Filter drier and method of filtering a fluid stream

• US 5,364,540 A
• Filed: 02/11/1993
• Issued: 11/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Sciuto, George J.
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, SUN U
• Application Number:
  US08/016,453
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 210/264, 210/266, 210/282, 210/283, 210/285, 210/287, 210/289, 210/290, 210/291, 210/352, 210/356, 210/483, 210/484, 210/485, 210/435, 210/446, 210/451, 210/456, 210/689 , 210/806, 210/DIG. 6, 210/350, 210/DIG. 7, 62/85, 62/474, 55/315, 55/486, 55/487, 55/509
• US Class Current: 210/806
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 43/003 Filters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 210/06 Dehydrators

Abstract

An apparatus and method for filtering a fluid stream wherein the fluid stream is passed through a first filtering zone to remove particulate materials therefrom above a first preselected micron level, then through a desiccant media bed zone including a multiplicity of desiccant beads to dry the fluid stream and then through a second filtering zone to remove particulate materials therefrom above a second preselected micron level below said first micron level so as to remove smaller particulate materials including particulates from said first filtering zone.

Claims

1. A fluid filter drier for filtering and drying fluids in a fluid flow path comprising:

a longitudinal housing having an upstream fluid inlet and a downstream fluid outlet to define a fluid flow path therebetween;

a desiccant media bed including a multiplicity of desiccant beads disposed within said housing between said upstream fluid inlet and downstream fluid outlet transverse said fluid flow path;

a first filter means disposed within said housing upstream said desiccant media bed and downstream said upstream fluid inlet of said housing transverse said fluid flow path for filtering undesirable particulate materials above a first preselected micron level of fifty (50) microns;

said first filter means having a preselected density of one pound per cubic foot and sized relative the overall length of said housing to be compressed a preselected amount of approximately sixty-six (66) percent of the original thickness through its disposition within said longitudinal housing;

a second filter means of a like predetermined density as said first filter means and disposed within said housing downstream said desiccant media bed and upstream said downstream fluid outlet of said housing transverse said fluid flow path for filtering undesirable particulate materials below said first preselected micron level and above a second preselected micron level of twenty (20) microns, which is below said first preselected micron level; and

,

compaction means to maintain said desiccant media bed in a compacted state with said first filter means being substantially free of compression by said compaction means and said second filter means being compacted a preselected amount of approximately eighty (80) percent of the original thickness by said compaction means.

2. The fluid filter drier of claim 1, said compaction means comprising a compression spring disposed between said upstream fluid inlet and said desiccant media bed in surrounding relation to said first filter media so that said first filter media is free of compaction thereby.

3. The fluid filter drier of claim 1, said first filter means including at least one fiber glass pad disposed between a pair of substantially flat upstream and downstream filter screens.

4. The fluid filter drier of claim 3, wherein said first filter means includes a second fiberglass pad disposed between said pair of screens and a third fiber glass pad disposed downstream said downstream filter screen.

5. The fluid filter drier of claim 1, said second filter means comprising an assembly of at least one fiber glass pad followed successively downstream by a felt pad and a substantially flat screen upstream said downstream outlet.

6. The fluid filter drier of claim 1, said second filter means being substantially free of compaction by said compaction means.

7. A fluid filter drier for filtering a liquid refrigerant in a refrigerant system including a compressor, an evaporator and a condenser comprising:

a longitudinally extending cylindrical metallic drier housing having an upstream fluid inlet and a downstream fluid outlet positioned in said refrigerant system between said condenser and said evaporator to receive a jet stream of liquid refrigerant through said fluid inlet;

a first perforated metal screen positioned in said housing adjacent said fluid inlet to extend in transverse relation to the longitudinal axis of said housing and to said jet stream of refrigerant to diffuse said jet stream;

a first fiber glass pad extending parallel and adjacent said first screen and having a capability of filtering undesirable particulate materials from said diffused jet stream above a fifty (50) micron level;

