JP4612556B2 - Filter cleaning method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a filter cleaning method for cleaning a filter using a high-pressure cleaning fluid formed from a supercritical fluid or a subcritical fluid.

There is a pressure-resistant cleaning container that sprays a supercritical fluid onto an object to be cleaned contained in a cleaning basket (see Patent Document 1). The washing basket is suspended inside the washing container. A nozzle that discharges a supercritical fluid is installed above the cleaning basket inside the cleaning container, and a rotating blade and an ultrasonic generator are installed below the cleaning basket inside the cleaning container. In this cleaning container, the supercritical fluid is sprayed from the nozzle onto the cleaning basket, and the supercritical fluid is allowed to flow through the cleaning target accommodated in the cleaning basket, thereby cleaning the used cleaning target.
JP-A-10-163152

  In the cleaning container disclosed in the above publication, since the supercritical fluid flows not only in the cleaning basket but also in the entire interior of the cleaning container, there is a supercritical fluid that does not contribute to cleaning the object to be cleaned without passing the object to be cleaned. , Leading to wasted consumption of supercritical fluids. This cleaning container does not spray the supercritical fluid directly from the nozzle onto the object to be cleaned, and the supercritical fluid sprayed toward the cleaning basket passes through the cleaning basket and then spreads in all directions. Since it goes to the object, it is difficult to evenly flow the fluid throughout the object to be cleaned, and the object to be cleaned may not be cleaned.

An object of the present invention is to provide a filter cleaning method capable of preventing wasteful consumption of a high-pressure cleaning fluid formed from a supercritical fluid or a subcritical fluid. Another object of the present invention is to provide a filter cleaning method that allows a high-pressure cleaning fluid to flow through substantially the entire area of the filter and has a high cleaning function for the filter.

The first premise of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is that the filter is cleaned using a high-pressure cleaning fluid formed from one of a supercritical fluid and a subcritical fluid; Using a filter cleaning container having an inlet for allowing the cleaning fluid to flow in and an outlet for allowing the cleaning fluid to flow out of the cleaning chamber, the cleaning fluid is directed from the first surface to the second surface of the filter accommodated in the cleaning chamber. Te is a filter cleaning method for cleaning the filter by causing flow through.

As a first feature of the present invention according to the first premise, in the filter cleaning method, an umbrella-shaped covering material that covers substantially the entire area of one of the first and second surfaces of the filter is installed in the cleaning chamber. In addition , a pipe material extending from the coating material and connected to the outlet is installed in the cleaning chamber, and the coating material is separated from the peripheral surface portion of the filter surface and the peripheral surface portion of the filter surface and separated from the filter surface. lead and a central portion, from the first surface of the filter toward the second surface to collect the cleaning fluid was passed by directing the wash fluid in tubing space between the central portion of the surface of the filter dressing It is formed between.

As an example of the present invention having the first feature, in the filter cleaning method, the filter has a hexahedral three-dimensional structure in which four sides of a quadrangle extend between the first surface and the second surface, and the flat surface of the covering material. The shape of the filter is a quadrangle, and its peripheral edge is in contact with and in close contact with the peripheral edge of one of the first and second surfaces of the filter.

The second premise of the present invention for solving the above problems is that the filter is cleaned using a high-pressure cleaning fluid formed from one of a supercritical fluid and a subcritical fluid; Using a filter cleaning container having an inlet for allowing the cleaning fluid to flow in and an outlet for allowing the cleaning fluid to flow out of the cleaning chamber, the filter has four rectangular side surfaces extending between the first surface and the second surface. It has a hexahedral three-dimensional structure is a filter cleaning method for cleaning the filter by causing flow through toward the second surface from the first surface of the housing a cleaning fluid to the cleaning chamber filter. As a second feature of the present invention based on the second premise, in the filter cleaning method, a coating material covering the filter is installed in the cleaning chamber, and a pipe material extending from the coating material and connected to the outlet is the cleaning chamber. A central portion that covers the entire surface of the filter and is separated from either one of the first and second surfaces of the filter, and a peripheral edge that covers the entire side surface of the filter in the circumferential direction. and a part, between the first surface of the filter toward the second surface to collect the cleaning fluid was passed by directing the wash fluid in tubing space between the central portion of the surface of the filter dressing Formed and there is no gap between the peripheral edge of the covering and the sides of the filter.

As an example of the present invention having the second feature described above, in the filter cleaning method, a first part located on the outlet side and a second part branched from the first part into a plurality of parts and connected to a plurality of locations of the covering material And is formed from.

As an example of the present invention having the first and second features, in the filter cleaning method, a breathable pedestal on which the filter is placed with either one of the first and second surfaces of the filter being in contact with each other. Is installed in the cleaning chamber , the filter is positioned between the covering material and the pedestal, and the high-pressure cleaning fluid flows through substantially the entire area of the filter by the rectifying action of the pedestal.

