Crankcase ventilation system

Abstract

A crankcase ventilation system (1) is provided. The system includes a housing (10) and a disk stack separator (20) disposed within the housing, the disk stack separator (20) including a chamber (21) and a rotor (22). The rotor includes an oil separation element (23) disposed within the chamber and spaced apart from one or more walls of the chamber, and a shaft (24) on which the oil separation element is configured to be rotatably mounted. The disk stack separator further includes a first gas inlet (41) and a first gas outlet (42). The system further includes a filter element (30) including a second gas inlet (43), a second gas outlet (44), and a filter (31) disposed between the second gas inlet and the second gas outlet. The first gas inlet is configured to be coupled to a crankcase blow-by exhaust of the ICE, and the first gas outlet is coupled to the second gas inlet.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to crankcase ventilation systems, and more particularly to automotive crankcase ventilation systems. [Background technology]

[0002] The reduction of emissions produced by internal combustion engines (ICEs) has been a concern for decades. Reductions have been achieved by various methods, e.g., by improving the efficiency of the ICE through catalytic converters to reduce fuel consumption. However, such reductions have primarily targeted exhaust gases that end up being emitted through the tailpipe of the ICE. Thus, there has been an increased interest in reducing other exhaust gases, e.g., crankcase blow-by gas emissions. Additionally, vehicle emission standards have begun to include standards for all vehicle emissions, thereby including emissions due to crankcase blow-by gases, further increasing the interest in reducing such emissions. Summary of the Invention

[0003] It is of interest to provide a crankcase ventilation system which is able to separate oil particles from the crankcase blow-by gases of an internal combustion engine, thereby reducing the emissions of the crankcase blow-by gases. Furthermore, it is of interest to improve the quality of the crankcase blow-by gases, i.e. less oil particles, which are discharged to the atmosphere or returned to the combustion chamber of the ICE. These interests are met by providing an apparatus having the features of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0004] Therefore, according to an aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a crankcase ventilation system for separating oil particles from crankcase blow-by gases of an internal combustion engine (ICE). The system includes a housing and a disc stack separator. The disc stack separator can be disposed within the housing. The disc stack separator includes a chamber and a rotor. The chamber can be disposed within the disc stack separator. The rotor includes an oil separation element disposed within the chamber and spaced apart from one or more walls of the chamber, and a shaft to which the oil separation element is configured to be rotatably mounted. The oil separation element can include a plurality of stacked plates, and the plates can be conical. The disc stack separator further includes a first gas inlet that supplies the crankcase blow-by gases along the shaft to the oil separation element, and a first gas outlet that exhausts the at least partially oil-separated gases. The system further includes a filter element. The filter element includes a second gas inlet, a second gas outlet, and a filter disposed between the second gas inlet and the second gas outlet. The first gas inlet is configured to be coupled to a crankcase exhaust of a crankcase blower of the ICE. The first gas exhaust is coupled to the second gas inlet.

[0005] The present disclosure is based on the idea of ​​improving the separation of oil particles from crankcase blow-by gases using a disc stack separator coupled to a filter element. The disc stack separator provides a nearly 100% filtration rate for particles with a size greater than 0.6 μm. The filtration rate may further depend on the flow rate of the crankcase blow-by gases such that a nearly 100% filtration rate for particles smaller than 0.6 μm, e.g., 0.5 μm, 0.4 μm, 0.3 μm, etc., may be achieved when the flow rate is reduced. Furthermore, the disc stack separator may not require regular inspection. However, the filtration rate of the disc stack separator may decrease, e.g., for particles with a size less than 0.6 μm. On the other hand, the filter element has a nearly 100% filtration rate regardless of the particle size. However, the filter element has an inherently low load capacity and a short service life, and requires regular inspection or replacement. By first separating oil particles with a size greater than 0.6 μm using a disc stack separator before the crankcase blow-by gas is sent to the filter element, the load of the filter element is significantly reduced. In other words, the amount of particles that need to be separated by the filter element is greatly reduced compared to using the filter element alone. This extends the service life of the filter element. The service life of the filter element can be increased by at least 25 times. Furthermore, the load capacity of the filter element is increased. In other words, the filter element can be used for a longer period of time before the maximum capacity of the filter element is reached. Alternatively, the filter size of the filter element can be reduced without shortening the required service interval. Thus, the combination of the disc stack separator and the filter element provides a synergistic effect, since it offers the advantages of both technologies.

