TW202302200A - Filtering module for use with a vacuum pump - Google Patents

Abstract

A filtering module (100) for use with a vacuum pump, comprising a separator (108) and a filtering element (104). The separator (108) comprises an inlet orifice (110), an outlet orifice (112), and separation means (224) therebetween. The inlet orifice (110) is for receiving a mixture of fluids, the separation means (224) is configured to separate a component part from the mixture of fluids to provide a separated fluid, and the outlet orifice (112) is for discharging the separated fluid. The filtering element (104) comprises a filtering wall (122) defining an internal volume (124), and a further inlet orifice (126) through the filtering wall (122). The separator (108) is arranged to discharge the separated fluid into the internal volume (124). The filtering wall (122) is configured to allow flow therethrough of the separated fluid thereby to filter the separated fluid.

Description

Filter modules for vacuum pumps

The present invention pertains to filters for pumps, including but not limited to rotary vane pumps, such as oil-sealed rotary vane pumps.

Vacuum pumps are used in various technical processes to generate a vacuum for the respective process.

A rotary vane pump is a common type of vacuum pump. Examples of rotary vane pumps include single-stage and two-stage rotary vane pumps. Typically, rotary vane pumps include a rotor positioned eccentrically within a pump chamber. As the rotor rotates, vanes mounted to the rotor slide in and out of the rotor such that the radially outer edges of the vanes contact the inner wall of the pump chamber, creating a sealed vane volume. On one of the inlet sides of a rotary vane pump, the vane volume increases in volume as the rotor rotates, whereby fluid is drawn into the pump chamber through an inlet. On a discharge side of a rotary vane pump, the vane volume decreases in volume as the rotor rotates, thereby forcing fluid out of the pump chamber through an outlet.

Typically, oil is used to lubricate the moving parts of a rotary vane pump, and for sealing and cooling. In the pump chamber of the pump, the pumped liquid and oil are mixed. The mixture is filtered to remove oil (which may be in the form of oil mist), thereby producing an oil-free fluid output. This filtering can be performed external to the pump, or by means of an exhaust filter located within one of the pump's casings.

In one aspect, a filter module for a vacuum pump is provided. The filter module includes a separator (which may be considered a "pre-separator", a "separator module" or a "separator element") and a filter element. The separator comprises a first inlet hole, a first outlet hole and separating means between the first inlet hole and the first outlet hole, the first inlet hole is used to receive a mixture of fluids, the separating means Configured to separate and remove at least some constituents from the mixture of fluids, thereby providing a separated fluid, and the first outlet port is used to discharge the separated fluid. The filter element includes a filter wall at least partially defining an interior volume, and a second inlet hole through the filter wall. The first outlet hole is connected to the second inlet hole such that the separator is configured to discharge the separated fluid through the second inlet hole into the interior volume of the filter element. The filter wall is configured to allow the separation fluid to flow from the interior volume therethrough to an exterior of the filter element, thereby filtering the separation fluid.

The separator may comprise one or more separators selected from the group of separators including: a cyclone separator, a labyrinth separator, a vane separator and a labyrinth separator.

The separator and the filter element may be integrally formed.

The separator and the filter element may be attached together by an adhesive or one or more bolts or fasteners.

The filter element may be an elongated element having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end can be a closed end. The second end may include the second inlet aperture. The filter wall can extend between the first end and the second end.

In a further aspect, there is provided a vacuum pump comprising the filter module of any of the preceding aspects configured to handle a flow of a fluid in the vacuum pump.

The vacuum pump may further include a pump chamber for pumping the fluid and a pump outlet port for discharging the pumped fluid from the vacuum pump. The filter module can be disposed between the pump chamber and the outlet hole, such that the fluid pumped from the pump chamber is filtered by the filter module before being discharged from the vacuum pump through the outlet hole.

The vacuum pump may further include a housing having a housing inlet aperture and a housing outlet aperture. The separator can be sealingly engaged with the inlet aperture of the housing. The filter element can extend from the inlet hole of the housing towards the outlet hole of the housing. The filter element and the housing can define a flow path for fluid to flow out of the filter element to flow from the filter element to an outlet aperture of the housing.

The filter module is removably mounted to a casing of the vacuum pump.

The separator may further include a first flange sealingly engaged with a housing of the vacuum pump. The separator may further comprise a second flange in sealing engagement with a housing of the vacuum pump, for example at a location different from the location at which the first flange is in sealing engagement with the housing.

