank. For this reason, we recommend the
installation of a flow orifice or control valve on the outlet header of
the filter. By providing a slight amount of back pressure, the system
will operate much more evenly and avoid pressure blinding.
Backwash Filter Media
When your filter's backwash outlet line runs to an atmospheric tank,
Ronningen-Petter recommends using a flow orifice sized to prevent
excessive differential pressure across the filter media during the
backwash operation. This will prolong the life of the filter media.
External Backwash Liquid
The fluid source used in external backwash filter systems should be
clean - and have particles smaller than the rated retention of the
filter elements in the system. If these conditions are not met, the
backwashing process can actually plug the elements instead of cleaning
them.
by Ask Filter Man
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View our State-of-the-Art Process Simulation Apparatus at
http://www.rpaprocess.com/images/Process%20Simulation%20Apparatus.pdf.