Air Filter Cylindrical Blade Swirl Flow Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filters in pneumatic circuits struggle to reliably remove foreign matters like liquid droplets due to fluctuating air flow velocities, leading to inefficient purification and the need for larger filter sizes to maintain separation efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A compact filter design featuring a cylindrical swirl flow generating chamber with a cylindrical blade portion and annular base, which generates a swirl flow to separate foreign matters by centrifugal force without increasing the chamber's inner diameter, incorporating a discharge pipe and closing lid portion to guide purified air and prevent liquid droplets from entering the discharge pipe.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a filter using centrifugal force is used to purify air with fluctuating flow velocity, then foreign matters can be removed when flow velocity is high, but when flow velocity is low the centrifugal force becomes insufficient and foreign matters flow out from the air outflow port
Solution Approach 1:
A liquid coolant is introduced as an intermediary substance to enhance the removal of foreign matters. The liquid coolant forms a liquid film on the inner peripheral surface of the separation chamber, and foreign matters are removed by adhesion to this liquid film rather than solely by centrifugal force, enabling effective separation even at low flow velocities
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the separation mechanism from relying purely on centrifugal force to utilizing adhesion between foreign matters and liquid coolant. By introducing liquid coolant and controlling its flow rate, the separation effectiveness is maintained across varying air flow velocities
2Reliability
If the inner diameter of the swirling chamber is made large to prevent foreign matters from entering the air outflow port, then foreign matter removal is improved, but the filter size increases
Solution Approach 1:
Liquid coolant serves as a mediator that enhances foreign matter capture efficiency. The liquid film on the chamber wall provides an additional capture mechanism that allows effective separation in a compact chamber size, eliminating the need to enlarge the swirling chamber
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the separation approach from geometric expansion to chemical/physical enhancement by introducing liquid coolant. This allows maintaining small filter size while achieving high removal efficiency through liquid-coolant-mediated adhesion
3Reliability
If a filter element is used to enhance separation effect at low flow rate, then separation efficiency is improved, but the flow-path area must be made large to handle increased flow velocity, leading to size increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a filter element that would require large flow-path area, the invention uses liquid coolant as an intermediary that provides effective separation without blocking the flow path. The liquid film on the chamber wall captures foreign matters while maintaining open flow paths
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the filter element from the system and replaces it with a liquid-coolant-based separation mechanism. This eliminates the need for large flow-path area while maintaining separation efficiency through liquid-coolant-mediated foreign matter capture
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
This design achieves effective separation of liquid droplets and dust from air with high separation performance in a small-sized filter, maintaining efficiency even with varying air flow velocities without enlarging the filter size.
Implementation Method 1
swirling the air supplied from the primary port and inflowing into the swirl flow generating chamber (24) in the axial direction for removing the foreign matter by causing the foreign matters contained in the air attached to the inner peripheral surface of the separation cylindrical unit
Implementation Method 2
a swirl flow generating chamber having a cylindrical shape communicated with the primary port
Data Source
AI summary
This filter is used for purifying air by removing foreign matters such as liquid droplets contained in the air. A separation unit is formed by a primary port, a port block to which a secondary port is formed, and a separation cylinder attached to the port block. Inside a swirl flow generating chamber of the separation unit, a cylinder blade portion formed by arranging a plurality of blades, which are extended in an axial direction along an inner peripheral surface and also inclined in a circumferential direction, in a cylindrical form is provided. The air flowed into the swirl flow generating chamber is caused to be a swirl flow by the cylindrical blade portion and foreign matters such as liquid droplets are discharged toward a collection container in a separation chamber. The purified air is guided from a discharge pipe to the secondary port.