The vacuum pump may be a pump selected from the pump set including: a positive displacement pump, a rotary vane pump, a single stage rotary vane pump, and a two stage rotary vane pump.

In another aspect, a method of removing a filter module from a vacuum pump including a housing having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first The side includes an exhaust port configured to exhaust an exhaust fluid from the vacuum pump in a first direction. The method includes decoupling the filter module from the housing, and moving the filter module away from the housing from the second side of the housing in a second direction opposite the first direction .

The filter module can be according to any of the aforementioned aspects.

Decoupling the filter module from the housing can include decoupling the separator from the housing.

The method may further include replacing the removed filter module with another filter module. The other filter module can be according to any one of the preceding aspects. The replacing may include: inserting the other filter module into the housing at the second side of the housing, including moving the other filter module in the first direction; and coupled to the housing.

In another aspect, a method of processing a mixture of fluids in a vacuum pump is provided. The method comprises: receiving the mixture of fluids by a separator; separating the mixture of fluids by the separator, thereby providing a separated fluid; discharging the separated fluid by the separator to one of a filter element In the inner volume, the inner volume is at least partially bounded by a filter wall of the filter element; and the separated fluid is filtered across the filter wall to an exterior of the filter element, thereby filtering the separated fluid.

It should be understood that relative terms used herein (such as above and below, horizontal and vertical, top and bottom, front and back, etc.) Different directions or positions, etc., rather than true up and down, horizontal and vertical, top and bottom, etc.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram (not to scale) showing an exploded perspective view of a filtration module 100 for a vacuum pump.

The filter module includes an inlet connector 102 , a filter element 104 and a cover 106 .

Although shown at intervals in FIG. 1 (i.e., in an exploded view), those skilled in the art will appreciate that inlet connector 102, filter element 104, and cover 106 are attached together to form a single item, module or Cartridge for a vacuum pump.

Inlet connector 102, filter element 104, and cover 106 may be attached together in any suitable manner, including but not limited to by adhesive or by bolts/fasteners. In some embodiments, at least some of inlet connector 102, filter element 104, and cover 106 are integrally formed.

The inlet connector 102 will be described in more detail later below with reference to FIGS. 2-4 . The inlet connector 102 includes a so-called pre-separator 108 , a first inlet hole 110 , a first outlet hole 112 , a first flange 114 and a second flange 116 .

The first inlet aperture 110 is configured to receive, in use, one or more fluids pumped by a vacuum pump, as described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 2 . In this embodiment, the first inlet hole 110 is located on the bottom of one of the pre-separators 108 . The first inlet hole 110 is an inlet of the pre-separator 108 .

The first outlet aperture 112 is configured to discharge, in use, one or more fluids that have passed through the pre-separator 108, as described in more detail later below with reference to Figure 2 . In this embodiment, the first outlet aperture 112 is located on a first side of the pre-separator 108 directed towards the filter element 104 . The first outlet hole 112 is one of the outlets of the pre-separator 108 .

Pre-separator 108 is a separator configured to separate a mixture of fluids flowing between first inlet aperture 110 and first outlet aperture 112, as will be described in more detail later below. The term "pre-separator" is used because this element separates the fluid mixture before the fluid is filtered by the filter element 104 (ie, pre-filtered). The pre-separator 108 includes a separation device (not shown in FIG. 1 ) disposed between the first inlet hole 110 and the first outlet hole 112 .

The first flange 114 is located at the first side of the pre-separator 108 and surrounds the first outlet hole 112 .

The second flange 116 is located at a second side of the pre-separator 108 , the second side of the pre-separator 108 being opposite the first side of the pre-separator 108 . The second flange 116 is formed by a plate 117 or cover at a second side of the pre-separator 108 .

The inlet connector 102 is made of: a metal or alloy, such as aluminum, a plastic, or a composite material, such as a carbon fiber composite material, which may be a plastic material embedded with carbon fibers.

The filter element 104 is an elongated element having a first end 118 and a second end 120 opposite the first end. The filter element 104 includes a filter wall 122 extending between the first end 118 and the second end 120 . The filter wall 122 at least partially defines an interior volume 124 . The filter element 104 includes a second inlet hole 126 at the second end 120 and a second outlet hole 128 at the first end 118 . (As described below, the second outlet 128 hole is not used for one of the exhaust fluid outlets, as it is sealed by the cover 106, and therefore will be referred to as the "second hole" 128 hereinafter.)