[0006] The term "oil particles" refers, for example, to oil droplets and / or oil mist. The disc stack separator may include a rotating means configured to rotate an axle of the disc stack separator. The rotating means may include a turbine wheel, or an electric motor. The turbine wheel may be configured to be oil-operated, i.e., oil-driven, for example, via a belt or gears. The disc stack separator may be attached to an engine block of the ICE. The disc stack separator may be attached to or integrated into a part of the engine block of the ICE, such as a cam cover. However, the disc stack separator may also be a stand-alone component, i.e., not integrated with the engine block of the ICE. The first gas inlet may be coupled to a crankcase blow-by exhaust of the ICE or engine block via an adapter conduit. The adapter conduit may be customizable such that the system can be coupled to many different types of ICEs. The system may be configured to discharge the filtered crankcase blow-by gases from the second gas exhaust to an external space, for example, the atmosphere.

[0007] The filter may be comprised of layers of aligned fibers, where the fibers may include polypropylene and / or fiberglass. The filter may be an efficient particulate air (EPA) filter, a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, or an ultra low particulate air (ULPA) filter. This may increase the filtration capacity of the system. EPA filters may have a retention rate of 85% to 99%. HEPA filters may have a retention rate of 99.95% to 99.999%. ULPA filters may have a higher retention rate than HEPA filters. Higher filter retention may cause the filter to reach its maximum load capacity more quickly. Thus, the use of a disc stack separator allows the use of filters with higher retention rates, which may increase particle retention.

[0008] One way to prevent the crankcase blow-by gases from being discharged to the atmosphere has been to send the crankcase blow-by gases back to the combustion chamber of the ICE. The second gas outlet can be configured to be connected to the intake manifold or the intake side of the ICE. Thus, the crankcase blow-by gases cleaned by the system can be sent back to the ICE via the intake manifold. The intake manifold can be connected to the combustion chamber of the ICE. Oil particles present in the gases supplied to the ICE can reduce the efficiency of the ICE and / or increase the risk of malfunction of the ICE. Thus, the system can improve the performance of the ICE.

[0009] The filter element may further include a pressure regulating valve. The first gas exhaust may be coupled to the second gas inlet via the pressure regulating valve. Alternatively, the second gas exhaust may be coupled to the pressure regulating valve. The pressure regulating valve may include a diaphragm. The pressure regulating valve may further include a spring configured to bias the pressure regulating valve. The pressure regulating valve may enable more efficient delivery of cleaned crankcase blow-by gas to an intake manifold or intake side of the ICE.

[0010] The filter element can include a positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve, and the first gas exhaust can be connected to the second gas intake through the PCV valve. The PCV valve can provide another method for allowing cleaned crankcase blow-by gases to be more efficiently delivered to the intake manifold or intake side of the ICE.

[0011] The pressure regulator valve can be located inside the housing. Correspondingly, the PCV valve can be located inside the housing. This can provide a more robust and compact system, increasing the durability of the system. The housing can include a lid or latch, which is a removable portion that can allow a user to access the pressure regulator valve. The system can further include one or more bypass valves. The one or more bypass valves can be configured to release gas, for example, if a pressure differential across the bypass valve exceeds a threshold value or if a gas flow level of the system is exceeded.

[0012] The first gas exhaust can be disposed through a wall of the housing. For example, the first gas exhaust can be connected to an opening in the wall of the housing. This allows the second gas inlet of the filter element to be securely connected to the housing and then to the first gas exhaust. The pressure regulating valve can include an exhaust, which can be disposed through a wall of the housing or connected to an opening in the wall of the housing, thereby connectable to the first gas exhaust.

[0013] The chamber may be formed by the housing. In other words, the housing may contain the chamber. A chamber formed by or contained in a housing may be understood to be, for example, the inner wall of the housing that forms the chamber.

