Filtration and separation technology group Porvair Filtration Group has successfully completed the delivery of an energy char filtering system for South Korean business Gwangyang's steel plant, in South Korea, in collaboration with South Korean construction company Posco Engineering and Construction.

“This is a first of a kind gas project outside the US and one of a number of major gasification projects in which we have had a significant input and provided the necessary critical filtration of the syngas [synthetic gas] downstream of the gasifier and heat exchanger to remove the erosive and abrasive char that would damage downstream equipment and processes.

“The $10-million project was signed in November 2011. This synthetic natural gas (SNG) project, which planned to produce 500 000 t/y of SNG with coal, was promoted as one of the new growth engine programmes replacing liquid natural gas, which traditionally relies on pure imports. Unlike coal power plants, SNG gasifies coal at a high temperature and pressure, refining and synthesising it to create gas,” the company elaborates.

Filter System Introduced to Market
Further, the company also announced a new development; its Pulsejet blowdown filter cleaning system with the introduction of a new multi-nozzle unit.

Created with the support of advanced computational fluid dynamics modelling, this new design was recently applied to two major gasification projects - the Gwangyang steel plant in South Korea and at India-based private sector enterprise Reliance Industries.

According to the company, Porvair Filtration Group’s Pulsejet filtration system has a track record of success in applications ranging from high-pressure gasification plant to pharmaceutical clean-in-place systems involving process dryers, granulators, fluidised bed mixers/blenders, milling systems, pneumatic conveying systems, as well as catalyst powder recovery plant and analysis systems.

Pulsejet blowdown filter technology uses a controlled pulse of compressed gas directed into filter elements through a specifically sized filter throat in the open end adapter, to permit the cleaning of the filter media on site and therefore the ability to continue operating without shutdown.

Solutions for Powder Handling
In addition, the Porvair Filtration Group is a major player in the powder handling industry. The company highlights that it offers the best solutions to the challenges presented in this industry.

“Our extensive range of fluidising media, available in both sintered porous plastic and sintered porous metal can be engineered into a variety of structures including flat beds, cones and domes, to solve most fluidisation applications.

“The uniform pore size distribution of these sintered materials allows controlled and consistent distribution, ensuring even flow and efficient low-energy powder fluidisation. Our easily cleanable and reusable products which are suitable even in high-temperature, chemically aggressive environments, are used in a range of markets such as construction, food and beverage and pharmaceutical and are used in applications including silos, road and rail containers,” states the company.

Porvair Filtration Group has supplied the process industry for over 25 years with innovative and performance-driven filtration equipment, enabling increased efficiency and reduced plant operating costs.

“We have proven, highly specialised filtration solutions for the production of chemicals such as nitric acid, maleic anhydride, ether, sulphuric acid, phosphoric acid, sodium chlorate and solvents. We possess specialist fabrication skills and techniques in all of our manufacturing sites around the world, as well as extensive cleanroom facilities,” Porvair Filtration Group states.

Aerospace Filters
Meanwhile, the company announced that its production facility in Ashland, Virginia, in the US is now manufacturing filters custom made for air control in the aerospace industry, named the last chance filters, to help the industry cope with increased demand.

The company states that filtration within aircraft and military equipment is vital to ensure that all systems are free from contaminants and to guarantee safety, long service life, reliability and cost-effective operation in the most demanding situations.

“Our last chance filters and screens provide critical point-of-use protection for contamination-sensitive components, performing a complementary role to main system filters that is required in aircraft fluid systems. It is designed to remove and retain contamination, such as machining chips, burrs, wear debris and fluid breakdown products induced during operation or built in downstream of the main system filters.

“To provide maximum protection, the filters are tailored specifically to the system’s operating and environmental conditions. These filters are designed to interface with customer units and are supplied as discs, unions or bolts and can also be integrated into other components, such as valves,” the company notes.

Further, Porvair Filtration Group reports that it has invested into, and increased, its capabilities at the Ashland manufacturing facility, to continue its initiative to provide a reliable source of high-quality products for the aerospace industry. Increased competencies include resistance welding, fusion welding and the ability to meet stringent aerospace standards.

“The process industry presents critical challenges, demanding filters that can withstand the most extreme and aggressive conditions of temperature, pressure and corrosion, whilst safeguarding operators and systems from particulates and ensuring environmental protection,” explains the company.

The company, whose products are distributed to the South African market by Sagisa Process Engineering, will display its latest developments in contamination control at the Farnborough International Airshow, in the US, from July 14 to 18.

It will also display an extensive range of filters and assemblies for use in aircraft fluid and air management and control systems, including fuel filter assemblies and cartridges, fuel tank inverting filters, coolant filter modules, hydraulic filter cartridges and laser drilled screens, the company concludes.