The second inlet hole 126 is tied to an inlet of the interior volume 124 . The second inlet hole 126 can be considered as a hole through the filter wall 122 . The second inlet hole 126 is coupled or attached to the first outlet hole 112 such that the separator is configured to expel fluid through the second inlet hole 126 into the interior volume 124 of the filter element 104 .

In this embodiment, the filter wall 122 is substantially a cylindrical tube. Filter wall 122 may comprise any suitable filter material medium, including but not limited to mesh, such as a metal mesh, a paper membrane or a paper filter, a non-woven filter, a fabric filter, or any combination thereof.

Cap 106 is attached to first end 118 of filter element 104 , thereby sealing second aperture 128 . Cap 106 may be considered an end cap, a cap, a disc or a plate. Cap 106 may include a valve, which may be considered a relief valve, configured to open when the pressure within interior volume 124 exceeds a threshold pressure, thereby allowing exhaust fluid to pass and reducing interior volume 124 internal pressure. Cover 106 may be made of any suitable material, including but not limited to a metal or alloy such as aluminum, a plastic, or a composite material, such as a carbon fiber composite material, which may be a plastic material embedded with carbon fibers.

2 is a schematic diagram (not to scale) of a cross-section of an oil housing of a vacuum pump 200 implementing the filtration module 100 .

In this embodiment, the vacuum pump 200 is a positive displacement pump. More specifically, vacuum pump 200 is a rotary vane pump, such as a single-stage rotary vane pump or a two-stage rotary vane pump.

Vacuum pump 200 includes a housing 202, an exhaust or outlet port (hereinafter referred to as "housing outlet port" 204), a pump chamber outlet 206, and a port for receiving filter module 100 (hereinafter referred to as "module receiving port"). 208) and two flanges (hereinafter referred to as "first mounting flange" 210 and "second mounting flange" 212) for mounting the filter module 100 to the housing 202.

The housing 202 includes a first side 214 and a second side 216 opposite to the first side 214 .

The housing outlet aperture 204 is an outlet through the housing 202 through which, in use, an exhaust fluid exits, as will be described in more detail later on. The housing exit aperture 204 is located on the first side 214 of the housing 202 . The housing outlet aperture 204 is configured to discharge exhaust fluid in a first direction 217 away from the housing 202 . (The first direction 217 is indicated by an arrow in FIG. 2 .) In operation, the housing outlet port 204 may be coupled to a conduit for conveying exhaust fluid from the vacuum pump 200 .

The pump chamber outlet 206 is an outlet of a pump chamber (not shown in the figure) of the vacuum pump 200 .

The module receiving hole 208 is a hole in the housing 202 . Module receiving aperture 208 is configured to receive filter module 100 , thereby allowing filter module 100 to be inserted and removed from an interior volume within housing 202 , as will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 3 . The module receiving aperture 208 is located on the second side 216 of the housing 202 .

The first mounting flange 210 circumscribes the die set receiving aperture 208 .

The second mounting flange 212 is located within the interior volume of the housing 202 between the module receiving aperture 208 and the housing outlet aperture 204 .

The first mounting flange 210 and the second mounting flange 212 are used to replaceably mount the filter module 100 to the housing 202 within the interior volume of the housing 202, as described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 3 .

In this embodiment, the second mounting flange 212 circumscribes an internal hole in the housing 202 . The filter element 104 of the filter module 100 is positioned through the inner hole. This bore can be considered as an inlet port to a chamber or volume within the housing 202 defined between the second mounting flange 212, the housing 202, the filter element 104 and the cover 106, and connected to the housing outlet port 204. fluid communication.

Further details of mounting the filter module 100 within the housing 202 will now be described with reference to FIG. 3 .

FIG. 3 shows a portion of the vacuum pump 200 and depicts a schematic diagram (not to scale) of the attachment of the filter module 100 to the housing 202 .

In this embodiment, the filter module 100 is positioned through the module receiving aperture 208 such that the first flange 114 of the inlet connector 102 abuts or engages the second mounting flange 212 and such that the second flange 114 of the inlet connector 102 The rim 116 abuts or engages the first mounting flange 210 .

The plate 117 forming the second flange 116 seals or closes the module receiving aperture 208 .

A first O-ring seal 300 is disposed between the first flange 114 and the second mounting flange 212 , thereby providing a hermetic seal between the first flange 114 and the second mounting flange 212 . This advantageously tends to prevent or prevent a fluid flow path from bypassing the filter element 104 in use.