[0014] The housing may further include an oil reservoir. The term "oil reservoir" may further refer to, for example, an oil chamber or a drive oil chamber. The disc stack separator may be configured to discharge oil separated from the crankcase blow-by gases to the oil reservoir. The disc stack separator may then be configured to collect the separated oil in the oil reservoir. The oil reservoir may be coupled to the chamber of the disc stack separator. The system may be configured to route oil from the oil reservoir to the ICE.

[0015] During operation of the ICE and crankcase ventilation system, the filter element can continually filter crankcase blow-by gases and retain oil particles. When the amount of oil particles retained by the filter reaches a certain level, the filter requires inspection or replacement. The arrangement of the filter element according to the present disclosure provides a more accessible filter element, thereby making it easier to replace the filter of the filter element. The crankcase ventilation system can be further configured to collect oil or oil particles from the filter element. The system can further include an oil drain passage configured to route the collected oil to the oil reservoir. The filter element can be configured to allow the retained oil to drain or flow to the oil drain passage. The flow drainage can be greater when the ICE is not operating. Furthermore, gravity can help drain the oil from the filter element. Thus, the crankcase ventilation system allows drainage from the filter element, especially when the ICE is not operating. This can increase the time before the filter needs to be inspected or replaced.

[0016] The first gas outlet can be connected to the second gas inlet via a gas conduit, which can provide the ability to space the housing and the filter housing apart from one another. The gas conduit can further be configured as a tube, such as a pipe, a connecting tube, or a flow path. A system including a pressure regulating valve (PCV valve) through which the first gas outlet is connected to the second gas inlet can include at least one gas conduit that can be disposed between the first gas outlet and the pressure regulating valve (PCV valve) and / or between the pressure regulating valve (PCV valve) and the second gas outlet.

[0017] The filter element may include a filter housing. The filter may be disposed within the filter housing. Thus, the system may include a housing in which the disc stack separator is disposed and a filter housing in which the filter element is disposed. A system having two separate housings may provide greater flexibility in coupling the system to the ICE. Because there is a limited amount of space within a vehicle, it may be difficult to fit a crankcase ventilation system into such a space. Furthermore, the temperature in some of the space around the ICE may not be suitable for all components of the crankcase ventilation system. Thus, by providing a system split into two housings, the system may be more optimally installed with respect to fitting within the space and / or with respect to the temperature within the space.

[0018] The filter element may include a filter chamber in which the filter may be placed. The second inlet may be arranged through a first wall of the filter chamber. The second outlet may be arranged through a second wall of the filter chamber. The second wall may be the same wall as the first wall or may be a different wall from the first wall. Thus, the second inlet and the second outlet may be arranged through the same wall or through different walls. The filter chamber may be included in a housing. Thus, the housing, which may include several parts that may be welded and / or fastened together, may include the filter chamber of the filter element and the chamber of the disc stack separator. At least one surface of the filter chamber may include a shape adapted to fit a surface of the chamber of the disc stack operator. The housing including the chamber and the filter chamber may be understood as an integrated solution, where both the disc stack separator and the filter element are realized in the same device or component. Thus, a more compact system may be provided. A device including both technologies may further allow the system to be installed more easily, since fewer components are attached to the ICE.

[0019] The filter chamber may include a removable cover. The filter chamber may include six sides. The removable cover may form one of the six sides. Furthermore, the removable cover may form one of the six sides and a portion of a side adjacent to the side formed by the removable cover. For example, the removable cover may form a first side and a portion of four sides adjacent to the first side. The removable cover may be attached to the remainder of the filter chamber by fastening means, such as screws or bolts. Furthermore, the removable cover may be attached to the remainder of the filter chamber via a hinge. The removable cover may allow a user to access the filter within the filter chamber, thereby making it easier to replace the filter.

[0020] The second exhaust port can be disposed through the removable cover, or the second exhaust port can be disposed through a face or wall of the filter chamber.

[0021] At least a portion of the chamber of the disc stack separator may abut at least a portion of the filter chamber, which may include at least a portion of one or more sides of the chamber, and at least a portion of the filter chamber may include at least a portion of one or more sides of the filter chamber, thus providing a more compact system.

