Evaluation of Ultrasonic Cleaning Characteristics of Filter Cloth in Filter Press Cleaning System

In this study, ultrasonic excitation was employed for filter cloth cleaning, with the aim of predicting optimal cleaning conditions and monitoring the efficiency and performance of the cloth under various cleaning parameters. A clogged filter cloth of uniform size (Φ0.11 m) was secured in a prepared cleaning apparatus, and cleaning experiments were conducted by varying the following operational conditions: time (2, 5, 10 min), frequency (34, 76, 120 kHz), and power output (100, 200, 300 W). Through these experiments, this study sought to investigate the cleaning capacity and efficiency of each condition and to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasonic cleaning. The morphology of the filter cloths before and after cleaning was examined through SEM imaging, and the weight content of the filter cloths was measured before and after the cleaning experiments to incorporate these values into the cleaning efficiency assessment. Additionally, air permeability measurements were taken to predict the impact of permeability on cleaning performance, which was statistically analyzed based on a predictive model’s equation. The experimental results showed that the maximum recovery rate of air permeability for clogged filter cloths was approximately 28.6%. Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM), the air permeability recovery rate and weight reduction rate were 19.8% and 5.8%, respectively, under conditions of 5.2 min, 34 kHz, and 300 W. It is anticipated that the utilization of the filter press cleaning device will enable data acquisition through repeated experiments and that this device can be used in filter cloth management and operational techniques.