초록

A coalescer has variable characteristics including variable diameter of individual fibers along their length such that an individual fiber has differing diameters at different points along its length, and including variable porosity.

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What is claimed is: 1. A method of making a coalescer comprising melt blowing a plurality of polymer fibers onto a collector, and during said melt blowing, varying the diameter of individual fibers along their length such that an individual fiber has differing diameters at different points along it

What is claimed is: 1. A method of making a coalescer comprising melt blowing a plurality of polymer fibers onto a collector, and during said melt blowing, varying the diameter of individual fibers along their length such that an individual fiber has differing diameters at different points along its length, wherein said fibers are melt blown from a die ejecting melted polymer through spinnerets to produce said fibers, and comprising varying fiber diameter along the length of the fiber during fiber production, and comprising a coordinate system having X, Y, Z axes orthogonal to each other, wherein said collector comprises a rotating mandrel rotating about said Z axis and spaced from said die along said X axis, and comprising varying fiber diameter along the length of the fiber during fiber production by varying the relative position of said die and said mandrel to one another along said Y axis. 2. A method of making a coalescer comprising melt blowing a plurality of polymer fibers onto a collector, and during said melt blowing, varying the diameter of individual fibers along their length such that an individual fiber has differing diameters at different points along its length, wherein said fibers are melt blown from a die ejecting melted polymer through spinnerets to produce said fibers, and comprising varying fiber diameter along the length of the fiber during fiber production, and comprising using two polymers simultaneously in said die to produce a bi-modal media fiber diameter distribution, with the fiber diameter of each mode varied during fiber production, wherein said two polymers have different melting points, and comprising a coordinate system having X, Y, Z axes orthogonal to each other, wherein said collector comprises a rotating mandrel rotating about said Z axis and spaced from said die along said X axis, and comprising varying fiber diameter along the length of the fiber during fiber production by varying the relative position of said die and said mandrel to one another along said Y axis. 3. A method of making a coalescer comprising melt blowing a plurality of polymer fibers onto a collector, and during said melt blowing, varying the diameter of individual fibers along their length such that an individual fiber has differing diameters at different points along its length, wherein said fibers are melt blown from a die ejecting melted polymer through spinnerets to produce said fibers, and comprising varying fiber diameter along the length of the fiber during fiber production, wherein said collector is a rotating mandrel collecting and rolling said fibers into an annular element having an inner surface at said mandrel, and having an outer surface spaced radially outwardly of said inner surface by the radial thickness of said element, said element having a depth along a depth dimension along said radial thickness, and comprising varying fiber diameter along the length of the fiber during fiber production such that fiber diameter varies as a function of said depth, and comprising varying fiber diameter along the length of the fiber during fiber production to provide a first annular region of a first fiber diameter, and a second annular region of a second fiber diameter different than said first fiber diameter and of the same individual melt blown fiber, and comprising melt blowing a given individual fiber from said die; rolling said given individual fiber on said mandrel to form said first annular region; rolling the same said given individual fiber on said first annular region to form said second annular region, and comprising rolling said given individual fiber at said first diameter in said first annular region, then varying fiber diameter of the same said given individual fiber to said second diameter, then rolling the same said given individual fiber at said second fiber diameter in said second annular region, and comprising gradually varying said fiber diameter of said same said given individual fiber from said first diameter in said first annular region to said second diameter in said second annular region to provide a gradual transition therebetween, eliminating abrupt step function changes and corresponding discontinuities, including in fluid flow velocity and pressure drop characteristics, which otherwise increase restriction and reduce life and capacity, and comprising a coordinate system having X, Y, Z axes orthogonal to each other, wherein said collector comprises a rotating mandrel rotating about said Z axis and spaced from said die along said X axis, and comprising varying fiber diameter along the length of the fiber during fiber production by varying the relative position of said die and said mandrel to one another along said Y axis. 4. A method of making a coalescer comprising melt blowing a plurality of polymer fibers onto a collector, and during said melt blowing, varying the diameter of individual fibers along their length such that an individual fiber has differing diameters at different points along its length, wherein said fibers are melt blown from a die ejecting melted polymer through spinnerets to produce said fibers, and comprising varying fiber diameter along the length of the fiber during fiber production, wherein said collector is a rotating mandrel collecting and rolling said fibers into an annular element having an inner surface at said mandrel, and having an outer surface spaced radially outwardly of said inner surface by the radial thickness of said element, said element having a depth along a depth dimension along said radial thickness, and comprising varying fiber diameter along the length of the fiber during fiber production such that fiber diameter varies as a function of said depth, wherein one of said inner and outer surfaces is an upstream surface, and the other of said inner and outer surfaces is a downstream surface, and wherein the direction of flow is from upstream