FTC launches first trapezoidal liquid-solids filter cartridge and vessel system

HOUSTON  – Houston-based Filtration Technology Corporation (FTC), a leader in innovative filtration and separation products and solutions, is changing the shape of the filtration and separation industry with the launch of InvictaÔ, the first trapezoidal liquid-solids filter cartridge and vessel system on the market. 

Invicta’s cutting-edge design and innovative patent-pending technology offers a significant improvement and welcome alternative to the outdated, conventional cylindrical filtration systems widely used today. The trapezoidal, coreless, and compact design allows more elements to be placed in a vessel and reduces the amount of wasted space in traditional cylindrical filter designs. This results in lower clean pressure drop, higher solids loading capacity, and longer life, which means fewer changeouts and greater overall cost savings.

“Invicta has the potential to change the shape of the liquid-solids cartridge filtration industry from a performance, environmental footprint, and economic standpoint,” said FTC Vice President of Technology Chris Wallace. “With the arrival of Invicta, you no longer have to settle for outdated filtration technology.”

Conventional, cylindrical filter designs waste precious space in filter vessels, especially when multiple filters are placed in a housing. In contrast, the unique trapezoidal shape of Invicta allows for significantly improved element packing density by minimizing unused “dead” space to maximize the effective filter media surface area in a pressure vessel. Invicta delivers up to 176% (2.76 times) more effective surface area compared to cylindrical filters in the same footprint, which results in a longer online life. Longer online life means there are fewer filters to stock, fewer filters to change, and fewer filters to dispose of, which reduces both direct and indirect filtration costs while minimizing operator exposure to hazardous process streams.

Invicta features a large nozzle open area that allows for higher flow rates and lower clean pressure drop.  Additionally, its unique coreless design maintains its pleat density while in service, which makes the entire surface area effective throughout the filter’s life.  Finally, the flexible design of the Invicta system allows for vertical orientation where footprint is an issue, or for a more ergonomic horizontal orientation which eliminates the need for a platform. 

FTC spent several years developing, testing, and optimizing Invicta in its state-of-the-art research and development facility in Houston as well as in the field. One of FTC’s clients, a gas processing facility located in the Permian Basin, upgraded to Invicta technology after looking for a solution to reduce the frequency of filter change-outs in their amine system. In partnership with FTC’s local distribution partner, Process Solutions Integration (PSI), FTC’s technical team reviewed the client’s amine system process conditions and the current filtration equipment in their amine system to analyze the impact of upgrading to Invicta cartridges. After reviewing the findings, the customer replaced the conventional pleated cartridge filters currently used in each of its four amine filter vessels with Invicta cartridges, gaining 84% more surface area per filter vessel.

The gas processing facility’s plant manager commented: “Due to the Invicta design and increased surface area, fewer filters are required to do the job now. Our operators can have the filters changed in less time with less effort, and there is less material for disposal.  These filters are lasting four to five times longer than the original equipment design, and they’re doing a better job. We’re very happy with our decision to go with Invicta, supplied by PSI.”

Invicta cartridges are offered with a broad range of end cap and media options to satisfy most chemical and thermal compatibility needs. Common applications for Invicta include water and wastewater, process fluids, hydrocarbons, brines, solvents, amines, glycols, fuels, chemicals, acids, and bases. Invicta cartridges are absolute rated at 99.98% efficiency based on single-pass, standard industry test methods.

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