As an example of the present invention having the first and second features, in the filter cleaning method, a plurality of inflow ports are formed to allow the cleaning fluid to flow into the cleaning chamber of the filter cleaning container.

According to the filter cleaning method of the present invention having the first feature, the umbrella-shaped covering material covering substantially the entire area of the filter surface in the cleaning chamber of the filter cleaning container, and the pipe material extending from the covering material and connected to the outlet Is installed, and has a peripheral portion where the covering material contacts and closely contacts the peripheral portion of the surface of the filter and a central portion which is separated from the surface of the filter and is connected to the pipe material, and collects the high-pressure cleaning fluid Is formed between the surface of the filter and the central portion of the covering material, the cleaning fluid flowing in from the inlet is surely passed from the first surface to the second surface of the filter. be able to. Therefore, this cleaning container can prevent generation of the cleaning fluid that does not flow through the filter, and can prevent wasteful consumption of the high-pressure cleaning fluid.

The filter has a hexahedral structure in which four side surfaces of a quadrangle extend between the first surface and the second surface, the planar shape of the covering material is a quadrangle, and the periphery thereof is the first and second surfaces of the filter. The filter cleaning method is in contact with and in close contact with the peripheral edge of any one of the surfaces, so that the covering material is in contact with and close to the peripheral edge of the filter surface. Even with a filter that covers almost the entire area reliably and has a hexahedral structure, not only can the cleaning fluid flow through the filter reliably, but wasteful consumption of the high-pressure cleaning fluid can be prevented, High cleaning function for filters.

According to the filter cleaning method of the present invention having the second feature, a covering material covering the filter and a pipe extending from the covering material and connected to the outlet are installed in the cleaning chamber of the filter cleaning container. A central portion that is separated from the surface of the filter and covers the entire surface of the filter, and a peripheral portion that is positioned on the outer periphery in the circumferential direction of the filter and covers the entire surface of the filter. A space leading to the filter is formed between the surface of the filter and the central portion of the covering material, and there is no gap between the peripheral portion of the covering material and the side surfaces of the filter. It is possible to surely flow from the first surface to the second surface. Therefore, this cleaning container can prevent generation of the cleaning fluid that does not flow through the filter, and can prevent wasteful consumption of the high-pressure cleaning fluid.

A filter cleaning method in which a pipe material is formed from a first part located on the outlet side and a second part branched from the first part into a plurality of parts and connected to a plurality of parts of the covering material is a cleaning fluid that flows through the filter. Can be collected from a plurality of locations of the covering material into the pipe material, so that a substantially uniform flow rate of the cleaning fluid can be passed through substantially the entire area of the filter, and the cleaning fluid can be reliably passed through the entire area of the filter. be able to. In addition, when the cleaning fluid is allowed to flow from the pipe material, the cleaning fluid can be discharged from multiple locations of the coating material so that the cleaning fluid can be uniformly applied to multiple portions of the filter, and the cleaning fluid can be surely passed through almost the entire area of the filter. Can be made.

A breathable pedestal for placing the filter in a state where one of the first and second surfaces of the filter is in contact with the cleaning chamber of the filter cleaning container is installed, and the filter is interposed between the covering material and the pedestal. The filter cleaning method in which the high-pressure cleaning fluid flows through substantially the entire area of the filter by the rectifying action of the pedestal allows the cleaning fluid to flow through the filter while the cleaning fluid is evenly distributed throughout the pedestal due to the fluid resistance of the pedestal. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a non-flow point in the cleaning fluid filter. In this cleaning method , the cleaning fluid can surely flow through substantially the entire area of the filter, so that not only wasteful consumption of the high-pressure cleaning fluid can be prevented, but also a high cleaning function for the filter.

In the filter cleaning method in which a plurality of inflow ports for allowing the cleaning fluid to flow into the cleaning chamber of the filter cleaning container are formed, the cleaning fluid can be evenly applied to a plurality of parts of the filter by discharging the cleaning fluid from the plurality of inflow ports. The cleaning fluid having a substantially uniform flow rate can be passed through substantially the entire area of the filter, and the cleaning fluid can be reliably passed through the entire area of the filter.

The details of the filter cleaning method using the filter cleaning container according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 and 2 are a conceptual diagram of a filter cleaning facility 10 that performs a filter cleaning method using the filter cleaning container 19A, and a top view of the cleaning container 19A with the lid 25 omitted. 3 and 4 are a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2 with the lid 25 attached, and perspective views showing the pedestal 38, the covering material 39, and the pipe material 40. FIG. 2 and 3, the vertical direction is indicated by an arrow A (only in FIG. 3), the radial direction is indicated by an arrow B, and the circumferential direction is indicated by an arrow C (only in FIG. 2). In the cleaning container 19 </ b> A shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a used air filter 11 or a used liquid filter 11 described later is accommodated in the cleaning chamber 32.