A second O-ring seal 302 is disposed between the second flange 116 and the first mounting flange 210 , thereby providing a hermetic seal between the second flange 116 and the first mounting flange 210 . This advantageously tends to prevent or stop pumped fluid from leaking from the vacuum pump 200 through the module receiving aperture 208, and maintain a pressure differential, thereby ensuring efficient operation of the pump.

In this embodiment, the filter module 100 is fixed to the housing 202 by one or more fasteners (not shown) passing through the second flange 116 and the first mounting flange 210, and these flanges 116, 210 are securely fastened together. Thus, the filter module 100 is secured to the housing 202 at the second side 216 of the housing 202 .

In this embodiment, the filter module 100 is removably attached to the housing 202 . The filter module 100 can be removed from the housing 202 for repair or maintenance (such as cleaning) of the filter module 100 and/or the housing 202 . The filter module 100 can be removed from the housing 202 (eg, when used or worn out), and replaced by a new replacement filter module 100 . It can recycle or recondition used or spent filter modules 100 .

To remove filter module 100 from housing 202, any fasteners securing filter module 100 to housing 202 are first removed (eg, through second flange 116 and first mounting flange 210). Next, the filter module 100 is removed (eg, slid or pulled) out of the housing 202 via the module receiving aperture 208 . In other words, the filter module 100 moves away from the second side 216 of the casing 202 in a second direction 304 . The second direction 304 (indicated by an arrow in FIGS. 2 and 3 ) is substantially opposite the first direction 217 . In this way, the filter module 100 can be removed from the housing 202 without detaching any connectors or tubing attached to the housing outlet aperture 204 . This advantageously tends to facilitate repair or maintenance, such as cleaning, of the filter module 100 and/or housing 202 , and replacement of used or spent filter modules 100 .

In some embodiments, alternatively or additionally, one or more fasteners may be positioned through the first flange 114 and the second mounting flange 212 to securely secure the flanges 114, 212 together.

Returning now to the description of FIG. 2 , a procedure by which the fluid pumped by the vacuum pump 200 is processed by the filter module 100 will now be described.

In operation, in the pump chamber of the vacuum pump 200, the pumped fluid and the oil used to lubricate the moving parts of the pump 200 mix together, thereby forming a mixture. The mixture is pumped out of the pump chamber via pump chamber outlet 206 as indicated by an arrow and reference numeral 220 in FIG. 2 .

Next, the mixture is pumped into the inlet connector 102 through the first inlet hole 110 , as indicated by an arrow and reference numeral 222 in FIG. 2 . The mixture is then pumped through the separation device 224 of the pre-separator 108 . The mixture is pumped from the first inlet hole 110 to the first outlet hole 112 through the separation device 224 .

The separation device 224 separates the fluid mixture flowing therethrough. The fluid separation by the separation device 224 is described in more detail later below with reference to FIG. 4 . In this embodiment, the separation device 224 separates the oil and the pumped gas, and at least some oil is removed from the mixture flowing through the separation device 224 .

The fluid mixture, after removing at least some of the oil therefrom by the separating device 224, is then pumped out of the inlet connector 102 through the first outlet hole 112, as indicated by an arrow and reference numeral 226 in FIG. This fluid output by the inlet connector 102 may be referred to as a separated fluid because it has undergone a separation process by the inlet connector 102 . The separated fluid (ie, the fluid mixture from which at least some of the oil has been removed) is pumped out of the first outlet hole 112 and directly into the interior volume 124 of the filter element 104 via the second inlet hole 126 .

The separated fluid is then directed from the second end 120 of the filter element 104 to the first end 118 of the filter element 104 along the interior volume 124 .

With the first end 118 (ie, the second hole 128) sealed by the cap 106, the separation fluid is then forced from the interior volume 124 through the filter wall 122 to the exterior of one of the filter elements. This fluid flow is indicated in FIG. 2 by arrows and reference numeral 228 . The filter wall 122 filters the separation fluid passing therethrough, thereby filtering the separation fluid. More specifically, the filter wall 122 further removes oil from the fluid mixture flowing through the filter wall 122 . Fluid exiting filter element 104 may be substantially oil-free. The fluid output by the filter element 104 may be referred to as a filtered fluid because it has been subjected to a filtering process by the filter element 104 .