to downstream, and comprising varying fiber diameter along the length of the fiber during fiber production to vary fiber diameter as a function of said depth such that fiber diameter decreases with increasing depth into said element along said flow direction from upstream to mid depth, and then increases with increasing depth into said element along said flow direction from mid depth to downstream, and comprising varying fiber diameter along a U-shaped profile in a plot of element depth along an abscissa versus fiber diameter along an ordinate, with minimum fiber diameter at the bight of the U at said mid depth, the transitions along said U-shaped profile, including the ends of the U and the bight of the U, being nonsawtooth, gradual transitions, eliminating abrupt step function changes and discontinuities, including in fluid flow velocity and pressure drop characteristics, which otherwise increase restriction and reduce life and capacity, and comprising a coordinate system having X, Y, Z axes orthogonal to each other, wherein said collector comprises a rotating mandrel rotating about said Z axis and spaced from said die along said X axis, and comprising varying fiber diameter along the length of the fiber during fiber production by varying the relative position of said die and said mandrel to one another along said Y axis. 5. A method of making a coalescer comprising melt blowing a plurality of polymer fibers onto a collector, and during said melt blowing, varying the diameter of individual fibers along their length such that an individual fiber has differing diameters at different points along its length, wherein said fibers are melt blown from a die ejecting melted polymer through spinnerets to produce said fibers, and comprising varying fiber diameter along the length of the fiber during fiber production, wherein said collector is a rotating mandrel collecting and rolling said fibers into an annular element having an inner surface at said mandrel, and having an outer surface spaced radially outwardly of said inner surface by the radial thickness of said element, said element having a depth along a depth dimension along said radial thickness, and comprising varying fiber diameter along the length of the fiber during fiber production such that fiber diameter varies as a function of said depth, wherein one of said inner and outer surfaces is an upstream surface, and the other of said inner and outer surfaces is a downstream surface, and wherein the direction of flow is from upstream to downstream, and comprising varying fiber diameter along the length of the fiber during fiber production to vary fiber diameter as a function of said depth such that fiber diameter decreases with increasing depth into said element along said flow direction from upstream to mid depth, and then increases with increasing depth into said element along said flow direction from mid depth to downstream, and comprising rolling said fibers such that porosity decreases with increasing depth into said filter along said flow direction from upstream to mid depth, and then increases with increasing depth into said filter along said flow direction from mid depth to downstream, and comprising varying porosity along a U-shaped profile in a plot of element depth along an abscissa versus porosity along an ordinate, with minimum porosity at the bight of the U at said mid depth, the transitions along said U-shaped profile, including the ends of the U and the bight of the U, being nonsawtooth, gradual transitions, eliminating abrupt step function changes and discontinuities, including in fluid flow velocity and pressure drop characteristics, which otherwise increase restriction and reduce life and capacity, and comprising a coordinate system having X, Y, Z axes orthogonal to each other, wherein said collector comprises a rotating mandrel rotating about said Z axis and spaced from said die along said X axis, and comprising varying fiber diameter along the length of the fiber during fiber production by varying the relative position of said die and said mandrel to one another along said Y axis. 6. A method of making a coalescer comprising melt blowing a plurality of polymer fibers onto a collector, and during said melt blowing, varying the diameter of individual fibers along their length such that an individual fiber has differing diameters at different points along its length, wherein said fibers are melt blown from a die ejecting melted polymer through spinnerets to produce said fibers, and comprising varying fiber diameter along the length of the fiber during fiber production, wherein said collector is a rotating mandrel collecting and rolling said fibers into an annular element having an inner surface at said mandrel, and having an outer surface spaced radially outwardly of said inner surface by the radial thickness of said element, said element having a depth along a depth dimension along said radial thickness, and comprising varying fiber diameter along the length of the fiber during fiber production such that fiber diameter varies as a function of said depth, wherein one of said inner and outer surfaces is an upstream surface, and the other of said inner and outer surfaces is a downstream surface, and wherein the direction of flow is from upstream to downstream, and comprising rolling said fibers such that porosity decreases with increasing depth into said element along said flow direction from upstream to mid depth, and then increases with increasing depth into said element along said flow direction from mid depth to downstream, and comprising varying porosity along a U-shaped profile in a plot of element depth along an abscissa versus porosity along an ordinate, with minimum porosity at the bight of the U at said mid depth, the transitions along said U-shaped profile, including the ends of the U and the bight of the U, being nonsawtooth, gradual transitions, eliminating abrupt step function changes and discontinuities, including in fluid flow velocity and pressure drop characteristics, which otherwise increase restriction and reduce life and capacity, and comprising a coordinate system having X, Y, Z axes orthogonal to each other, wherein said collector comprises a rotating mandrel rotating about said Z axis and spaced from said die along said X axis, and comprising varying fiber diameter along the length of the fiber during fiber production by varying the relative position of said die and said mandrel to one another along said Y axis.