Fluid processing apparatus and methods

Abstract

A fluid processing apparatus and method are provided for filtering a fluid from a source and delivering a filtrate derived therefrom to a first destination, and delivering a decantate derived therefrom to a second destination. The fluid separation and delivery apparatus for the method comprises a filter device having an inlet port for connecting to a fluid source, a first outlet port for directing filtrate to a first destination, and a second outlet port for directing decantate to a second destination.

1 . A fluid separation and delivery apparatus for filtering a fluid from a source and delivering a filtrate derived the fluid from the source to a first destination, and delivering a decantate derived the fluid from the source to a second destination comprising
 a) a filter device having an inlet port for connecting to a fluid source, a first outlet port for directing the filtrate to the first destination, and a second outlet port for directing the decantate to the second destination;   b) an inlet pump connected between the inlet port of the filter device and the fluid source for pumping fluid at a flow rate of Q in  into the filter device; and   c) an outlet pump connected between the second outlet port of the filter device and the second destination for pumping the decantate at a flow rate of Q out  out of the filter device to the second destination, wherein the outlet pump and the inlet pump are sized and controlled so that Q out  is less than Q in , and so that the filtrate flows from the first outlet port of the filter device to the first destination at a flow rate Q r  equal to Q in −Q out .   
   
   
       2 . The fluid separation and delivery apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the inlet pump and the outlet pump are gear pumps. 
   
   
       3 . The fluid separation and delivery apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the inlet pump and the outlet pump are driven by a single motor. 
   
   
       4 . The fluid separation and delivery apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the inlet pump and the outlet pump are operated by a common shared controller. 
   
   
       5 . The fluid separation and delivery apparatus as recited in  claim 4 , wherein each of the inlet pump and the outlet pump comprises an input shaft, and wherein the shared common controller is set such that the flow rate Q r  of the filtrate out of the first outlet port is equal to RPM×(C in −C out ), the RPM being the pump speed in revolutions per minute; the C in  being the capacity of the inlet pump in cubic centimeters of liquid per revolution of the inlet pump shaft; and C out  is the capacity the outlet pump in cubic centimeters of liquid per revolution of the outlet pump shaft. 
   
   
       6 . The fluid separation and delivery apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the second destination is the fluid source. 
   
   
       7 . The fluid separation and delivery apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a diverter valve having an inlet connected to the first outlet port of the filter device, a first outlet connected to the first destination, and a second outlet connected to the second destination. 
   
   
       8 . The fluid separation and delivery apparatus as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the second destination is the fluid source. 
   
   
       9 . The fluid separation and delivery apparatus as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising means for switching flow out of the diverter valve between the first outlet of the diverter valve and the second outlet of the diverter valve. 
   
   
       10 . The fluid separation and delivery apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the filter device is a crossflow filter. 
   
   
       11 . The fluid separation and delivery apparatus as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the crossflow filter comprises a housing, a porous filter medium contained within the housing and including a first surface and a second surface, a first passageway through the housing contiguous with at least a portion of the first surface of the porous filter medium, and a second passageway through the housing contiguous with at least a portion of the second surface of the porous filter medium. 
   
   
       12 . The fluid separation and delivery apparatus as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the crossflow filter comprises:
 a) a housing comprising a first inlet port, a first outlet port, a second outlet port, and a channel;   b) a porous filter medium disposed within the housing, the filter medium partitioning the channel into a first passageway between the first inlet port of the housing and the second outlet port of the housing, and a second passageway in communication with the first outlet port of the housing.   
   
   
       13 . A method of producing and delivering a filtrate from a fluid source to a filtrate destination comprising the steps of:
 a) pumping fluid from the fluid source at a flow rate of Q in  into a filter device having a filter medium, an inlet port, a first outlet port connected to the filtrate destination, and a second outlet port connected to a decantate destination;   b) pumping a fluid decantate at a flow rate of Q out  from the second outlet port of the filter device to the decantate destination, wherein the flow rate Qout is less than the flow rate Q in ;   c) directing fluid to flow through the filter medium of the filter device at a flow rate of Q out −Q in , thereby producing a filtrate at a flow rate of Q out −Q in ; and   d) directing the filtrate to flow through the first outlet port to the filtrate destination at a flow rate of Q out −Q in .   
   
   
       14 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the decantate destination is the fluid source. 
   
   
       15 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the filtrate destination is a coating process. 
   
   
       16 . The method as recited in  claim 13  wherein the filtrate destination is a magnetorheological finishing process. 
   
   
       17 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the fluid source is a slurry manufacturing process, and the filtrate destination is a surface finishing process. 
   
   
       18 . The method as recited in  claim 13  wherein the filtrate destination is a packaging process. 
   
   
       19 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the filter device is a crossflow filter. 
   
   
       20 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the pumping fluid from a fluid source and the pumping a fluid decantate are performed by gear pumps.