The filter cleaning equipment 10 for performing the filter cleaning method is suitably used for cleaning the used air filter 11 after filtering the gas and cleaning the used liquid filter 11 after filtering the liquid. These filters 11 have a function of removing impurities present in the gas or liquid, and purify the gas or liquid. When these filters 11 are classified by performance, a pre-filter that removes coarse impurities, a medium-performance filter or a high-performance filter that removes fine impurities, a HEPA filter or a ULPA filter that removes extremely fine impurities There is a chemical filter that removes chemical substances. Examples of the air filter 11 include a separator type air filter and a mini-pleat type air filter. The air filter 11 is mainly used as an air conditioning filter, an air cleaning filter, an exhaust treatment filter, or a vehicle air conditioner filter. The liquid filter 11 is used as a filter for a water purifier or a filter for a membrane device using osmotic pressure.

  The illustrated air filter 11 and liquid filter 11 are used by being housed in a filter housing or a filter cartridge using glass fiber, adsorbent, or synthetic resin fiber as a filter medium. The illustrated air filter 11 and liquid filter 11 have a three-dimensional structure folded in a bellows (see FIG. 3), a rectangular upper surface 12 (second surface) and a lower surface 13 (first surface), and upper and lower surfaces 12, 13 is a hexahedron having four rectangular side surfaces 14 (peripheral surfaces) extending between 13. In addition, the filter cleaned by the cleaning facility 10 includes a substantially flat filter in addition to a three-dimensional structure, and further includes a filter whose upper and lower surfaces are circular, elliptical, or polygonal. Examples of the adsorbent include activated carbon and a ceramic porous body. Synthetic resin fibers include polypropylene, polyester, polyether sulfone, polysulfone, nylon 6, polyphenylene sulfide, and the like. Examples of the filter medium include those in which an adsorbent such as granular activated carbon or granular ceramic porous material is supported between fibers, and those in which an adsorbent such as granular activated carbon or porous porous ceramic body is interposed between overlapping fiber aggregates. .

  As shown in FIG. 1, the filter cleaning facility 10 is connected to a cylinder 15 containing liquefied carbon dioxide, a pump 17 connected to the cylinder 15 via a pipe line 16, and a pump 17 connected to the pump 17 via a pipe line 16. The temperature controller 18 and a filter cleaning container 19A connected to the temperature controller 18 via a pipe line 16 are formed. A flow meter 20 is attached to a pipe line 16 extending between the cylinder 15 and the pump 17. A pressure control valve 21A is attached to the pipe line 16 extending between the temperature controller 18 and the cleaning container 19A, and a pressure control valve 21B is attached to the pipe line 16 extending between the cleaning container 19A and the pump 17. Yes. A thermometer 22 and a pressure gauge 23 are attached to the cleaning container 19A. In the cleaning facility 10, the carbon dioxide gas supplied from the cylinder 15 via the pump 17 is set to a pressure of 7.38 MPa or more, and the carbon dioxide gas set to a pressure of 7.38 MPa or more is set to 30 to 60 via the temperature controller 18. By heating to 0 ° C., carbon dioxide gas becomes a supercritical fluid or a subcritical fluid (hereinafter referred to as a high-pressure cleaning fluid). The high-pressure cleaning fluid has a property of gas and liquid, and easily enters the fine gaps of the filter medium forming the filter 11 and easily penetrates into the filter medium, and easily adheres to the filter medium or contaminates the filter medium. Melt. The high-pressure cleaning fluid is forcibly supplied from the temperature controller 18 to the filter cleaning container 19A via the pump 17, and flows into the cleaning container 19A. The high-pressure cleaning fluid that has flowed out of the cleaning container 19 </ b> A is decompressed by a decompression device (not shown) to return to a non-supercritical or non-subcritical normal fluid, and the normal fluid enters the pump 17 again through the pipe line 16. During operation of the filter cleaning facility 10, the high-pressure cleaning fluid and the normal fluid circulate through the facility 10. Although not shown, the cleaning facility 10 is provided with a filtration device for filtering impurities contained in the circulating cleaning fluid or carbon dioxide gas.

  The pump 17, the temperature controller 18, the flow meter 20, the pressure control valves 21A and 21B, the thermometer 22, the pressure gauge 23, and the pressure reducing device are connected to a control device (not shown). The pump 17, the temperature controller 18, the flow meter 20, the pressure control valve 21, the thermometer 22, the pressure gauge 23, and the pressure reducing device, together with the control device, feedback control for matching the flow rate, temperature and pressure of the cleaning fluid to the target value range Forming the control elements. During operation of the facility 10, the flow rate of the cleaning fluid is constantly input to the control device via the flow meter 29, the temperature of the cleaning fluid is always input via the thermometer 22, and cleaning is performed via the pressure gauge 23. Fluid pressure is always input. When the flow rate of the cleaning fluid circulating through the facility 10 deviates from the target value range, the control device adjusts the output of the pump 17 to return the flow rate of the cleaning fluid within the target value range. When the temperature of the cleaning fluid circulating in the facility 10 deviates from the target value range, the control device adjusts the amount of heat of the temperature regulator 18 to return the temperature of the cleaning fluid to the target value range. When the pressure of the cleaning fluid circulating through the facility 10 deviates from the target value range, the control device operates the valve mechanisms of the pressure control valves 21A and 21B to return the cleaning fluid pressure to the target value range.

