Filter Assembly Research Articles

Enhancing Filter Assembly and Printing Efficiency through Automation and Virtual Reality Integration

This paper presents a comprehensive approach to improving the assembly and printing process of filters in a selected company. Currently, the company's process involves significant manual labor, which leads to inefficiencies and potential health risks for employees. The proposed solution integrates the use of pneumatic cylinders to automate the assembly and printing process, reducing manual effort and improving production efficiency. The fixture and filter were modeled using SOLIDWORKS 2022 and simulated in virtual reality with Pixyz Review software. The virtual reality simulation serves as an innovative training tool for new employees, enhancing understanding and accuracy in the assembly process. The study compares the current state, where manual handling results in a time-consuming process with a lower production rate, to the proposed automated system. The proposed solution eliminates unnecessary intermediate storage and manual fixture transfers, significantly reducing the total assembly and printing time from 24 s to 22 s per unit. This results in a 14.16 % increase in production efficiency, allowing the company to produce 1227.3 filters per shift compared to the current 1075 filters.

Characterization of Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Emissions—Part 1: Chemical Composition of Fine Particles (PM2.5)

Lithium-ion batteries (LIB) pose a safety risk due to their high specific energy density and toxic ingredients. Fire caused by LIB thermal runaway (TR) can be catastrophic within enclosed spaces where emission ventilation or occupant evacuation is challenging or impossible. The fine smoke particles (PM2.5) produced during a fire can deposit in deep parts of the lung and trigger various adverse health effects. This study characterizes the chemical composition of PM2.5 released from TR-driven combustion of cylindrical lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and pouch-style lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) LIB cells. Emissions from cell venting and flaming combustion were measured in real time and captured by filter assemblies for subsequent analyses of organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC), elements, and water-soluble ions. The most abundant PM2.5 constituents were OC, EC, phosphate (PO43−), and fluoride (F−), contributing 7–91%, 0.2–40%, 1–44%, and 0.7–3% to the PM2.5 mass, respectively. While OC was more abundant during cell venting, EC and PO43− were more abundant when flaming combustion occurred. These freshly emitted particles were acidic. Overall, particles from LFP tests had higher OM but lower EC compared to LCO tests, consistent with the higher thermal stability of LFP cells.

Long-Range Imaging of Alpha Emitters Using Radioluminescence in Open Environments: Daytime and Night-Time Applications.

Alpha emitters like plutonium pose severe health risks when ingested, damaging DNA and potentially causing cancer. Traditional detection methods require proximity within millimeters of the contamination source, presenting safety risks and operational inefficiencies. Long-range detection through alpha radioluminescence (RL) offers a promising alternative. However, most of the previous experiments have been carried out under controlled conditions that preclude the overwhelming effect of ambient light. This study demonstrates the successful detection of a 3 MBq alpha emitter in an open environment using a compact alpha camera. This camera incorporates a deep-cooled CCD and a low f-number lens system designed to minimize the blue shift effects of filters. Night-time imaging was achieved with a dual-filter system using a sandwich filter assembly centered at 337 nm and 343 nm for capturing alpha RL and subtracting background light, respectively. At night, the alpha source was detected from 1 m away within one minute, and the lowest detection limit can be calculated as 75 kBq. The system was also evaluated under simulated urban lighting conditions. For daytime imaging, a stack of tilted 276 nm short pass filters minimized sunlight interference, enabling the detection of the alpha source at 70 cm within 10 min under indirect sunlight. This research highlights the viability of long-range optical detection of alpha emitters for environmental monitoring in real-world settings.

Improved sieving coefficient in perfusion cell culture with reduced effective filtration length of hollow fibers.

The hollow fiber filter is the primary cell-retention device used in high-density perfusion cell culture and often used in an alternating tangential flow (ATF) configuration. The limited commercially available diaphragm pumps for ATF prevent utilization of vertical space when scaling beyond 500 L. Stacking hollow fiber filters coupled with viscous cell culture imposes vacuum pressure exceeding facility capabilities. Additionally, the longer filter assembly increases the hold-up volume and exceeds the diaphragm pump's fluid exchange capacity. The conventional tangential flow filtration (TFF) configuration circumvents this issue by exchanging culture from the bioreactor and cell-retention device in a unidirectional recirculation loop; however, the increased filter length when scaled up exacerbates the TFF's inherent issue with product retention from Starling flow. Stacking commercially available 20 cm TFF filters to make up the similar single-module length TFF used for the platform 3 and 50 L perfusion process at 41.5 and 65 cm, respectively, attempts to reduce fouling caused by Starling flow. The permeate of a single-module filter is partitioned into short independent segments through serially stacked filters, each harvested separately. By partitioning the permeate, the sieving coefficient increased for both 3 and 50 L scales. Reduction of Starling flow was confirmed with lower total hydraulic membrane resistance throughout the culture. This work demonstrates a method for increasing sieving coefficient and filter capacity by stacking TFF filters with independent permeate streams.

