Jet Cleaning of Filter Cloths Used in Solid-Liquid Separation: A High-Speed Video Evaluation

Cleaning avoids cross-contamination and sustains production safety and efficiency. While there have been discoveries for technical surfaces, data on activities for filter cloth are still in the early stages. In the food industry, there is a lack of knowledge and innovative ideas on how to clean cloths efficiently. This study combined high-speed recordings with cleaning experiments. Cleaning of eleven filters was captured, enabling time-resolved analysis of the cleaning degree, the cleaning homogeneity, and insights into the mechanisms. The findings divide cloth cleaning into three phases, each significantly influenced by the properties of the cloth. Exemplarily, close-mesh cloths have smoother surfaces that facilitate cleaning. Coarse structures with flow channels on the cloth surface can complicate cleaning.