WMR: Filter Cleaning System
Team: Scott Michelsen, Ethan Spangenberg, Hunter Steele, Derek Wadsworth, and Mitchell Western
Sponsor: Western Metals Recycling
Project
Western Metals Recycling uses large cylindrical air filters to collect dust from their recycling line. These filters are swapped out and cleaned at approximately 2-week intervals and each cleaning cycle currently costs $5,000.
Requirements:
- Clean 80 filters in 2 hours
- Cost-effective maintenance
- Easy cleanup after a complete cycle
- Lifting less than 50 lb
- Produce less than 80 decibels of sound
- Operable with minimal training
Constraints:
- Waterless cleaning method
- Produces no visible dust emissions
- Transportable with forklifts
- Operable both indoors and outdoors
Design Description
Design Render
Key Design Choices:
- 2 cleaning bays per cabinet
- Removable dust collection bin
- Compressed air to clean filters
- Motor driven filter spinning
- Scalable cabinet design concept
Final Product
Performance Review
- SolidWorks CAD inspections
- Filter cleaning tests
| Requirement/Constraint | Target | Threshold | Prodicted Performance | Actual Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lifting force required for personnel (lb) | 30 | 50 | 30 | 30 |
| Lifting height required for personnel (in) | 30 | 48 | 46 | 44 |
| Noise level (dB) | 65 | 80 | 80 | 75-80* |
| Size of machine (in*in*in) | 96x96x72 | 144x96x72 | 72x60x60 | - |
| Dust emission (MERV) | 12 | 9 | 12 | - |
| Skid weight (lbs. each) | 3000 | 6000 | 3000 | - |
| Time to clean 80 filters (min) | <120 | 120 | 107 | - |
| Variable cost ($) | $100 | $200 | $200 | - |
| Number of operators | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Operating temperature range (F) | 0-100 | 0-100 | - |
*This value represents data. When the system was opened, with shop vacuums.
Conclusion
Lessons Learned:
- Higher pressure compressed air cleans the filters faster
- The current blower is too strong and must be throttled
- The current system clean the filters in approximately 6 minutes versus our desired time of 9 minutes
- Certain part designs complicated manufacturing and assembly
- Number of unique parts that must be manufactured was lowered
Recommended future work:
- Install controls on the blower and add a regulator to the compressed air inlet
- Design a skid to hold the entire system to make moving it with a forklift easy
- Raise the overall height of the unit to increase the size of the dustbin and to prevent the air bars from blowing the debris around
- Improve on the filter box design to improve its efficiency