  The cleaning container 19 </ b> A is formed of a container main body 24 and a lid 25, and a clamp 26 that fixes the lid 25 to the main body 24. The container body 24 has a substantially cylindrical shape that is long in the vertical direction, and includes a bottom wall 27, a peripheral wall 28 that extends upward from the periphery of the bottom wall 27, and a circular upper opening 29. Concave portions 30 and convex portions 31 that are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction are formed on the upper outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 28. Inside the container main body 24, an airtight structure cleaning chamber 32 surrounded by a bottom wall 27 and a peripheral wall 28 is formed. The bottom wall 27 is formed with four inlets 33 (entrance / exit) for allowing the cleaning fluid to flow into the airtight structure cleaning chamber 32 and an outlet 34 (entrance / exit) for allowing the cleaning fluid to flow out of the cleaning chamber 32. The inflow port 33 and the outflow port 34 pass through the bottom wall 27 and communicate with the outside of the container body 24 from the cleaning chamber 32. The inlet 33 is connected to the pipeline 16 extending from the pressure control valve 21 </ b> A, and the outlet 34 is connected to the pipeline 16 extending from the container body 24. The lid 25 has a circular planar shape, and has an upper and lower surface and a peripheral surface extending between the upper and lower surfaces. On the peripheral surface of the lid 25, similarly to the container body 24, concave portions (not shown) and convex portions 35 that are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction are formed. When the lid 25 is placed on the container main body 24, the peripheral edge of the lid 25 comes into contact with the upper portion of the peripheral wall 28, and the upper opening 29 of the main body 24 is closed by the lid 25. The clamp 26 has a ring shape, and is formed with concave portions 36 and convex portions 37 that are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface thereof.

  The airtight structure cleaning chamber 32 is cylindrical and has a predetermined volume that can accommodate the filter 11. In the cleaning chamber 32, a pedestal 38 on which the filter 11 is placed, a covering material 39 that covers the filter 11, and a hollow tube material 40 through which the cleaning fluid flows are installed. The pedestal 38, the covering material 39, and the pipe material 40 are made of a metal such as stainless steel, aluminum, or iron. The pedestal 38 is formed of a rectangular rectifying plate 41 having a plurality of through holes 56 formed at equal intervals, and leg portions 42 extending downward from the periphery of the rectifying plate 41. The leg portion 42 is in contact with the bottom wall 27. The lower surface 13 (first surface) of the filter 11 is in contact with the rectifying plate 41. The rectifying plate 41 is spaced upward from the bottom wall 27, and a space 43 is formed between the bottom wall 27 and the rectifying plate 41. The four inflow ports 33 are located below the filter 11 with the pedestal 38 interposed therebetween and project into the space 43. The inflow ports 33 are located inside the four corners of the filter 11 when the filter 11 is placed on the pedestal 38. The pedestal 38 may be formed of a rectangular wire mesh through which the cleaning fluid easily passes and leg portions extending downward from the periphery of the wire mesh.

  The covering material 39 has a quadrangular umbrella shape in plan view, and has a planar area substantially the same as that of the upper surface 12 (second surface) of the filter 11 and covers substantially the entire area of the upper surface 12 of the filter 11. The covering material 39 has a peripheral edge portion 45 that contacts the peripheral edge portion 44 (periphery) of the upper surface 12 of the filter 11 and a central portion 46 that is spaced upward from the upper surface 12 of the filter 11 and is connected to the tube material 40. A space 47 is formed between the upper surface 12 of the filter 11 and the central portion 46 of the covering material 39 to collect the cleaning fluid flowing through the filter 11 and guide the fluid to the tube 40. A space 48 is formed except for. The space 47 serves as a flow path for the cleaning fluid. The pipe member 40 is connected to the outlet port 34, extends upward from the outlet port 34, then extends horizontally in the radial direction toward the central portion 46 of the central portion 46 of the covering material 39, and further extends slightly downward to the central portion. 46 is connected to the central portion.

