METHOD TO MONITOR LIFETIME OF FILTERING ELEMENT Russian patent published in 2014 - IPC B01D37/00 G01N15/08 

FIELD: oil and gas industry.

SUBSTANCE: method to monitor lifetime of a filtering element includes pumping of liquid mixed with a man-made contaminant and recording of pressure drop at the filtering element in equal intervals of its growth. Input values of surface tension and density are determined for the used liquid considering its actual temperature, a value of surface tension for isopropanol is preset, the filtering element is fixed so that it is submerged to the liquid completely, the contaminated liquid is pumped outside-in to the filtering element at that pressure drop is measured for the filtering element. When each pressure drop increases per the value equal to 10% of the limit value pumping is stopped and pressure air is supplied inside-out to the filtering element till the first air bubble appears at its surface, air pressure value is recorded at this moment and the distance is measured from the point of the first bubble appearance up to the liquid level over the filtering element, thereafter tightness value is calculated for the filtering element. When the tightness value is not less than the preset value pumping of the liquid is continued and when pressure drop increases per the value equal to 10% pumping is stopped and pressure air is supplied inside-out to the filtering element till the first air bubble appears at its surface, air pressure value is recorded at this moment and the distance is measured from the point of the first bubble appearance up to the liquid level over the filtering element, thereafter tightness value is calculated for the filtering element. When the tightness value is less than the preset value the statement is made about remaining life of the filtering element and the pressure drop value at the filtering element recorded at the previous pressure increase per 10% is accepted as the critical value.

EFFECT: improving accuracy in remaining life determination for a filtering element.

1 dwg, 1 ex