A Vertical Pressure Leaf Filter is an industrial filtration system designed to remove very fine impurities and solids from liquid solutions. The method of filtration involves the progressive accumulation of impurities on the filter media (leaves) to form a filter cake. The filter cake acts as an additional filtration barrier, continually filtering finer particles that may have passed through the initial capture of the filter media.
Steri Technologies has manufactured robust Vertical Pressure Leaf Filters (Funda) for more than 30 years. Their designs culminate years of precision engineering and advanced filtration principles to deliver a superior filtration technology.
1.) Filter Motor (PDF): Either an electric or a hydraulic drive can be specified in your design. The electric motor is driven by a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD). The VFD gives precise speed control of the nest rotation and offers programmable ramping speed control. High speed rotation is needed for cake discharge while low speeds aid the effectiveness of boil-outs and filter plate washing.
2.) Upper Bearing (PDF): The upper bearing is installed above and separated from the upper seal. This arrangement protects the bearing from damage in the event there is a seal leak. The upper bearing uses two bearings working in tandem to allow smooth rotation of the filter shaft. There is a radial bearing for the lateral forces and an axial bearing that handles the thrust load of the weight of the filter nest.
3.) Upper Seal (PDF): Designed to eliminate causes of failure, a key feature of the upper seal is the corrosion resistant bearing sleeve. The filter shaft fits inside of the bearing sleeve, riding on the sleeve instead of the shaft.
4.) Filter Nest (PDF): The filter nest consists of a central manifold and the leaves of the filter. The leaves are typically constructed of stainless steel and outfitted with a sintered mesh or cloth fabric that provides the basis for filtration.
5.) Lower Bearing (PDF): The most commonly installed lower bearing consists of a bearing housing that is mounted onto the bottom end of the filter nest shaft, a PTFE sleeve that carries the radial loads of the bottom end of the filter shaft during rotation, and two lip seals that are installed in the bearing housing.
6.) Discharge Valve (PDF): Various types of valves such as Double Butterfly, Posi-Flate, Fabri-Knife Gate and Manual Quick Close valves can be used for solids discharge. Steri has found the gate valve to be the optimal choice for various applications. The sliding action allows the end of the heel pipe to be installed very close to the face of the valve allowing for the filter to be completely drained of fluid before the discharge valve is opened.
7.) Filter Housing (PDF): The filter housing is critical in the design as it can be built to handle specific pressure requirements and be outfitted with heating/cooling options to meet process requirements. The filter housing also keeps the entirety of the process contained.
Vertical Pressure Leaf Filter – Applications
Vertical Pressure Leaf Filters have a wide install base with more than 6,000 installs around the world, and a few hundred located in North America. This technology has an extensive track record of reliable performance across a broad range of industries and is commonly used in the following applications:
Vertical Pressure Leaf Filters are efficient, reliable, versatile, and environmentally sustainable, making them indispensable tools in industrial filtration processes. Enhance product quality, improve production efficiency, and meet regulatory standards, with these exceptional filters. Deliver consistent high-quality filtration results across numerous diverse applications.
Large Scalable Filtration Area: The horizontal orientation (vertical stacking) of filter leaves provides a scalable surface area for maximum filtration efficiency.
Continuous, Contained Operation: The system can be designed to fill, filter, discharge, and wash without interruption to the filtration process.
Robust Versatility: Vertical pressure leaf filters are commonly used in a variety of chemical and pharmaceutical industries and applications, making them the premier choice for filtration.
Theory of Operation: Cake Filtration
Vertical Pressure Leaf Filters – How It Works
Summary
Vertical Pressure Leaf Filters (Funda) are fundamental components of industrial filtration processes, offering highly efficient and continuous removal of impurities from liquids. Their versatility and reliability make them a preferred filtration choice for numerous industries around the world. If you have further questions or are considering implementing this technology in your processes, feel free to Contact Us for expert advice and custom solutions tailored to your processes needs.
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