  An example of the procedure for cleaning the used air filter 11 and liquid filter 11 using the cleaning container 19A is as follows. The filter 11 is placed in the airtight structure cleaning chamber 32, and the filter 11 is placed on the base 38 (on the current plate 41) in a state where the lower surface 13 (first surface) of the filter 11 is in contact with the wire mesh 41, and then the covering material 39 is covered with the filter 11, and the upper surface 12 (second surface) of the filter 11 is covered with the covering material 39. The filter 11 is located between the pedestal 38 and the covering material 39, and is installed in the cleaning chamber 32 while being sandwiched between the pedestal 38 and the covering material 39. After the filter 11 is installed in the cleaning chamber 32, the lid 25 is placed on the upper part of the peripheral wall 28 of the main body 24 with the convex portion 31 of the container main body 24 and the convex portion 35 of the lid 25 aligned with each other. The upper opening 29 of the container 24 is closed. Next, the convex portion 37 of the clamp 26 is inserted between the concave portion 30 of the container main body 24 and the concave portion of the lid 25, and the clamp 26 is fitted into the peripheral wall 28 of the main body 24 and the peripheral surface of the lid 25, and then the clamp 26. Is rotated in the circumferential direction so that the convex portions 31 and 35 of the main body 24 and the lid 25 and the convex portion 37 of the clamp 26 are arranged in the vertical direction. When the convex portions 31 and 35 of the container main body 24 and the lid 24 and the convex portion 37 of the clamp 26 are arranged in the vertical direction, the lower surface of the lid 25 is pressed against the upper portion of the peripheral wall 28 of the main body 24, and the lid 25 is in close contact with the main body 24. The cleaning chamber 32 can be sealed.

  After the upper opening 29 of the container main body 24 is closed by the lid 25, the cleaning equipment 10 is activated, and the high-pressure cleaning fluid flows into the cleaning container 19A. When the cleaning facility 10 is activated, as indicated by an arrow L1 in FIG. 3, the cleaning fluid flows into the cleaning chamber 32 from the inlet 33 and flows out of the cleaning container 19A from the outlet 34 through the pipe 40. . The cleaning fluid flowing into the cleaning chamber 32 from the inflow port 33 hits the rectifying plate 41 of the pedestal 38, and evenly distributed over the entire rectifying plate 41 due to the fluid resistance of the rectifying plate 41, passes through the through holes 56, and further passes through the filter 11. Enters the inside of the filter 11 (inside the filter medium) from substantially the entire area of the lower surface 13, and flows from the lower surface 13 toward the upper surface 12. The cleaning fluid cleans the filter 11 by removing the dirt attached to the filter medium through the gap between the filter medium forming the filter 11, and further removing the dirt that penetrates into the filter medium and penetrates the filter medium. The cleaning fluid flowing out from the upper surface 12 of the filter 11 is collected in a space 47 serving as a flow path thereof, and flows toward the pipe member 40 through the space 47 as indicated by an arrow L2 in FIG. Sucked. The cleaning fluid reaches the outlet 34 through the pipe member 40, flows out of the cleaning container 19 </ b> A from the outlet 34, and then is decompressed by the decompression device to return to the normal fluid. In this equipment 10, the cleaning time of one filter 11 is about 50 to 70 minutes, and a high-pressure cleaning fluid or a normal fluid is circulated for that time.

In the filter cleaning method using the filter cleaning container 19 </ b> A, the covering material 39 covers substantially the entire area of the upper surface 12 of the filter 11, and a space 47 serving as a flow path for the high-pressure cleaning fluid flowing through the filter 11 is formed between the upper surface 12 of the filter 11. Since it is formed between the central portion 46 of the covering material 39, the cleaning fluid can be reliably passed from the lower surface 13 of the filter 11 toward the upper surface 12. The filter cleaning method can prevent the generation of cleaning fluid that does not flow through the filter 11, and can prevent wasteful consumption of the cleaning fluid. The filter cleaning method allows the cleaning fluid to flow through the filter 11 while evenly distributing the high-pressure cleaning fluid over the entire rectifying plate 41 due to the fluid resistance of the rectifying plate 41 having a rectifying action. Thus, it is possible to surely flow from substantially the entire lower surface 13 toward the entire upper surface 12 and has a high cleaning function for the filter 11.

In the filter cleaning method using the filter cleaning container 19A , the peripheral portion 44 of the upper surface 12 of the filter 11 is in close contact with the peripheral portion 45 of the covering material 39, so that all of the cleaning fluid flowing into the cleaning container 19A passes through the filter 11. Therefore, it is possible to prevent generation of a cleaning fluid that circulates through the equipment without being used for cleaning the filter 11. In addition, since the peripheral portion 45 of the covering material 39 abuts on the peripheral portion 44 of the upper surface 12 of the filter 11, the covering material 39 reliably covers substantially the entire area of the upper surface 12 of the filter 11, and the filter 11 has a three-dimensional structure. However, the cleaning fluid can be surely passed through substantially the entire area. In the filter cleaning method , four cleaning fluid inlets 33 are formed below the four corners of the filter 11, and the cleaning fluid can be discharged from the four inlets 33 and uniformly applied to a plurality of portions of the filter 11. The cleaning fluid having a substantially uniform flow rate can be passed through substantially the entire area 11.

