Patent ID: 8114291
Filing Date: 2012-02-14
Classification: B01D,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for making a filter coalescer element of the type adapted to remove dispersed liquid water and solid particle contaminants from liquid lubricants, liquid fuels and other oil based industrial liquids, comprising: forming a rigid support tube with an exterior surface, a hollow interior and a porous sidewall through which an incoming industrial liquid can flow in an inside out direction; forming a hydrophobic drainage layer into a shape configured to cover at least a portion of the exterior surface of the rigid support tube; forming a single phase, dual function combination water coalescer and particle filter pleat block shaped for close reception within the interior of the rigid support tube, including: providing a first strip of a porous support material having a predetermined width, and sufficient rigidity to support at least a portion of the pleat block; providing a strip of a synthetic microfiber media having a width similar to that of the first strip of porous support material, and configured from non-woven synthetic microfibers, and having a thickness and a surface density with associated predetermined first pore size sufficient to filter particles from the incoming industrial liquid, and commence water coalescence of dispersed liquid water particles in the same; providing a strip of fiber media having a width similar to the first strip of porous support material and the strip of synthetic microfiber media, and configured from non-woven synthetic fibers, and having a thickness and a surface density with associated predetermined second pore size that is greater than the first pore size of the strip of synthetic microfiber media, and is sufficient to continue coalescence of the dispersed liquid water particles in the incoming industrial liquid; providing a second strip of a porous support material having a width similar to that of the first strip of porous support material, and sufficient rigidity to support at least a portion of the pleat block; positioning the upstream face of the strip of synthetic microfiber media abuttingly over the downstream face of the first strip of porous support material; positioning the upstream face of the strip of fiber media abuttingly over the downstream face of the strip of synthetic microfiber media; positioning the upstream face of the second strip of porous support material abuttingly over the downstream face of the strip of fiber media to define a multilayer filter media; pleating the multilayer filter media to interconnect the first strip of porous support material, the strip of synthetic microfiber media, the strip of fiber media and the second strip of porous support material, and form a plurality of individual pleats arranged in a side-by-side relationship; cutting a strip of pleated multilayer filter media to a predetermined length; forming the pleated multilayer filter media into a predetermined shape sized for close reception in the interior of the rigid support tube; joining opposite side edges of the formed pleated multilayer filter media; inserting the joined formed pleated multilayer filter media into the interior of the rigid support tube; and positioning the drainage layer immediately adjacent to and abutting the exterior surface of the rigid support tube, whereby as the incoming industrial liquid passes through the pleat block, solid particles are physically filtered therefrom and the dispersed liquid water particles are coalesced into droplets which grow in size in the fiber media layer, and pass from the individual pleats of the pleat block directly through the porous sidewall of the rigid support tube and directly into the drainage layer where the droplets grow further into drops having a size sufficient that gravity causes the same to fall from the exterior surface of the drainage layer for collection adjacent a bottom portion of the filter coalescer element.