Cobot selection using hybrid AHP-TOPSIS based multi-criteria decision making technique for fuel filter assembly process

The choice of a suitable collaborative robot (cobot) for a real-time industrial process is one of the obstacles to effective robot implementation in terms of energy and cost. The cobot selection process for an application have become more complex due to increasing sophisticated features and capabilities in cobots offered by the manufacturers. The paper presents a hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) technique based on Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) approaches for selecting cobots for fuel filter assembly operation. The product design methodology, manufacturing method, and associated cost are directly influencing the decision on cobot selection. The most appropriate robot to accomplish the desired task at the lowest possible cost and capability can be selected by AHP with prospective criterion weight for subsequent processing. The TOPSIS approach orders alternatives based on the prominence of criteria. A diesel fuel filter assembly process case was considered for validating the proposed technique of cobot selection process. An expert knowledge base was generated for 12 advocated cobots and the best cobot was selected using the proposed hybrid MCDM technique.

Understanding the Microscopic Mechanism of Clogging of both Fibrous and Mesh Filters in Flooded-bed Wet Scrubbers

Flooded-bed scrubbers are commonly employed in continuous miners to capture and remove dust particles at the cutting face in underground coal mines. To date, the mechanism of filter clogging as well as the evolution of pressure drop has not been well understood. In this work, clogging of filters in a relevant flooded-bed scrubber environment have been investigated in a laboratory setting by spraying a slurry onto a filter assembly while pulling the air through. Two types of filters have been investigated, including a) a multi-layer mesh filter and 2) a fibrous woven filter. Results showed that the differential pressure (or pressure drop) increased with an accumulation of clogged particles within the filter. The timed evolution of the pressure drop varied with both pore size and pore structure of the filter medium. When dust particles were much smaller than the pore size of the filter, dust particles predominantly accumulated inside the filter pack. When dust particles had comparable or larger sizes compared with the pore (or mesh) size of the filter medium, the filter was dominantly clogged at its front layers. Experimental results were compared with a modified model to account for the development of the pressure drop across the filter. The clogging of scrubber filters may be presented in two mechanisms, namely a) internal clogging and b) caking. The present result demonstrates the fundamental mechanism of clogging of dust particles within fibrous and mesh filters during dust capture and removal by flooded-bed wet scrubbers as well as other engineering applications involving in multi-phase interaction within a porous medium.

Neutron Filtering System for Neutron Capture Cross Section Measurement at the ANNRI beamline of MLF/J-PARC

A neutron filtering system has been designed and implemented in the Accurate Neutron-Nucleus Reaction Measurement Instrument (ANNRI) beamline in the Materials and Life Science (MLF) facility of the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) to bypass the effect of the double-bunch mode of JPARC by molding the incident neutron flux into quasi-monoenergetic neutron beams. Filter assemblies using Fe, Si and Cr as filter materials were analyzed by means of experimental analysis, together with Monte Carlo simulations. The characteristics of the filtered neutron beam are presented and discussed alongside its viability in future applications for neutron cross-section measurements in the keV neutron region.

ARIES 130-cm Devasthal Fast Optical Telescope — Operation and Outcome

This paper studies about the 130-cm Devasthal Fast Optical Telescope (DFOT) at Devasthal, India that has been in operation for more than 10 years and is the main workhorse for the photometric observations for a wide range of scientific programs carried out at ARIES, Nainital. Having a [Formula: see text] pixel imager mounted on the prime focus of the telescope, DFOT provides a field of view of about [Formula: see text] arcmin2 in the sky. Another frame transfer CCD imager of [Formula: see text] pixel size enables monitoring transient sources with millisecond temporal resolution. DFOT is equipped with a filter assembly having eight filters, an auto-guider, an All Sky Camera, and GPS-enabled weather monitoring system to support the observations in the most optimum way. The telescope is capable of producing sub-milimag photometric stability which has allowed us to detect many small-scale photometric variations.