[0022] This and other aspects of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the disclosure are shown. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a crankcase ventilation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; [Diagram 2] 1 illustrates a schematic cross-section of a crankcase ventilation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3]1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a crankcase ventilation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 4] 1 illustrates a schematic cross-section of a crankcase ventilation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 1 illustrates a schematic of crankcase ventilation according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a crankcase ventilation system 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] The system 1 includes a housing 10. The housing 10 includes an upper portion 10a and a lower portion 10b. The upper portion 10a has a generally cylindrical shape including an upper surface and a lower surface. The lower portion 10b also has a generally cylindrical shape including a lower surface and an upper surface. The upper portion 10a and the lower portion 10b are coupled and sealed to each other using fastening means 16, such as, but not limited to, a nut 16, as shown in FIG. 1. More specifically, the lower surface of the upper portion 10a is coupled to the upper surface of the lower portion 10b. The housing 10 further includes attachment means 15 configured to attach the housing 10 to an internal combustion engine (ICE). The attachment means 15 is shown in FIG. 1 as, but not limited to, a threaded hole adapted to receive a nut. The location of the attachment means 15 on the housing 10 can be adapted to fit a particular ICE.

[0026] The system 1 further includes a disk stack separator (not shown, see FIG. 2 or FIG. 4) configured to at least partially separate oil particles from crankcase blow-by gas of the ICE and disposed inside the housing 10. The disk stack separator includes a first gas inlet 41 configured to be coupled to a crankcase blow-by exhaust of the ICE to supply crankcase blow-by gas from the ICE to the disk stack separator. The first gas inlet 41 is disposed to pass through a top surface of the upper portion 10a of the housing 10. The disk stack separator further includes a first gas exhaust 42 for discharging at least partially oil separated gas from the disk stack separator. The first gas exhaust 42 is disposed to pass through a circumferential surface of the upper portion 10a of the housing 10. In other words, the first gas exhaust 42 is disposed to pass through a wall of the housing 10.

[0027] The housing 10 may further include an oil reservoir (not shown, see FIG. 2). The disc stack separator may be configured to drain oil separated from the crankcase blow-by gases to the oil reservoir. The oil reservoir may be located within the lower portion 10b of the housing 10.

[0028] The system 1 further includes a filter element 30. The filter element 30 includes a filter housing 33 and a filter 31 disposed within the filter housing 33. The filter element 30 further includes a gas inlet 43 and a gas outlet 44 disposed through opposite sides of the filter housing 33. The filter 31 is disposed between the gas inlet 43 and the gas outlet 44. The filter 31 is further coupled between the gas inlet 43 and the gas outlet 44 such that the gas inlet 43 and the gas outlet 44 are fluidly coupled through the filter 31. In other words, gas must pass through the filter 31 to travel from the gas inlet 43 to the gas outlet 44.

[0029] The first gas outlet 42 of the disk stack separator 20 is connected to the second gas inlet 43 of the filter element 30. In FIG. 1, the system 1 further includes a gas conduit 61 connecting the first gas outlet 42 and the second gas inlet 43, which allows the filter element 30 to be located at a distance from the housing 10 and the disk stack operator 20. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1. For example, the filter element 30 can be located in or attached to the housing 10. In such an exemplary embodiment, the first gas outlet 42 and the second gas inlet 43 can be directly connected to each other. However, the system 1 can include a filter element 30 located in or attached to the housing 10 and includes a gas conduit 61 connecting the first gas outlet 42 and the second gas inlet 43.

[0030] System 1 may further include an oil drain passage 32, shown in Figure 1. Oil drain passage 32 may be configured to route oil retained, filtered, and trapped by filter 31 to housing 10. More specifically, drain passage 32 may be configured to route oil retained, filtered, and trapped by filter 31 to an oil reservoir in housing 10 (not shown, see Figures 2 or 4).

