Magnom Magnetic Filter Technology by Fluid Conditioning Systems

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The filtering of contaminants is subject to many problems, not least consumable and environmental costs. And filtering to sub-micron level increases these costs considerably. Or, to be precise, this was the case before MagnomTM, which was designed for the grueling Formula One environment.

Using magnetic field technology, Magnom filters can reduce or even eliminate the requirement for consumable filter elements and the associated disposal costs. It achieves this without incurring the age-old problem of pressure drop, even when the filter element is full. This yields incredible benefits: for example, for the first time this allows fine filtration on the suction side of the pump. Even the viscosity of the fluid has little, if any, effect on the performance of Magnom. This is due to the design of the magnetic filter element, in which the flow channels have an area equal to 110 percent of the inlet, giving the filter a flow area greater than the pipe that feeds it, thereby allowing Magnom to be installed at zero risk.

Tom Hulme, chief executive of Fluid Conditioning Systems (FCS), the company formed to take Magnom global, says that "Magnom has proved itself in a wide variety of application areas under diverse operating conditions. The key applications currently are transmission, machine tools, hydraulic, and water and engine filtration, but we are confident that Magnom can improve filtration in any process involving any liquid with an element of ferrous contamination," he says. "We have successfully worked in applications varying from 1 CSt water right up to 8,000 CSt (like thick treacle) open gear lubricant. Existing customers range from a front-running Formula One team right through to global oil companies and power stations."

As a magnetic filter, Magnom is ideal for applications where ferrous material from build or wear processes is likely to contaminate the lubricating or cooling fluid. Interestingly, FCS was alerted by one of its customers to the fact that 60 percent of the contamination that Magnom removed in their application was non-magnetic. Subsequently, FCS has commissioned a report from the University of Salford to explain this phenomenon, called heterocoagulation.

Magnom’s core consists of a series of annular magnets with larger steel plates shrouding them. These plates, which have a series of flow channels running through them, become fully magnetized. When the fluid to be filtered is run through these plates, it is subjected to a high magnetic flux gradient, caused by the focusing of the magnetic field at the tips of the plates. The result is that any contaminant is drawn into collection areas (out of the fluid flow) between the plates. This contaminant is trapped, preventing it from washing off back into the fluid as is the case with magnetic sump plugs, for example. Magnom’s filter life is also considerably longer than traditional barrier methods, due to the greater contaminant retention capacity of these plates by volume.

FCS provides advanced fluid conditioning solutions that benefit customers and the environment. It cooperates closely with customers, distributors, suppliers, and universities in a diverse cross-section of applications within the $25 billion global market for filtration services. Located on the University of Warwick’s Science Park, in England, FCS heads a network of technical, commercial, and academic expertise to deliver continuous improvements in fluid conditioning.

For more information contact Tom Hulme at +44 (0)1926 623 170, or via e-mail at enquiries@fluidcs.com. The company’s Web site is [www.fluidcs.com].