Filter Integrity Test for Aseptic Processing

The sterile manufacturing process using sterilizing grade membrane filtration has been practiced reliably and safely over the years. However, to prove its reliability and safety, the integrity of the filter must be tested. Typically, filter integrity testing is performed prior to assembling and using the filter unit. Sterilizing grade filtration is an acceptable process only when the integrity of the filter has been tested. This fact is stated in various guidelines that recommend the use of integrity tests before and after filtration. The integrity of the filter assembly should be verified by an appropriate method, such as such as a bubble-point pressure test or a forward-flow pressure test, before and after use. Irregular leakage flow rates should be noted and examined. The results of these filter integrity checks must be entered in a master batch record. Of all the structural features that characterize a filter, none appears to be more relevant to particle retention, whether viable or impervious particles, than its pore size.

Filter Integrity Test for Aseptic Processing

The sterile manufacturing process using sterilizing grade membrane filtration has been practiced reliably and safely over the years. However, to prove its reliability and safety, the integrity of the filter must be tested. Typically, filter integrity testing is performed prior to assembling and using the filter unit. Sterilizing grade filtration is an acceptable process only when the integrity of the filter has been tested. This fact is stated in various guidelines that recommend the use of integrity tests before and after filtration. The integrity of the filter assembly should be verified by an appropriate method, such as such as a bubble-point pressure test or a forward-flow pressure test, before and after use. Irregular leakage flow rates should be noted and examined. The results of these filter integrity checks must be entered in a master batch record. Of all the structural features that characterize a filter, none appears to be more relevant to particle retention, whether viable or impervious particles, than its pore size.

Coulombic force contribution to nano scale aerosol capture by a wire grid: Quantitative comparison of experiments and simulations

Fibers of filter media and aerosol particles both typically have some distributions of electric charge. Attractive coulombic interactions between charged particles and fibers enhance aerosol filtration efficiency; however, these coulombic interactions are difficult to characterize due to the complex, nonuniform fiber charge, diameter and spacing of typical filter media. We develop an experimental filter assembly to control these coulombic interactions. The filter assembly consists of three sequential electrically isolated metallic grids—high voltage is applied to the middle grid and the adjacent outer grids are electrically grounded such that the electric potential distribution in the filter assembly is well-defined. We test this filter assembly with aerosols of controlled diameter (ranging between ∼70 and 500 nm) and electric charge (1e−), and systematically increase the applied voltage to the middle grid to enhance coulombic interactions and consequently the filter efficiency. We develop particle trajectory simulations to model our experimental filter assembly such that all parameters in the simulation have direct basis from the experimental system. We find excellent quantitative agreement between the filter efficiency measured in experiments and predicted from simulations without any fitting parameters. The precise control and accurate simulation of coulombic interactions demonstrated in this study indicate that the experimental and simulation methodologies developed here may be applied to uncover fundamental insights into the role of coulombic forces in more complex phenomena such as filter clogging.

Interaction of silver nano-clusters with ceria thin-films: An in situ temperature dependent x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study

Temperature dependent oxidation states of ceria (CeO 2 ) are observed at much lower temperatures in presence of silver nano-clusters (NCs), deposited on CeO 2 thin-films, using a nano-cluster deposition system equipped with quadrupole mass filter assembly and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) facilities. In situ high-temperature XPS studies indicate that CeO 2 oxidizes Ag-NCs to AgO at room temperature and reduces to Ce 3+ state at much lower temperature. Further, a temperature dependent reversible change in oxidation states between Ag(III) and Ag(II) states is observed. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study reveals that besides coalescence of silver clusters during heating, the Ag-NCs interact with CeO 2 resulting in fully covered Ag-NCs by a layer of CeO 2 due to strong metal support interactions (SMSI). UV-Vis studies show a decrease in bandgap of CeO 2 due to an increase in Ce 3+ content in CeO 2 film responsible for SMSI effect at the interface of silver clusters and cerium oxide at higher temperature. Interactions at the adsorption edge between CeO 2 and Ag-NCs help to decrease the bandgap of CeO 2 in presence of Ag-NCs. Thus the presence of silver clusters plays a crucial role in lowering the oxidation-reduction temperature of ceria. Overall, the Ag-NC in ceria helps to reduce Ce 4+ state to Ce 3+ state at much lower temperature that would be useful for its different low-temperature catalytic applications. • Ag-NCs grown on CeO 2 are in oxidized state at room temperature as evident from XPS study. • After a heating cycle, Ce 3+ enriched CeO 2 film is found at room temperature where only Ce 4+ state is present before heating. • A reversible change in oxidation state of Ag is observed where temperature is varied from RT to 250 °C. • The room temperature TEM study indicates a strong metal support interaction at the interface of ceria and silver clusters.