[0031] The second gas exhaust 44 can be configured to be coupled to an intake manifold (not shown) of the ICE, thereby allowing crankcase blow-by gases filtered by the system 1 to be returned to the ICE. The second gas exhaust 44 can be coupled to the intake manifold in a number of different ways. For example, the system 1 can include a secondary gas conduit configured to couple the second gas exhaust 44 to the intake manifold. In another example, the filter element 30 can be disposed in the intake manifold such that the second gas exhaust 44 is directly coupled to the intake manifold.

[0032] Figure 2 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of a crankcase ventilation system 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. It is noted that Figure 2 includes features, elements, and / or functions shown in Figure 1 and described in the associated text. Therefore, for improved understanding, please also refer to Figure 1 and the associated description of Figure 1.

[0033] The illustrated cross section of the crankcase ventilation system 1 is taken along the longitudinal axis of a disk stack separator 20 of the system 1. This shows the inside of the disk stack separator 20. The system 1 includes a housing 10 within which the disk stack separator 20 is arranged. The housing 10 includes an upper portion 10a and a lower portion 10b. The disk stack separator 20 includes a chamber 21 and a rotor 20. The chamber 21 is defined at least in part by an inner wall of the upper portion 10a of the housing 10. In other words, the chamber 21 is formed by the housing 10. The rotor 20 includes an oil separating element 23 and a shaft 24. The oil separating element 23 is arranged within the chamber 21. The shaft 24 is arranged from an upper surface of the upper portion 10a of the housing 10 to a lower surface of the lower portion 10b of the housing 10, thereby passing through the chamber 21. The oil separating element 23 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 24. Further, the oil separating element 23 is disposed inside the chamber 21 and spaced apart from the walls of the chamber 21 such that there is a space between the walls of the chamber 21 and the oil separating element 23 .

[0034] The disc stack separator 20 further includes a rotating means 25. The rotating means 25 is shown in FIG. 2 as a turbine wheel mounted on the shaft 24 and disposed in the lower portion 10b of the housing 10. However, the rotating means 25 is not limited to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and can be configured as, for example, an electric motor. The rotating means 25 is configured to rotate the shaft 24, thereby rotating the oil separation element 23. In FIG. 2, the rotating means 25 is configured to rotate with the shaft 24. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the rotating means 25 configured to rotate with the shaft 24 and can include a stationary nozzle configured to rotate the rotating means 25, thereby rotating the shaft 24.

[0035] The housing 10 shown in FIG. 2 can be understood to include an oil reservoir 11. The oil reservoir 11 can be defined by a space inside the lower part 10b of the housing 10. The housing 10 can include an oil flow path between the upper part 10a of the housing 10 and the lower part 10b of the housing. In other words, the system 1 can include an oil flow path between the chamber 21 and the oil reservoir 11. The oil flow path can be configured to send oil separated from the crankcase blow-by gas by the disc stack separator 20 to the oil reservoir 11. In other words, the disc stack separator 20 can be configured to discharge the oil separated from the crankcase blow-by gas to the oil reservoir 11. The rotating means 25 including the turbine wheel shown in FIG. 2 can be driven by oil, and can collect the oil in the oil reservoir 11 after the oil is ejected from the turbine wheel.

[0036] The system 1 shown in Fig. 2 further includes a filter element 30. The difference between the system 1 shown in Fig. 2 and the exemplary embodiment shown in Fig. 1 is that the oil reservoir 11 includes an opening 11 to which the drain passage 32 of the filter element 30 is connected, thereby allowing the system 1 to direct oil from the filter element 30 to the oil reservoir 11.

[0037] Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a crankcase ventilation system 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be noted that Fig. 3 includes features, elements, and / or functions shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 and described in the associated text. Therefore, in the following, the differences between the system 1 shown in Fig. 3 and the exemplary embodiment shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 and described in the associated text will be described. Therefore, for better understanding, please also refer to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 and the description related to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.

[0038] The difference between the system 1 shown in FIG. 3 and the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is that the system 1 shown in FIG.

[0039] The pressure regulating valve 50 is disposed inside the housing 10. More specifically, the housing 10 shown in FIG. 3 includes an auxiliary portion 50a formed on the upper portion 10a of the housing 10, in which the pressure regulating valve 50 is disposed. The auxiliary portion 50a may include a removable portion 50c that, when opened, may allow a user to access the pressure regulating valve 50. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the auxiliary portion 50a formed on the housing 10, and may be disposed, for example, at a distance from the housing 10. In such an example, the first exhaust port 42 may be connected to the pressure regulating valve 50 via a conduit or a flow path. Thus, the auxiliary portion 50a may be understood to be included by the pressure regulating valve 50.

