Series Coalescer Filter Elements

Coalescer Cartridges for Aviation & Industrial.  Velcon Coalescers for Aviation Jet Fuel Filtration.  Used as a first-stage cartridge in Filter/Separators.  Remove particulates and coalesce water into large water drops.  Also available in screw base design.

 

Cost effective particle and emulsified water removal from hydrocarbon fluids

Easy installation and replacement with one-piece design

Choice of Threaded Base or Open End cartridges

Choice of All-Fiberglass Media or Combination Fiberglass and Pleated Media

Field proven performance

Ongoing qualification testing to meet changing commercial and military requirements

 

Coalescer cartridges are employed as the first stage in filter/separator vessels for hydrocarbon fluids. They perform two functions: (1) coalesce (combine) highly dispersed, emulsified water particles into larger water drops and (2) filter-out particulate contaminants.

 

The top photo shows a highly magnified view of the coalescing process. Tiny droplets of water contact and adhere to strands of fiberglass. Flow pushes the droplets along the strand until they reach an intersection of strands where they combine with other droplets (coalesce) into large drops.

 

These large drops are then carried to the outside surface of the cartridge. Having a higher specific gravity than the hydrocarbon fluid, they release and settle to the bottom of the vessel. The larger the drops, the faster and more efficiently they fall out. (See photo to the right.) In general, particle removal efficiency increases with coalescing efficiency. This is accomplished by employing a tighter, finer filtration media.

 

Flow direction is from inside to outside of the cartridge. This minimizes surface velocity and helps prevent the water drops from breaking up and being carried downstream.

 

Coalescer cartridges are used primarily to coalesce emulsified water and remove particles from hydrocarbon fluids. The largest single application is the filtration of aviation jet fuel. They are also used with other types of fuels, process in refineries and petrochemical plants, and condensate

 

Other liquids can be separated if they are immiscible, the specific gravities differ, and high concentrations of surface active agents are not present. As a rule of thumb, if a sample of the mixture readily separates in an hour or two, a coalescer can probably be used. If the mixture hasn’t separated after 24 hours, coalescing probably won’t work.

 

Velcon single-unit coalescer elements are offered with Threaded Base or Open Ends and with Fiberglass Media or Fiberglass and Pleated Media combinations.

 

Threaded Base Coalescers are recommended for use in most applications. They simplify installation and replacement by eliminating the need for cover plates, center plates, nuts, washers, and gaskets. They are for use in Velcon and other make filter/ separators. Threaded base adapters are available to convert vessels presently using open end elements.

 

Open End Coalescers are offered with single unit construction which reduces the number of gasket seals and improves overall reliability.

 

All-fiberglass Media Coalescers combine depth particulate filtration with a deep coalescing structure. All-fiberglass designs have successively finer media layers to achieve depth-type filtration of particles.

 

Combination Fiberglass and Pleated Media Coalescers remove particles primarily in the high surface area pleated core. They have one or more layers of pleated media inside a cylinder of molded fiberglass laminations to provide an extended surface area for particulate filtration. Pleat corrugation and separation materials are used to keep pleats open for full utilization.

 

Coalescing and filtration performance depends largely on the fiber diameter and bulk density of the fiberglass media. Both the All-Fiberglass and the Combination coalescer cartridge designs incorporate phenolic resin impregnated fiberglass media. Several grades with fiber diameters ranging from 1 to 10 micrometers are used in various combinations to achieve desired results. Velcon’s latest coalescer designs (85, 87 and C5 series cartridges) achieve even higher filtration and coalescing efficiency by incorporating pure micro-glass fibers with diameters of less than 1 micrometer in the pleated media.