Pressure drop plays a prominent role in the efficiency, energy consumption, and operational costs of a wide range of industrial filtration systems. When pressure loss reaches a certain threshold, higher pump loads, reduced flow rates, and increased downtime are to be expected.
It’s for this reason that pressure drop is critical when attempting to optimize filtration performance.
When integrated properly, woven wire mesh can be the unsung hero that helps you find the perfect balance of filtration precision and flow efficiency. However, if the specifications of your mesh aren’t hand-picked to accommodate your process, unnecessary resistance can ultimately cause pressure drop spikes.
Here at W.S. Tyler, we have come to understand the roadblocks you will face when optimizing the performance of your filtration system. This is what drives us to provide precision-engineered woven wire mesh solutions that facilitate maximum efficiency and minimal energy loss.
With that, this article will explore the key factors that influence pressure drop in your filtration system and highlight strategies you can use to maintain long-lasting, high-performance filtration. You will learn:
Pressure drop in a filtration system describes the occurrence in which the flowing pressure of a fluid is reduced as it passes through a filtration medium, such as woven wire mesh. It is often the result of the following factors:
Now, it comes as no surprise that pressure plays an integral role in the overall efficiency of the system. In other words, pressure drop can have notable effects on things like energy consumption, filtration capacity, and equipment longevity.
When attempting to minimize pressure drop, you must optimize the design of your filter, control the flow rates in your system, and implement a consistent maintenance routine.
Woven wire mesh is a filter medium composed of hundreds of interwoven metal wires, creating a grid of pore openings that have uniform profiles. Engineered with high-precision filtration in mind, wire mesh offers the mechanical strength, permeability, and durability needed to deliver tailored performance.
Want to learn more about how woven wire mesh is made? Read the article linked below:
What makes this particular filter material unique is its ability to be fully customized. Virtually every parameter, including the weave type, alloy, mesh count, thickness, and wire diameter, can be tailored to the exact needs of your process.
That being said, the weave type is truly what dictates the flow characteristics of your system. This will be explained in further detail later in the article.
Minimizing pressure drop is nothing short of essential when working towards a system that outputs optimal efficiency, consistent flow rates, and reduced operational costs. Unrestrained pressure loss ultimately causes the different components of your system to work harder, resulting in premature wear and spikes in energy expenses.
Optimizing the pressure drop in your system will help promote favorable contaminant removal while also facilitating adequate fluid movement. This, in turn, preserves the lifespan of your equipment.
A good rule of thumb goes as follows: the lower the pressure drop, the more efficient and budget-friendly your system runs while producing products that meet customer quality expectations. This is particularly true for industries that rely on high-performing filtration.
When integrating woven wire mesh into your filtration system, it is critical that you understand the key factors that can impact filtration efficiency, system performance, and energy consumption. These factors include mesh opening, wire diameter, and weave type.
The mesh opening size of your mesh directly illustrates the space between the individual wires of the weave. Smaller openings allow for more precise filtration; however, they also restrict fluid flow.
This ultimately creates increased resistance and pressure drop within your filtration system.
On the other hand, larger mesh openings promote higher permeability, which affords more favorable flow rates with minimized pressure loss. That said, larger openings may allow unwanted particles to pass, compromising the filtration effectiveness of your system.
The wire diameter you select impacts two aspects of your operation: the structural integrity of your filter and the flow dynamics of your system.
Thicker wire diameters create a more durable weave but can reduce the percentage of open area, create more surface obstructions, and increase pressure drop. Conversely, thinner wires increase the percentage of open area, improve permeability, and reduce pressure loss.
To that end, thin wire diameters are vulnerable to mechanical stress and wear. This means you must be mindful of the state of your filter, especially in high-pressure applications.
When it comes to the type of weave you select for your wire mesh filter, it is important to know that this particular specification dictates fluid flow resistance, filtration precision, and permeability.
So, it's been established that minimizing pressure drop in a filtration system utilizing wire mesh is required when fine-tuning flow efficiency, reducing energy costs, and protecting your equipment. Fortunately, there are a few best practices you can follow to accomplish this task.
Minimizing pressure drop is crucial for industrial filtration operations looking to maintain energy efficiency, reduce operational costs, and promote consistent performance. Doing so requires pinpointing the ideal wire mesh specifications to strike the right balance between filtration precision and flow efficiency.
But now that you understand what pressure drop is, it’s important to learn how to calculate it. This calculation will help identify opportunities for system improvement.
For over 150 years, W.S. Tyler has remained committed to helping engineers across industries achieve high-performance filtration solutions through the use of precision-engineered woven wire mesh.
Read the article below to gain insight into the methods used to calculate the pressure drop coefficient of your filtration system: