For filters and strainers type Y, T, basket, duplex, temporary, etc. it is very important to select the mesh that must be properly incorporated into our process. Selecting an incorrect mesh can cause problems in the short- and medium-term process:
If the selected mesh is very fine, therefore, with a very small filtration range, we initially cause a greater pressure drop in the installation and on the other hand we can make the filter clog with less time, causing that its maintenance and cleaning becomes more usual than desired.
If, on the other hand, a mesh that is too thick is selected, the problems arising from the pressure drop and clogging will decrease, but it will be possible to let through unwanted solids of a size that is too large and that may cause problems in other equipment of the installation or in same process fluid, turning it into a low-quality fluid.
That is why a correct selection of the mesh size to be installed can avoid many problems. For this, the following factors must be considered:
Type of solids
It is important to know what type of solids we have in our process: sand, stones, oxide, product residues, etc. This will limit us to a range of mesh size in which to make the subsequent selection.
Distribution of the solids contained in the fluid
In addition to the size, it is important to know the distribution of the solids. The size of the solids that a fluid drags does not have a constant size, since due to several factors such as friction, oxidation, etc. they take on different shapes and sizes. Therefore, having a spectrum of size and concentration allows us to verify where we have a higher % concentration of solids and in which range we must focus, since the objective will be to eliminate the highest quantity possible.
Objective of our filtration equipment
Another important factor to consider is the function of our equipment:
- Protect the installation and its components from foreign objects/solids
- Purify the fluid that circulates through our process
If our objective is to protect equipment or the installation itself, we will select a higher filtration size (larger mesh size) since we do not need the fluid to be 100% clean, but we need to ensure that there are no important solids that can cause wear, friction, oxidation, etc. On the other hand, if what we want is to purify the fluid of our process, we will select a smaller filtration size (smaller mesh size) to be able to remove as many impurities as possible.
Evaluating these three points, we will be able to select which is the most suitable filtration mesh for our process without compromising it with high pressure drop, excessive maintenance or poor fluid quality.
Contact us to help you select the most suitable filtration equipment for each process.