Liquid and solids separation apparatus and method with continuous cleaning using defferential pressure control

摘要

This invention comprises a method and an apparatus for separating solids from fluids in fluids containing high total suspended solids and where the solids are of a broad particle size including ultra fine particles. A fluid volume is passed through a filter element thereby separating the solids from the liquid. The solids deposited on and in the filter element are cleaned from the filter element by a continuous backwashing process using pressurized filtered fluid in excess of the fluid pressure of the fluid on the intake side of the filter. The rate at which backwashing occurs and the pressure of the pressurized filtered fluid used in backwashing is increased when the pressure differential between the intake and outlet volumes increases.