Do Larger Microplastics Biomagnify in the Digestive Tracts of Coastal Marine Animals?

Photo 1. Researchers carry out beach seining to collect surfperch and flatfish from the intertidal area of one of the field sites. This was one of many collection methods we employed to collect a range of species, including digging for clams, snorkeling for sea cucumbers, and spearfishing via SCUBA diving. Photo credit: Kieran Cox. Photo 2. A red rock crab (Cancer productus), one of the many species we collected and analyzed for microplastics and trophic position. We used stable isotope analysis to estimate the trophic position of each individual animal. Photo credit: Hailey Davies. Photo 3. A member of our team dissects a rockfish to remove the digestive tract and liver for microplastic analysis. To isolate microplastics from all animals, we used a potassium hydroxide solution to remove tissues and a sodium iodide solution for sandy samples to float out the plastics from the sand. Photo credit: Garth Covernton. Photo 4. A researcher uses a vacuum pump and filter assembly to filter down tissue samples that have undergone digestion to isolate potential microplastics. We then viewed the filters on a compound microscope and picked off any potential microplastics and placed them onto double-sided tape for spectroscopic analysis. Photo credit: Garth Covernton. Photo 5. Some of the confirmed microplastic particles found in samples. Digestive tract particle concentrations were low at <1 particle per individual following blank correction. Photo credit: Brittany Buirs (top panels) and Nelson Perks (bottom panels). These photographs illustrate the article “Large size (>100-μm) microplastics are not biomagnifying in coastal marine food webs of British Columbia, Canada” by Garth A. Covernton, Kieran D. Cox, Wendy L. Fleming, Brittany M. Buirs, Hailey L. Davies, Francis Juanes, Sarah E. Dudas, and John F. Dower published in Ecological Applications. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2654.

Weight Reduction of Air Filter Assembly Using the Composite Material

Air filtering systems are inevitable part of a controlled volume vessel and its vitality increases with increasing on-board time. However, using bulking CF filters adds to add weight of vessel which further decreases the efficiency of the air filter. For the present work, composite material made from E-glass, silenka with honeycomb structure is chosen. The study involves the generation of the 3D model on Solid- works and then performing the analysis on the model using ANSYS 2019R1 software. A new composite material using honeycomb structure of E-glass, Silenka laminate is generated which is effective in cost saving as well as delivers good results against stresses. The composite laminate was successfully implemented on to the 3D model generated with weight reduction approach, the 45.86% of the dead -weight is reduced which would be very effective to raise the efficiency of the submarine and other industrial plant.With comparative strength approach, 55.78% increment in the tensile strength is achieved in computational analysis, impact test shows 2.28%, 25.90% and -82.13% change (for respective maximum values) in Max. deformation (mm), Equivalent Stress and Equivalent Elastic Strain during impact test as compared to Stainless steel using ansys.

Effect on Efficiency of Air Filter Element at Steady and Dynamic Condition

Abstract: For the better protection of the engine, required highly efficient air. Primary feature of engine air filter element is the dust holding capacity, in the parameters major factor is efficiency when we are selecting an engine air filter media or element. For deliver higher filtration performances constantly being challenge in automotive engine air filters. There is need to protect the engine from dust particle which effects on the performance and life of the engine, abrasive contaminants are increasing to achieve longer engine life, for improved engine performance. The innovative air filter designs are required to maximize filtration property and better performance. The performance of the engine as well as life of the engine are based on filtration efficiency of air filter. In this study we are discussed about filtration efficiency of the air filter. In this experiment we study the effect of the vibration on the air filter media performance as compare with the steady performance of the air filter media or assembly at steady condition. One is at steady condition and second is dynamic condition. Both tests are performing in the laboratory according to ISO5011 standard. Keywords: Air Filter, Filtration, Performance, Vibration, Air Filter Media.