  5 and 6 are a top view of another example of the cleaning container 19B with the lid 25 omitted, and a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5 with the lid 25 attached. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the pedestal 38, the covering material 49, and the pipe material 50. 5 and 6, the vertical direction is indicated by an arrow A (only in FIG. 6), the radial direction is indicated by an arrow B, and the circumferential direction is indicated by an arrow C (only in FIG. 5). This cleaning container 19B is used in the cleaning facility 10 shown in FIG. 1, similarly to that of FIG. In the cleaning container 19B, the used air filter 11 and the used liquid filter 11 are accommodated in the cleaning chamber 32, and the filter 11 is placed on the pedestal 38 (rectifying plate 41). The cleaning container 19B is different from that of FIG. 2 in the configuration of the covering material 49, the pipe material 50, and the inlet 51 (entrance / exit), and other configurations are the same as those of the cleaning container 19A in FIG. The same reference numerals as those in FIG. 2 are used to omit the description of other configurations of the cleaning container 19B excluding the covering material 49, the pipe material 50, and the inflow port 51.

  The covering material 49 has a peripheral edge portion 52 located on the outer side in the circumferential direction of the four side surfaces 14 (peripheral surfaces) of the filter 11 and a central portion 53 spaced upward from the upper surface 12 (second surface) of the filter 11. . The central portion 53 has a square shape in plan view, and its area is substantially the same as that of the upper surface 12 of the filter 11 or slightly larger than that of the upper surface 12 of the filter 11 and covers the entire upper surface 12 of the filter 11. The peripheral portion 52 extends downward from the peripheral edge of the central portion 53, has a vertical dimension larger than that of the side surface 14 of the filter 11, and covers the entire side surface 14 of the filter 11. Although it is preferable that there is no gap between the peripheral edge portion 52 of the covering material 49 and those side surfaces 14 of the filter 11, a slight gap may be formed depending on the size of the filter 11. A space 47 is formed between the upper surface 12 of the filter 11 and the central portion 53 of the covering material 49 to collect the cleaning fluid flowing through the filter 11 and guide the fluid to the pipe member 50. A space 48 is formed except for.

  The pipe member 50 is formed of a first portion 54 located on the outlet 34 side and a second portion 55 branched from the first portion 54 into five. The first portion 54 is connected to the outflow port 34, extends upward from the outflow port 34, and then extends horizontally in the radial direction toward the central portion 53 of the central portion 53 of the covering material 49. It extends slightly downward. The second portion 55 is connected to the central portion of the central portion 53 of the covering material 49 and is connected to four corner portions (a plurality of locations) of the central portion 53. The second portion 55 extends horizontally in the radial direction from the first portion 54 toward the corner portion of the central portion 53, and then extends downward at the corner portion of the central portion 53. The five inflow ports 51 are located below the filter 11 with the pedestal 38 interposed therebetween, and protrude into a space 43 formed between the bottom wall 27 and the pedestal 38. The inflow ports 51 are formed below the center portion of the central portion 53 of the covering material 49, and further between the second portions 55 of the pipe material 50, and the length dimension of one side of the peripheral edge portion 52 of the covering material 49. It is formed below the position that is divided into two.

  An example of the procedure for cleaning the used air filter 11 and liquid filter 11 using the cleaning container 19B is as follows. The filter 11 is placed in the airtight structure cleaning chamber 32, the filter 11 is placed on the pedestal 38 with the lower surface 13 (first surface) of the filter 11 being in contact with the rectifying plate 41, and then the covering material 49 is put on the filter 11. The upper surface 12 (second surface) and the side surface 14 (circumferential surface) of the filter 11 are covered with the covering material 49. The entire upper surface 12 and the entire side surface 14 of the filter 11 are covered with the covering material 49, and are located between the base 38 and the covering material 49. After the filter 11 is installed in the cleaning chamber 32, the lid 25 is placed on the upper part of the peripheral wall 28 of the main body 24 with the convex portion 31 of the container main body 24 and the convex portion 35 of the lid 25 aligned with each other. The upper opening 29 of the main body 24 is closed, and the lid 25 is brought into close contact with the main body 24 by the clamp 26 in the same manner as the cleaning container 19A of FIG.

