METHOD FOR DETERMINING LIFE OF FILTERS IN BAG HOUSE AND FILTER MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 20100010777A1
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BHA Altair LLC (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Farmer, Terry Lewis
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,424 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/184
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0086 Filter condition indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/02 Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, having hollow filters made of flexible material
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 50/20 Combinations of devices covered by groups B01D45/00 and B01D46/00

Abstract

A method for dynamically determining a remaining actual operational period for a filter in a filtration device including: determining an initial remaining operational period based on an installation date of the filter and an initial expected operational period; periodically determining a remaining actual operational period of the filter based on the initial remaining operational period based and an elapsed operational period from the installation date; monitoring at least one operating parameter in the filtration device; adjusting the remaining actual operational period based on the monitored operating parameter, and continuing to periodically determine the remaining actual operational period based on the adjusted remaining actual operational period and the elapsed operational period.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically determining a remaining actual operational period for a filter in a filtration device comprising:

determining an initial remaining operational period based on an installation date of the filter and an initial expected operational period;

periodically determining a remaining actual operational period of the filter based on the initial remaining operational period based and an elapsed operational period from the installation date;

monitoring at least one operating parameter in the filtration device;

adjusting the remaining actual operational period based on the monitored operating parameter, and

continuing to periodically determine the remaining actual operational period based on the adjusted remaining actual operational period and the elapsed operational period.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the filtration device is a bag house and the filter is an array of bag filters, and further comprising replacing the bag filters at or before the expiration of the adjusted remaining actual operational period.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the operational period is a filter life.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating parameter is an inlet temperature of gases to the filtration device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating parameter is related to a pressure differential across the filter.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the pressure differential is determined promptly after a filter cleaning operation.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating parameter is a particulate level in an exhaust of the filtration device.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

determining a difference between the particulate level and a baseline particulate level, wherein the baseline particulate level is a function of remaining filter life, and

adjusting the remaining filter life to reduce the difference.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating parameter is a moisture level of gas passing through the bag house.

10. A method for dynamically determining a remaining actual operational life a bag filter in a bag house having a controller, the method comprising:

entering into the controller bag filter data and an installation date of the bag filter in the bag house;

determining an initial bag filter life based on the bag filter data;

decrementing the initial bag filter life to determine a remaining actual bag filter life and periodically decrementing the remaining actual bag filter life;

monitoring a bag house operating condition, wherein the operating condition is at least one of temperature of an inlet gas flow to the bag house, a pressure differential across the bag filter, and a particulate level in a outlet gas flow from the bag house;

adjusting the remaining actual bag filter life based on the monitored bag house operating condition and periodically decrementing the remaining actual bag filter life, and

replacing the bag filter at a time based on the decremented, adjusted remaining actual bag filter life.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein bag house operating condition is the pressure differential and the pressure differential is determined promptly after a bag filter cleaning operation.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the bag house operating condition is the particulate level and the method further comprises:

determining a difference between the particulate level and a baseline particulate level, wherein the baseline particulate level is a function of remaining bag life, and

adjusting the remaining bag life to reduce the difference.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the remaining actual bag life is displayed on a user terminal in communication with the controller.

14. An apparatus for dynamically determining a remaining actual operational life a filter in filtration device, comprising:

electronic storage containing data including an installation date of the filter, and data sufficient to determine an initial filter life;

at least one sensor monitoring a filtration device operational condition, wherein the monitored operational condition is at least one of a temperature of an inlet gas flow to the device, a pressure differential across the filter and a particulate level in a outlet gas flow from the filtration device;

a computer controller including an executable program which tracks remaining filter life to determine a remaining actual filter life and adjusts the remaining actual filter life based on the monitored bag house operational condition, and

a user terminal indicating the remaining actual filter life.

15. The apparatus as in claim 14 further comprising a filter cleaning device coupled to the filter and the executable program periodically commands the filter cleaning devices to remove dust and particles from the filter.

16. The apparatus as in claim 14 wherein the filtration device is a bag house and the filter is at least one bag filter.

17. The apparatus as in claim 14 wherein the sensor includes an exhaust gas opacity sensor in the outlet gas flow from the device, and the executable program adjusts the remaining filter life to reduce a difference between a sensed level exhaust gas opacity provided by the opacity sensor and expected opacity level, wherein the expected opacity level is determined by the controller based on opacity data stored in the electronic storage correlating the expected opacity level to an operational period of the filter.

18. The apparatus as in claim 17 wherein the opacity data is a lookup table which correlates various periods of expected remaining life to various opacity levels.

19. The apparatus as in claim 14 wherein the wherein the filter is an array of bag filters arranged in the device.

20. The apparatus as in claim 14 wherein the filter is a porous material.