Apparatus and method for implementing hydroclone based fluid filtration systems with extensible isolated filter stages

摘要

Filter assemblies and fluid flow inhibitors that are particularly well suited for use in centrifugal separation enhanced filtration devices are described. Moreover extensible filter assemblies are described. In one aspect of the invention, extensible filtration assemblies can be used to operate in circulating fluid filtration devices. Such extensible filter elements can use fluid manifold to reduce the effects of fluid circulation inside filter elements and to reduce reverse flow problems in such filters. Additionally, indexable filter elements and invertable filtration elements can be used to extend filter life in filtration in filtration devices.

主权项

1. A centrifugal separation enhanced filtration device comprising:
a tank having a fluid inlet, a filtered fluid outlet, an effluent outlet and an internal chamber having an internal chamber wall; the filtered fluid outlet arranged to extract filtered fluid from a filter assembly arranged within the internal chamber; wherein the filter assembly comprises a staged filter assembly comprising a plurality of filter stages including a first stage and at least one supplementary stage, with each of said filter stages comprising a filtered fluid chamber inside an associated filter membrane arranged to filter fluid in the fluid circulating region wherein filtered fluid enters said filtered fluid chamber of each filter stage, and wherein the filtered fluid outlet is arranged to extract filtered fluid from the filtered fluid chamber of the first stage, and said at least one supplementary stage is configured such that the filtered fluid chamber of said at least one supplementary stage is in communication with the filtered fluid chamber of the first stage but not with another one of said at least one supplementary stages; a fluid circulating region in a space between the internal chamber wall and the filter assembly; and a circulating cleaning assembly positioned in the fluid circulating region between the chamber wall and the filter assembly, wherein the circulating cleaning assembly includes at least one cleaning element arranged to help clean a filter membrane of the filter assembly when the circulating cleaning assembly is rotated about the filter assembly.