Upon exiting filter element 104 through filter wall 122 , filtered fluid enters a chamber defined between second mounting flange 212 , housing 202 , filter element 104 , and cover 106 , and is in fluid communication with housing outlet aperture 204 .

The filtered fluid is then pumped out of the housing 202 through the housing outlet aperture 204 as indicated by arrows and reference numeral 230 in FIG. 2 . The filtered fluid is substantially expelled from the housing 202 in a first direction 217 .

Accordingly, a procedure is provided by which the fluid pumped by the vacuum pump 200 is processed by the filter module 100 .

FIG. 4 is a schematic view (not to scale) of a cross-section through the pre-separator 108 of the inlet connector 102 of the present embodiment.

In this embodiment, the pre-separator 108 is a cyclone separator. The separation device 224 of the pre-separator 108 defines a helical flow path of fluid between the first inlet hole 110 and the first outlet hole 112 .

The pre-separator 108 removes oil and relatively heavier components from the fluid mixture flowing therethrough using the principle of inertia.

More specifically, in operation, a mixture of oil and pumped fluid output from the pump chamber enters the pre-separator 108 through the first inlet hole 110 as indicated by arrow 222 . The mixture flows around the helical path of the separation device 224, from the first inlet hole 110 towards the first outlet hole 112, as indicated by arrows and reference numeral 400 in FIG.

Relatively light components of the mixture, such as a pumped liquid, have less inertia than relatively heavier components of the mixture, such as oil droplets dispersed in the mixture. Thus, in operation, the relatively lighter components of the mixture follow the helical path of the separation device 224 and exit the pre-separator 108 through the first outlet hole 112 . In contrast, relatively heavier components of the mixture tend to have too much inertia to follow the curve of the helical path, and thus hit the walls of the separation device 224 . Relatively heavier components of the mixture, including oil, tend to accumulate on the surface of the separation device 224 and fall (via gravity) out of the pre-separator 108 through the first inlet hole 110 or a drain hole 402, as indicated by the dashed lines in FIG. Arrow and element number 404 indicate.

Thus, in operation, pre-separator 108 separates a received fluid mixture and removes at least some constituents from the fluid mixture, thereby providing a separated fluid.

A pre-separator may be considered a "pre-separator" because it is configured to perform separation of the mixture and remove at least some oil from the mixture prior to filtering through the filter element. This pre-separation involves removing at least some of the oil prior to filtration, advantageously tending to prolong the life of the filter element, for example, because less oil tends to be present for a given volume of gas being filtered.

In addition, pre-separators can reduce the flow rate of fluid flowing into and through the filter element. This can increase the time required for fluid to traverse the filter walls, thereby tending to increase filtration efficiency.

In addition, the filter modules described above advantageously tend to increase oil mist separation efficiency and tend to reduce the oil content in the exhaust fluid.

The above described filter module and its mounting to the housing of the vacuum pump advantageously tends to facilitate service, maintenance and repair of the filter module and pump, and also tends to facilitate replacement of the filter module. For example, it tends to be avoided to disassemble one of the housing exhaust flanges at the housing outlet port to replace the filter module.

In the above embodiments, the pre-separator is a cyclone separator. However, in other embodiments, the pre-separator is a different type of separator than a cyclone separator. Examples of suitable separators include, but are not limited to, labyrinth separators, labyrinth separators, and vane separators.

In the above embodiments, the vacuum pump is a rotary vane pump, such as a single-stage rotary vane pump or a two-stage rotary vane pump. However, in other embodiments, the vacuum pump is a different type of pump, such as a different type of positive displacement pump.

In the above embodiments, at least some of the pre-separator, filter element and cover may be integrally formed together. Although preferably the filter module is realized as a single piece, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other variants may be used to assemble the different constituent parts of the filter module without departing from the scope of the invention, which The constituent parts are related to the different technical functions realized by the filter module. For example, filter modules may be provided as separate pieces that may be assembled together in any suitable manner. Furthermore, any component parts of the filtration module may have different geometries than those shown in the figures and described above.

