Self-cleaning fuel oil strainer (II)

 

Invention. These and other objects of the invention are achieved by providing a fuel oil cleaning system disposed within a fuel oil flow having particulate contaminants therein. As mentioned earlier, the particulate contaminants that need to be removed from the fuel oil flow are extremely small, less than 100 microns, and a large percentage of these less than 25 microns, therefore do not settle out by gravity. The invention of the present application is well-suited to removing these small particulate contaminants from the fuel oil flow and into a drain.

The fuel oil cleaning system comprises: an inlet valve for controlling the fuel oil flow having particulate contaminants therein which forms a contaminated fuel oil flow and wherein the contaminated fuel oil flow flows through a first output port of the inlet valve; a stationary porous member positioned in the contaminated fuel oil flow that passes through the first output port and wherein the contaminated fuel oil flow enters the stationary porous member through a first porous member surface and exits through a second porous member surface towards a second output port; and wherein the contaminated fuel oil flow deposits the particulate contaminants on the first porous member surface to form a clean fuel oil flow that flows toward the second output port; an outlet valve coupled to the second output port for controlling the clean fuel oil flow; a flow control means, operated during a porous member cleaning process, having a flow control means input coupled to a source of clean fuel oil and a flow control means output coupled to the second output port; and wherein the flow control means controls a reverse flow of the clean fuel oil that flows from the second porous member surface through the first porous member surface for dislodging the particulate contaminants from the first porous member surface to form a contaminated reverse flow of fuel oil; a drain valve was coupled to the first output for directing the contaminated reverse flow of fuel oil towards a drain during the cleaning process; and wherein the inlet valve and outlet valve are closed during the cleaning process.

The above invention also includes a method for cleaning a fuel oil flow having particulate contaminants therein. The method comprises the steps of: positioning a stationary porous member in the contaminated fuel oil flow such that the contaminated fuel oil flow enters the stationary porous member through a first porous member surface and exits through a second porous member surface toward an output port, and wherein the contaminated fuel oil flow deposits the particulate contaminants on the first porous member surface; isolating the stationary porous member from the contaminated fuel oil flow during a cleaning process; passing a reverse flow of clean fuel oil from the output port and through the stationary porous member from the second porous surface member surface to the first porous member surface for dislodging the particulate contaminants from the first porous member surface to form a contaminated reverse flow of fuel oil; opening a drain to receive the contaminated reverse flow of fuel oil; discontinuing the reverse flow of clean fuel oil while closing the drain to complete the cleaning process; and recoupling the stationary porous member to the contaminated fuel oil flow.