a helically coiled metallic compaction spring disposed within said drier housing in surrounding relation with said first fiber glass pad;

a second and third fiber glass pad assembly disposed within said dryer housing downstream said compaction spring to be abutted thereby, said pad assembly including a second perforated metal screen therebetween, said pad and screen assembly also extending in transverse relation to the longitudinal axis of said housing and to said diffused jet stream of refrigerant;

a desiccant media bed including a multiplicity of activated beads disposed within said housing immediately downstream said pad assembly and extending transversely thereacross to be compacted by said helical spring and abutting pad assembly;

a fourth fiber glass pad, extending downstream of and adjacently parallel said desiccant media bed having a capability of filtering undesirable particulate material from said diffused stream above a twenty (20) micron level including stray particulate materials and fibers from said first, second and third pads and desiccant media bed;

a felt pad and third perforated screen assembly disposed within said dryer housing downstream said fourth fiber glass pad also to extend transversely across said longitudinal axis of said housing adjacent said housing outlet, said first and fourth fiberglass filter pads being of a preselected thickness relative the overall length of said drier housing to be compressed to a preselected density for filtering particulate materials above fifty, (50) and twenty (20) microns respectively;

said first perforated metal screen having approximately fifty (50) percent of the overall area opened;

said first fiber glass pad with a density of one pound per cubic foot being sized relative the overall length of said housing to be compressed approximately sixty-six (66) percent of the original thickness and said second and third pads with a density of one pound per cubic foot being compacted by said compaction springs to approximately eighty (80) percent of the original thickness.

8. A method of filtering and drying fluids of a fluid stream comprising:

passing said fluid stream to be filtered and dried through a first enclosed filtering zone including filter pad means having a preselected density of one pound per cubic feet and extending transversely to said fluid stream in a preselected compressed state of approximately sixty-six (66) percent of the original thickness to remove particulate material above a first preselected micron size of fifty (50) microns from said fluid stream;

passing said filtered fluid stream through a second enclosed zone including desiccant materials to dry said fluid stream by absorption of moisture, acid and other undesirable contaminants from said fluid stream; and

,

passing said filtered and dried fluid stream through a third enclosed zone including filter pad means of similar density as said first filter pad means and extending transversely to said filtered and dried fluid stream in a preselected compressed state of approximately eighty (80) percent of the original thickness to remove particulate material below said first preselected micron size and above a second preselected micron size of twenty (20) microns to include the filtering of loose particulates of said filter pad means in said first zone and desiccant particles of the second zone.

9. The method of filtering and drying fluids of a fluid stream of claim 8 wherein said desiccant materials are comprised of a multiplicity of desiccant beads held in a compressed state.

10. A method of filtering and drying a liquid refrigerant in a refrigerant system comprising:

passing a refrigerant jet stream in said refrigerant system through an enclosed diffuser zone extending transverse said stream between an evaporator zone and a condenser zone in said refrigerant system;

passing said diffused refrigerant stream immediately thereafter through a first enclosed unitary filtering zone including filter pad means having a density of one pound per cubic foot and extending transversely to said fluid stream in a compressed state of approximately sixty-six (66) percent of the original thickness to remove particulate material therefrom above fifty (50) micron size from said diffused refrigerant stream;

passing said refrigerant stream immediately thereafter through a second enclosed filtering zone including a compressed filter pad assembly extending in transverse relation to said refrigerant stream;

passing said filtered refrigerant stream through a third enclosed zone including compressed desiccant materials to dry said refrigerant stream by absorption of moisture, acid and other undesirable contaminants from said refrigerant stream; and

,

passing said filtered and dried refrigerant stream through a fourth enclosed unitary filtering zone including filter pad means also having a density of one pound per cubic foot and extending transversely to said fluid stream compacted to about eighty (80) precent of the original thickness to remove particulate materials above twenty (20) micron size to include filtering of loose particulates from said previous filtering zones.