1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the continuous monitoring of the effluent of a filter. The meter measures the quality of the filter discharge and controls the filter cycle. This, in turn, maximizes the quality of the filter effluent.
2. Background of the Invention
Filters are used to remove solids of varying composition, concentration and size distribution from flowing fluids. Therefore, various types of filters are used to remove these solids. Differential pressure across a filter increases as the filter collects contaminants from the fluid runs. Most filters have cycles where they filter, backwash to remove the collected contaminants and filter again. It is an indication of length of the filtration stage because harmful by-pass of solids occurs at high differential pressure. Solids by-pass results in poorer water quality, which is one of the problems of inefficient filter operation.
One approach has been to measure the solids concentration of the filter effluent regardless of the size distribution or the composition of the solids. Solids concentration alone is not solely indicative of water quality related to injectivity into a producing formation in a waterflood. Common contaminants, such as oil and scale, can cause poor water quality, yet they remain undetected by solids meters. This often indicates that filtration alone is adequate for achieving water quality which will protect water injection wells from damage. Inadvertent damage by oil droplets and scale would have been overlooked.