100: Filter module 102: Inlet connector 104: filter element 106: cover 108: Pre-separator 110: entrance hole 112: the first exit hole 114: first flange 116: second flange 117: board 118: first end 120: second end 122: filter wall 124: Internal volume 126: Second entrance hole 128: Second hole 200: vacuum pump 202: Shell 204: shell outlet hole 206: pump room outlet 208: module receiving hole 210: first mounting flange 212: second mounting flange 214: first side 216: second side 217: First direction 222,224,226,228,300,400: flow direction 300: First O-ring seal 302: Second O-ring seal 304: the second direction 402: drain hole 404: Oil discharge direction

Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram (not to scale) of an exploded perspective view of a filter module;

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram (not to scale) of a cross-section of a vacuum pump implementing a filtration module;

3 is a schematic diagram (not to scale) showing a portion of a vacuum pump and depicting the attachment of the filter module to a housing of the vacuum pump; and

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram (not to scale) of a cross section through a separator of a filter module.

100: Filter module

102: Inlet connector

104: filter element

106: cover

108: Pre-separator

110: entrance hole

112: the first exit hole

114: first flange

116: second flange

117: board

118: first end

120: second end

122: filter wall

124: Internal volume

126: Second entrance hole

128: Second hole

Claims (15)

A filter module for a vacuum pump, the filter module includes: a separator; and a filter element; The separator comprises a first inlet hole, a first outlet hole and separating means between the first inlet hole and the first outlet hole, the first inlet hole is used to receive a mixture of fluids, the separating means configured to separate and remove at least some constituents from the mixture of fluids, thereby providing a separated fluid, and the first outlet hole is used to discharge the separated fluid; The filter element includes a filter wall at least partially defining an interior volume and a second inlet hole through the filter wall; the first outlet hole is connected to the second inlet hole such that the separator is configured to discharge the separated fluid through the second inlet hole into the interior volume of the filter element; and The filter wall is configured to allow the separation fluid to flow from the interior volume therethrough to an exterior of the filter element, thereby filtering the separation fluid. The filter module of claim 1, wherein the separator includes one or more separators selected from the separator group, the separator group includes: a cyclone separator, a labyrinth separator, a vane separator and A maze separator. The filter module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the separator and the filter element are integrally formed. The filter module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the separator and the filter element are attached together by an adhesive or one or more bolts or fasteners. The filter module according to any one of claim items 1 to 4, wherein: The filter element is an elongated element having a first end and a second end opposite the first end; the first end is a closed end; the second end includes the second inlet aperture; and The filter wall extends between the first end and the second end. A vacuum pump comprising: The filter module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is configured to handle a flow of a fluid in the vacuum pump. As the vacuum pump of claim 6, it further includes: a pump chamber for pumping the fluid; and a pump outlet hole for discharging the pumped fluid from the vacuum pump; wherein The filter module is arranged between the pump chamber and the outlet hole, so that the fluid pumped from the pump chamber is filtered by the filter module before being discharged from the vacuum pump through the outlet hole. As the vacuum pump of claim 6 or 7, it further includes: a housing having a housing inlet opening and a housing outlet opening; the separator is in sealing engagement with the inlet aperture of the housing; the filter element extends from the inlet aperture of the housing towards the housing outlet aperture; The filter element and the housing define a flow path for fluid flowing out of the filter element to flow from the filter element to an outlet aperture of the housing. The vacuum pump according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the filter module is removably mounted to a housing of the vacuum pump. The vacuum pump according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the separator further comprises a first flange and a second flange, the first and second flanges are sealed to different respective parts of a housing of the vacuum pump join. The vacuum pump according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the vacuum pump is a pump selected from the pump group, the pump group includes: a positive displacement pump, a rotary vane pump, a single-stage rotary vane pump and a two-stage rotary vane pump. A method of removing a filter module from a vacuum pump including a housing having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side including a direction to discharge an exhaust fluid from the vacuum pump to an exhaust port, the method comprising: decoupling the filter module from the housing; and The filter module is moved away from the housing from the second side of the housing in a second direction opposite the first direction. The method of claim 12, wherein the filter module is any one of claims 1 to 5, and decoupling the filter module from the housing includes decoupling the separator from the housing. The method of claim 12 or 13, further comprising replacing the removed filter module with another filter module, the other filter module is as any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the replacement includes: inserting the other filter module into the housing at the second side of the housing, comprising moving the other filter module in the first direction; and The other filter module is coupled to the housing. A method of handling a mixture of fluids in a vacuum pump, the method comprising: receiving the mixture of fluids through a separator; separating the mixture of fluids by the separator, thereby providing a separated fluid; expelling the separated fluid by the separator into an interior volume of a filter element at least partially bounded by a filter wall of the filter element; and The separated fluid is filtered by passing the separated fluid across the filter wall to an exterior of the filter element.

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