[0040] The pressure regulating valve 50 is connected to a first gas outlet (not shown, see Figures 1, 2 or 4) of the disc stack separator 20, which may be disposed through a face of the upper portion 10a of the housing 10. In Figure 3, the pressure regulating valve 50 is shown connected to the first gas outlet by an auxiliary portion 50a formed above the first gas outlet.

[0041] The system 1 may further include an auxiliary conduit 50b as shown in Fig. 3. The auxiliary conduit 50b may be connected via a removable part 50c or directly to the auxiliary part 50a in which the pressure regulating valve 50 is disposed. The auxiliary conduit 50b may be configured to be connected to the second gas inlet 43 of the filter element 30. Thus, the first gas outlet of the disc stack separator 20 may be connected to the second gas inlet 43 of the filter element 30 via the pressure regulating valve 50.

[0042] FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-section of a crankcase ventilation system 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be noted that FIG. 4 includes features, elements, and / or functions shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and described in the associated text. Therefore, in the following, the differences between the system 1 shown in FIG. 4 and the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and described in the associated text will be described. Therefore, for better understanding, please also refer to FIGS. 1 to 3 and the description related to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0043] The difference between the system 1 shown in FIG. 4 and the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is that the system 1 shown in FIG. 4 includes a pressure regulating valve 50 shown in FIG. 3 and described in the associated text.

[0044] 4 includes a diaphragm 51 and a spring 52. The diaphragm 51 and the spring 52 are disposed in the auxiliary portion 50a of the housing 10. The diaphragm 51 and the spring 52 are disposed between the auxiliary portion 50a and the removable portion 50c.

[0045] FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of a crankcase ventilation system 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be noted that FIG. 5 includes features, elements, and / or functions shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and described in the associated text. Therefore, in the following, the differences between the system 1 illustrated in FIG. 5 and the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and described in the associated text will be described. Therefore, for better understanding, please also refer to FIGS. 1 to 4 and the description related to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0046] The difference between the system 1 shown in Figure 5 and the system shown in Figure 3 and described in the associated text is that the system 1 shown in Figure 5 further includes a filter chamber 35 that forms part of the housing 10 of the system 1. In other words, the housing 10 includes the filter chamber 35. The filter chamber 35 includes a filter (not shown) that is disposed between the second inlet (not shown) and the second outlet 44.

[0047] The filter chamber 35 has six sides, three of which are shown in FIG. 5. The second exhaust port 44 is arranged through the upper side of the six sides of the filter chamber 35. At least a part of a side of the filter chamber 35, hereinafter referred to as the inner side of the filter chamber 35, is arranged opposite the upper part 10a and the lower part 10b of the housing 10. The second intake port can be arranged through at least a part of the inner side. The upper part 10a and the lower part 10b have a generally cylindrical shape. At least a part of the inner side has a shape adapted to be arranged flush with the upper part 10a and the lower part 10b. Thus, at least a part of the disc stack separator abuts at least a part of the filter chamber 35. The shape of the inner side can be understood to be curved. The face of the filter chamber 35 opposite the inner side, hereinafter referred to as the outer side of the filter chamber 35, has a curved shape like the inner side. The remaining faces of filter chamber 35 have a generally flat shape such that filter chamber 35 has a shape that generally conforms to a portion of a flat annulus. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to filter chamber 35 having a shape as shown in FIG. 5. For example, filter chamber 35 may have any number of faces, e.g., two, three, four, or more faces. Additionally, the shape of the faces of filter chamber 35 may be virtually any geometric shape.

[0048] The filter chamber 35 includes a removable cover 37. The removable cover 37 is configured to be removed to allow a user access to a filter disposed within the filter chamber 35. The removable cover 37 forms an exterior surface of the filter chamber 35 and forms a portion of four sides adjacent to the exterior surface. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to including the removable cover 37 shown in FIG. 5. For example, the removable cover 37 can form a portion or the entirety of at least any of the exterior surfaces and / or one or more of the sides of the filter chamber 35 adjacent to the exterior surface.

