From phenomenological investigations towards industrial applications
NaMeS students are invited to IPC PAS Seminar within CREATE Lectures "Innovation source" delivered by:
Prof. Leon Gradoń
Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering
Warsaw University of Technology
Wednesday, 19th June, 2019, 10.00
Assembly hall of the IPC PAS
Abstract
Separation of the liquid droplets from the stable mist system is a crucial process in industrial technologies natural gas cleaning, crank case ventilation CCV systems in Diesel engines, and many other applications.
The most efficient devices for such separations are fibrous filters (coalescers). A properly designed structure, defined through the space distribution of the local porosity and filter diameter in the filter volume, involves the phenomena of a droplet coalescing in the bulk, deposition of droplets on the fiber, coalescing of moved droplet on the fiber and the drainage of the loaded filter fibers. Theoretical analysis of the droplet behavior in the micro- and mesoscale is extended to the model describing the entire filter performance with its filtration efficiency, pressure drop and the lifetime of the filter.
The knowledge of the filtration process defines the filter structure, and than involvement of the process of formation of designed fibrous structure. The advanced melt-blown technique is used for filter production. The defined filter structure is produced on line in the system where fiber is formed in the nozzle and extended to the required diameter due to tangential stress resulting from the hot air flow around melted polymer filament. Final fiber, after solidification, is collected on the mandrel and formed to desired filter shape. Controlled process parameters determine local porosity and fiber distribution of the filtration layer. Incidentally our research on coalescers comes together with new regulations by Environmental Protection Agency for necessity of reduction of volatile organic compounds in the Diesel engine exhaust gases.
The biggest producer of Diesel engines, Cummins Inc. (USA), was looking for the best solution of the problem. In the multi-stage procedure our proposal won. We have built technological line for production of coalescers with the production ability 3 mln filters/year. All steps of the above will be presented.
