Article written by FCX Performance, Inc
Filters play a critical role in industrial and hygienic processes. It is essential to make sure that your filter is performing at its best so it can reduce equipment down time, provide consistent product quality and reduce product loss.
Unfortunately, there are many factors that can decrease filter performance, which can lead to wasted product and avoidable maintenance costs. We have identified some main variables that impact filter performance and split them into a monthly series titled Filter Performance 101. Let's start off with flow rate and flux rate!
FLOW RATE
Flow rate is a critical variable in the filtration system because it determines the design of the system itself and the filter size needed to remove contaminants. There is a limited amount of media that can be installed in any filtration system, so it is important that the filtration system is sized to accommodate the required amount of filter media.
A properly sized filter system can maintain a consistent flow rate and maximize your filter media’s life. If the filter system is undersized, it can increase the differential pressure and decrease the flow rate, causing the filter to clog faster. This can dramatically reduce the filter’s life and force solids to pass through the media, reducing final product quality. When these issues arise, it can lead to otherwise avoidable maintenance costs and operating expenses by increasing downtime while changing the filter and purchasing more filter media than necessary.
FLUX RATE
Flux rate is the flow rate through a specified surface area that is usually expressed as gallons per minute per square foot of media surface area, or the velocity of flow through a defined amount of filter media. Flux rate can impact the filter media’s dirt holding ability as well as the efficiency of removing contaminants. If the flux rate is too high, the filter can get plugged up faster and push contaminants through the media. As mentioned before, a properly sized filter system can maintain a consistent flow rate, allowing the filter media in the system to operate at a desirable flux rate.
A lower flux rate is desired for most filtration systems since it allows the contaminants to be captured in the filter media at a lower velocity, thus increasing filter life and overall filtration efficiency. Captured contaminants can build a filter cake where the contaminants become the filter, enhancing overall filter performance and extending filter life by improving efficiency and dirt holding ability. Flux rate can be optimized in both new and existing installations. Properly sized housings in new installations allow for an optimal flux rate. For existing installations, the filter media can often be changed to a different type of media that has increased available surface area.
As a reminder, monitoring your flow rate is critical because it determines the design of the system itself and the filter size needed to remove contaminants. However, it is important to monitor your flux rate because it can impact the filter media’s dirt holding ability as well as the efficiency of removing contaminants. Stay tuned next month for the next part of our Filter Performance 101 series by following us on LinkedIn.