  After the upper opening 29 of the container main body 24 is closed by the lid 25, the cleaning equipment 10 is activated, and the high-pressure cleaning fluid flows into the cleaning container 19B. When the cleaning facility 10 is activated, as indicated by an arrow L1 in FIG. 6, the cleaning fluid flows into the cleaning chamber 32 from the inlet 51 and flows out of the cleaning container 19B from the outlet 34 through the pipe 50. . The cleaning fluid flowing into the cleaning chamber 32 from the inflow port 33 hits the rectifying plate 41 of the pedestal 38, and evenly distributed over the entire rectifying plate 41 due to the fluid resistance of the rectifying plate 41, passes through the through holes 56, and further passes through the filter 11. It enters the inside of the filter 11 (filter medium gap) from substantially the entire area of the lower surface 13 and flows from the lower surface 13 toward the upper surface 12. The cleaning fluid cleans the filter 11 by removing the dirt attached to the filter medium through the gap between the filter medium forming the filter 11, and further removing the dirt that penetrates into the filter medium and penetrates the filter medium. The cleaning fluid that has flowed out of the upper surface 12 of the filter 11 is collected in a space 47 that becomes a flow path thereof, and flows toward the pipe 50 through the space 47 as indicated by an arrow L2 in FIG. Sucked. The cleaning fluid reaches the outlet 34 through the pipe member 50, flows out of the cleaning container 19 </ b> B from the outlet 34, and then is decompressed by the decompression device to return to the normal fluid. The cleaning time of the filter 11 is the same as that of the cleaning container 19A of FIG.

In the filter cleaning method using the filter cleaning container 19 </ b> B, the covering material 49 covers the entire upper surface 12 and the entire side surface 14 of the filter 11, and the space 47 serving as a flow path for the high-pressure cleaning fluid that has flowed through the filter 11 Since it is formed between the upper surface 12 and the central portion 53 of the covering material 49, the cleaning fluid can surely flow from the lower surface 13 of the filter 11 toward the upper surface 12. The filter cleaning method can prevent the generation of cleaning fluid that does not flow through the filter 11, and can prevent wasteful consumption of the cleaning fluid. The filter cleaning method allows the cleaning fluid to flow through the filter 11 while evenly distributing the high-pressure cleaning fluid over the entire rectifying plate 41 due to the fluid resistance of the rectifying plate 41 having a rectifying action. Thus, it is possible to surely flow from substantially the entire lower surface 13 toward the entire upper surface 12 and has a high cleaning function for the filter 11.

In the filter cleaning method using the filter cleaning container 19B , the peripheral edge 52 of the covering material 49 is located on the outer side in the circumferential direction of the side surface 14 (circumferential surface) of the filter 11 having a three-dimensional structure and covers the entire side surface 14 region. Even in the filter 11 having a three-dimensional structure, the cleaning fluid can be surely passed through substantially the entire area. In the filter cleaning method , since the pipe material 50 has the second portion 55 branched from the first portion 54 into five portions and connected to a plurality of locations in the central portion 53 of the covering material 49, the cleaning fluid flowing through the filter 11 is covered. The pipe material 50 can be collected from a plurality of locations of the material 49, and a substantially uniform flow rate of the cleaning fluid can be passed through the entire area of the filter 11. In the filter cleaning method , the cleaning fluid inlet 51 is formed below the central portion of the central portion 53 of the covering material 49, and further, below the position where the length of one side of the peripheral edge 52 of the covering material 49 is divided into two. Thus, the cleaning fluid can be discharged from the five inlets 51 and uniformly applied to a plurality of portions of the filter 11, so that the cleaning fluid having a substantially uniform flow rate can be passed over substantially the entire area of the filter 11.

  In the cleaning container 19A of FIG. 2, the tube material 40 is formed of a first part and a second part branched from the first part into a plurality of parts and connected to the covering material 39, as in FIG. 5, and these second parts are covered. You may connect with the multiple places of the center part 46 of the material 39. In the cleaning container 19 </ b> B of FIG. 5, the tube material 50 may be connected to the central portion of the central portion 53 of the covering material 49 without branching the tube material 50, similar to that of FIG. 2. In the cleaning container 19 </ b> B of FIG. 5, the four second portions 55 of the pipe material 50 may be connected to the peripheral edge 52 of the covering material 49. In the cleaning containers 19A and 19B of FIGS. 2 and 5, four or five inlets 33 and 51 are formed below the pedestal 38, but the inlets 33 and 51 are limited to four or five. Instead, only one inlet may be formed, and six or more inlets may be formed.

  Further, in the cleaning containers 19A and 19B of FIGS. 2 and 5, the cleaning fluid inlets 33 and 51 are fluid outlets (entrances / exits), and the cleaning fluid outlet 34 is a fluid inlet (entrance / exits). It may be. In this case, the cleaning fluid is discharged from the pipe members 40 and 50 to the upper surface 12 (first surface) of the filter 11, and the cleaning fluid flows through the filter 11 from the upper surface 12 of the filter 111 toward the lower surface 13 (second surface). To do.

  In this cleaning facility 10, carbon dioxide gas is used as a raw material for the high-pressure cleaning fluid, but water or methanol can be used as the raw material for the high-pressure cleaning fluid in addition to the carbon dioxide gas. When water is used as the raw material for the high-pressure cleaning fluid, the atmospheric pressure is increased to 220 MPa or higher via the pump 17 and the temperature is heated to 374 ° C. or higher via the temperature controller 18. When methanol is used as the raw material for the high-pressure cleaning fluid, the atmospheric pressure is increased to 79 MPa or higher via the pump 17 and the temperature is heated to 239 ° C. or higher via the temperature controller 18.