[0049] Another difference between the system 1 shown in Fig. 5 and the system shown in Fig. 3 and described in the associated text is that the system 1 shown in Fig. 5 further includes a pressure regulating valve 50, but does not include an auxiliary conduit shown in Fig. 3 that may connect the pressure regulating valve 50 to the second inlet. The system 1 shown in Fig. 5 includes an auxiliary part 50a formed in the upper part 10a of the housing 10, in which the pressure regulating valve 50 is disposed. The system 1 further includes a removable part 50c that may allow a user to access the pressure regulating valve 50 when opened. Instead of the auxiliary conduit shown in Fig. 3, the pressure regulating valve 50 includes a conduit (not shown) disposed inside the housing 10 and connected to the second inlet, thereby providing a more compact system 1.

[0050] The secondary exhaust port 44 is shown disposed through the removable cover 37. However, the secondary exhaust port 44 may be disposed on any face of the filter chamber 35.

[0051] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, and the system 1 can instead include a pressure regulating valve 50 similar to that shown in FIG. 3, and an auxiliary conduit can be arranged outside the housing 10 from the auxiliary portion 50a to a second inlet arranged through the face of the filter chamber 35. In another example, the system 1 does not include the pressure regulating valve 50, and the first exhaust of the disk stack separator of the system 1 is connected to the second inlet, said connection being made via an auxiliary conduit arranged outside the housing 10, or via a conduit arranged inside the housing 10, or by arranging the first exhaust and the second inlet relative to each other so that no conduit is required. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present disclosure is by no means limited to the preferred embodiment described above. On the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A crankcase ventilation system (1) for separating oil particles from crankcase blow-by gases of an internal combustion engine (ICE), comprising: A housing (10); A disk stack separator (20) disposed within the housing, A chamber (21); A rotor (22), an oil separation element (23) disposed within the chamber and spaced apart from one or more walls of the chamber; a shaft (24) on which the oil separation element is configured to be rotatably mounted; A rotor (22) including: a first gas inlet (41) for supplying the crankcase blow-by gas along the axis to the oil separation element; a first gas outlet (42) for discharging gas from which the oil has at least partially been separated; A disk stack separator (20) including: The system further comprises: A filter element (30), a second gas inlet (43), a second gas exhaust port (44), and a filter (31) disposed between the second gas inlet and the second gas exhaust port; The filter comprises a filter element (30) comprising a layer of aligned fibers, the first gas inlet is configured to be coupled to a crankcase blow-by exhaust of the ICE; the first gas exhaust port is connected to the second gas inlet port; A crankcase ventilation system (1), characterized in that the filter element is not connected to the shaft (24).

2. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the filter (31) is an Efficient Particulate Air (EPA) filter, a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, or an Ultra Low Particulate Air (ULPA) filter.

3. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the second gas exhaust is configured to be coupled to an intake manifold of the ICE.

4. The filter element further includes a pressure regulating valve (50); The system of claim 3 , wherein the pressure regulating valve is coupled between the first gas outlet and the second gas inlet or is coupled to the second gas outlet.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the pressure regulating valve is disposed within the housing.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first gas exhaust is disposed through a wall of the housing.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the chamber is defined by the housing.

8. The housing further includes an oil reservoir (11); The system of claim 1 , wherein the disc stack separator is configured to discharge oil separated from the crankcase blow-by gases to the oil reservoir.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising an oil drain (32) configured to route the oil from the filter element (30) to the oil reservoir.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first gas outlet is connected to the second gas inlet via a gas conduit (61).

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the filter element includes a filter housing (33) and the filter is disposed within the filter housing.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the filter element includes a filter chamber (35) contained in the housing (10), the filter being disposed within the filter chamber.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the filter chamber includes a removable cover (37).

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the second gas exhaust outlet is disposed through the removable cover.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the chamber of the disk stack separator abuts at least a portion of the filter chamber.

Images