FILTER CLEANING DEVICE AND METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a porous-filter cleaning device with a small drainage amount. SOLUTION: The filter cleaning device is equipped with a cleaning solution transfer section (12, 13) for forcing a cleaning solution into a filter element (2) from its downstream side, a pressure adjusting section (9, 10) for controlling the pressure of the cleaning solution splashed on the filter element (2), a flowmeter for measuring the flow rate of the cleaning solution forced into the filter element (2), and an arithmetic unit (14) which calculates a fouling factor K and judges the state of cleaning of the filter element (2) on the basis of the fouling factor K. The fouling factor K is calculated by the formula: K=(P/Q)×A/μ (wherein P and Q are the pressure and flow rate of the cleaning solution, respectively; A is the filtration area of the filter element (2); and μ is the viscosity coefficient of the cleaning solution). COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI