Commercial Vehicle Air Filter Self-Cleaning Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing air filter systems for commercial vehicles, particularly those with supercharged diesel engines, face challenges in cleaning processes due to limited access in the engine compartment, making the process complicated and time-consuming, leading to potential downtime and interruptions in operational processes.
Innovation Solution
An air filter system with a cleaning arrangement that uses compressed air to blow out dirt particles from the fine filter against the filter operating direction, allowing for quick and convenient cleaning without disassembling the filter housing, and incorporating a centrifugal air filter and safety filter for effective pre-cleaning and protection against dirt release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual cleaning of the fine filter is performed by disassembling the filter housing, then the filter can be cleaned, but the process becomes complicated and time-consuming due to limited access in the engine compartment
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-cleaning of the fine filter through an automated air jet cleaning mechanism. The cleaning arrangement includes air outlet nozzles that direct compressed air onto the filter surface, automatically removing dirt particles without requiring manual disassembly or intervention. This self-service capability resolves the contradiction by making the filter clean itself rather than requiring time-consuming manual cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses pneumatic pressure from a compressed air source to blow dirt particles off the fine filter surface. The cleaning arrangement directs high-velocity air jets at the filter, utilizing pneumatic forces to transport contaminants away. This pneumatic cleaning method eliminates the need for manual disassembly and reduces cleaning time significantly compared to traditional manual cleaning procedures.
2Ease of operation
If the filter housing is disassembled for fine filter cleaning, then the filter can be accessed, but the complexity of the cleaning process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system remains permanently installed within the filter housing and automatically cleans the fine filter without requiring disassembly. The self-service mechanism includes air outlet nozzles positioned to directly contact the filter surface, enabling cleaning while the housing remains assembled. This eliminates the complexity of manual disassembly and reassembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning arrangement is pre-installed and positioned within the filter housing during manufacturing, with air outlet nozzles strategically located to optimize cleaning effectiveness. This preliminary setup ensures that when cleaning is needed, the system is ready to operate immediately without requiring any disassembly or complex preparation, thus reducing operational complexity.
3Productivity
If compressed air is used to blow out dirt particles from the fine filter, then cleaning speed increases, but there is a risk of dirt particles being released into the environment
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the potentially harmful effect of blown-off dirt particles into a beneficial process by directing them toward the coarse filter. The coarse filter acts as a collection chamber where particles are captured and retained. This transforms what would be harmful emissions into a useful filtration process, maintaining high cleaning speed while preventing environmental release of contaminants.
Solution Approach 2:
The coarse filter serves as an intermediary between the fine filter cleaning process and the external environment. When compressed air blows dirt particles off the fine filter, the coarse filter intercepts and captures these particles before they can be released into the environment. This intermediary structure enables rapid pneumatic cleaning while preventing harmful emissions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables quick and convenient cleaning of the fine filter immediately after starting the vehicle, minimizing downtime and ensuring continuous operation by using compressed air to transport dirt particles from the fine filter to the coarse filter and environment, while preventing damage to downstream components with a redundant safety filter.
Implementation Method 1
a cleaning arrangement housed in the filter housing is provided for blowing out dirt particles separated at least in the fine filter against the filter operating direction
Implementation Method 2
The geometric properties of the air outlet nozzle are selected such that they enable the application of a wide-area cleaning air jet towards the filter surface
Implementation Method 3
a centrifugal air filter comprises a multitude of individual separators that impart a defined vortex motion to the incoming airflow
Implementation Method 4
This causes coarse particles in the airflow to be flung into a collection chamber surrounding the individual separators by the resulting centrifugal forces
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
Air filter system (10) for a commercial vehicle, comprising an inlet-side coarse filter (22) housed in a filter housing (14) and a fine filter (48) downstream in the filter operating direction (50) of an air stream (52) to be cleaned, wherein a cleaning arrangement (62) housed in the filter housing (14) is provided for blowing out dirt particles separated at least in the fine filter (48) against the filter operating direction (50).