Structured-Glass Waveguide Technology for High-Performance Millimetre-Wave Components and Systems

This work presents a novel waveguide medium based on laser-induced structured-glass for the design of high-end millimetre-wave components and systems. The material properties, fabrication process and functional attributes of the structured-glass technology are first described and then applied in order to demonstrate a fourth-order bandpass filter prototype operating within the W-band frequency range, centered around 88 GHz with a narrow fractional bandwidth of 2.3&#x0025;. The basic filter design, dimensional considerations, and assembly process are discussed in order to outline the fabrication process. The prototype filter, along with its associated feed-line transitions and split-block interface are measured and characterized in the laboratory in order to validate the design approach. The measured response is shown to be exceptionally accurate; the insertion loss is found to be approximately 1.43 dB - 1.97 dB throughout the measured passband with a return loss of better than 22 dB and center-frequency offset of approximately 0.117&#x0025;. A comparison to existing technologies is discussed in order to highlight the advantages of the proposed medium and to contrast the differences in both manufacture and achievable results for high-end components.

KeV-neutron capture cross-section measurement of 197Au with a Cr-filtered neutron beam at the ANNRI beamline of MLF/J-PARC

ABSTRACT Cr-filtered keV-neutron experiments were performed in the Accurate Neutron-Nucleus Reaction Measurement Instrument (ANNRI) beamline in the Materials and Life Science (MLF) facility of the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) to measure the neutron capture cross-section of 197Au. The energy range of the neutron filtering system at ANNRI was extended through the use of 15 cm of nat Cr as filter material to tailor quasi-monochromatic neutron peaks with averaged neutron energies of 133.4 and 45.0 keV. The performance of the nat Cr filter assembly was evaluated by means of experimental capture and transmission analyses, together with the use of Monte-Carlo simulations. The present 197Au neutron capture cross-section results provide agreement within uncertainties with the JENDL-4.0 evaluated library and the IAEA standard data library further demonstrating the capabilities of the neutron filtering system at ANNRI.

Design, manufacture and characterization of compact filter assemblies for radiofrequency applications

This paper presents the use of additive manufacturing in the design and fabrication of a non-planar fully 3D-printed low-pass filter. The process implements stereolithographic 3D printing and copper electroplating to produce the necessary parts and their casing. The filter we produce acts as a demonstrator: we present the possibility of constructing building blocks and combining different elements into a full assembly for system integration. We introduce the “drop-and-screw” concept, which is implemented to mount the parts into a single connectorized assembly without the need for welding. The method we propose may be suitable for building other components by simply changing the building blocks. We pay special attention to the design of the constituent parts of the filter (a 3D conical inductor and a 3D capacitor), exploring new geometries to reduce the size of the final filter prototypes. The results demonstrate the potential of additive manufacturing in the construction of high-performance RF components and assemblies, and we present a modular prototype with a high degree of reconfigurability and multifunctionality.

Neutron beam filter system for fast neutron cross-section measurement at the ANNRI beamline of MLF/J-PARC

A neutron filtering system has been introduced in the Accurate Neutron–Nucleus Reaction Measurement Instrument (ANNRI) beamline in the Materials and Life Science (MLF) facility of the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) in order to produce quasi-monoenergetic neutron beams. The filtered neutron spectrum by the filter assemblies was analyzed by means of capture and transmission measurements and also by Monte Carlo simulations using PHITS. The characteristics of the filtered neutron beam are discussed alongside its viability in future applications for neutron cross-section measurements in the fast neutron region.

Three-dimensional (3D) polymer\u2014metal\u2013carbon framework for efficient removal of chemical and biological contaminants

The continuously increased existence of contaminants such as chemical and biological mainly dye, bacteria, and heavy metals ions (HMI) in water bodies has increased environmental concern due to their hostile effects on living things. Therefore, there is necessity to be developed newer materials that skirmishes such environmental menace. The present works focus on the synthesis of a novel three-dimensional (3D) polymer-metal–carbon (3D-PMC) framework for the exclusion of contaminants (chemical and biological) from water bodies. Initially, polyurethane (PU) foam was treated with nitric acid and used as a framework for the development of 3D-PMC materials. The copper nanosheet (Cu-NS) was deposited onto the functionalized PU foam to produce Cu-NS-PU material. The mechanically exfoliated graphene was mixed with chitosan to produce a graphene-chitosan homogenous suspension. The produce homogenous suspension was deposited Cu-NS-PU for the development of the 3D-PMC framework. The prepared 3D-PMC framework was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-rays diffraction (XRD) analysis. The prepared 3D-PMC framework was subjected to various adsorption parameters to assess the sorption ability of the material. The prepared 3D-PMC framework was effectively used for the removal of chromium (Cr) metal ions and Congo-red (CR) dye from the water system. The synthesis of the 3D-PMC framework is simple, novel, cost-effective, and economically viable. Therefore, the prepared 3D-PMC framework has the potential to be used as a filter assembly in water treatment technologies.