The conceptual diagram of the filter cleaning equipment which implements the filter cleaning method using a filter cleaning container. The top view of the washing container which abbreviate | omits and shows a lid | cover. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2 with the lid attached. The perspective view which shows a base, a coating | covering material, and a pipe material. The top view of the washing container of another example which abbreviate | omits a lid | cover and shows. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5 with the lid attached. The perspective view which shows a base, a coating | covering material, and a pipe material.

10 Filter cleaning equipment 11 Filter 12 Upper surface (first or second surface)
13 Lower surface (first or second surface)
14 Side (peripheral surface)
19A Filter cleaning container 19B Filter cleaning container 24 Container body 25 Lid 26 Clamp 27 Bottom wall 28 Peripheral wall 29 Top opening 32 Airtight structure cleaning chamber 33 Inlet (first or second inlet / outlet)
34 Outlet (first or second entrance)
38 Pedestal 39 Covering material 40 Pipe material 41 Current plate 42 Leg part 44 Peripheral part (around)
45 Peripheral part 46 Central part 47 Space 48 Space 49 Coating material 50 Pipe material 51 Inlet (first or second inlet / outlet)
52 peripheral portion 53 central portion 54 first portion 55 second portion

Claims (6)

An airtight structure cleaning chamber that cleans the filter using a high-pressure cleaning fluid formed from one of a supercritical fluid and a subcritical fluid; an inlet that allows the cleaning fluid to flow into the cleaning chamber; A filter cleaning container provided with an outlet through which the cleaning fluid flows out is used to flow the cleaning fluid from the first surface to the second surface of the filter accommodated in the cleaning chamber. In the filter cleaning method for cleaning,
In the filter cleaning method, an umbrella-shaped coating material that covers substantially the entire area of one of the first and second surfaces of the filter is installed in the cleaning chamber and extends from the coating material. A pipe material connected to the outflow port is installed in the cleaning chamber, and a peripheral part where the covering material abuts and adheres to a peripheral part of the surface of the filter and a central part which is separated from the surface of the filter and connected to the pipe material. A space for collecting the cleaning fluid flowing from the first surface of the filter toward the second surface and guiding the cleaning fluid to the pipe member is formed between the surface of the filter and the central portion of the covering material. The said filter cleaning method characterized by being formed in between. In the filter cleaning method, the filter has a hexahedral three-dimensional structure in which four sides of a quadrangle extend between the first surface and the second surface, and the planar shape of the covering material exhibits a quadrangle and the periphery thereof The filter cleaning method according to claim 1, wherein the portion is in contact with and in close contact with a peripheral portion of one of the first and second surfaces of the filter. An airtight structure cleaning chamber that cleans the filter using a high-pressure cleaning fluid formed from one of a supercritical fluid and a subcritical fluid; an inlet that allows the cleaning fluid to flow into the cleaning chamber; A filter cleaning container having an outlet for allowing the cleaning fluid to flow out, wherein the filter has a hexahedral three-dimensional structure in which four sides of a quadrangle extend between the first surface and the second surface; In the filter cleaning method for cleaning the filter by allowing a cleaning fluid to flow from the first surface to the second surface of the filter housed in the cleaning chamber,
In the filter cleaning method, a covering material that covers the filter is installed in the cleaning chamber, and a pipe member that extends from the coating material and leads to the outlet is installed in the cleaning chamber, and the covering material is A central portion that covers the entire area of the filter and is spaced apart from one of the first and second surfaces of the filter and a peripheral edge that is located on the outer side in the circumferential direction of the side surface of the filter and covers the entire area of the side surface. And a space for collecting the cleaning fluid flowing from the first surface to the second surface of the filter and guiding the cleaning fluid to the pipe member is between the surface of the filter and the central portion of the covering material. The filter cleaning method is characterized in that there is no gap between the peripheral edge of the covering material and the side surfaces of the filter. The said filter cleaning method WHEREIN: The said pipe material is formed from the 1st part located in the said outflow port side, and the 2nd part branched into several from the said 1st part and connected to the several places of the said coating | covering material. 3. The filter cleaning method according to 3. In the filter cleaning method, a breathable pedestal on which the filter is placed in a state in which either one of the first and second surfaces of the filter is in contact is installed in the cleaning chamber, and the filter is the covering material The filter cleaning method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the filter is located between the base and the pedestal, and the high-pressure cleaning fluid flows through substantially the entire area of the filter by a rectifying action of the pedestal. The filter cleaning method, the filter cleaning method according to the inlet port for flowing said cleaning fluid to the cleaning chamber to any one of claims 1 to claim 5 formed with a plurality of said filter cleaning vessel.

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