Liquid Filter Ventilation Channel Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid filters for fuel systems face inefficiencies due to air accumulation, which can lead to rust formation, misfires, and engine impairment, as traditional ventilation systems only remove air when opened and can be blocked by particles, reducing filter efficiency and risking unfiltered liquid discharge.
Innovation Solution
A liquid filter design with a ventilation channel integrated into the filter housing, connecting the clean side to the discharge channel, allowing controlled air breakup and discharge, preventing particle transfer and pressure pulsations, and ensuring reliable venting without additional moving parts or complex devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If a traditional ventilation device is provided on the upper side of the liquid filter, then air can be removed when the vent is opened, but the filter efficiency is reduced if the ventilation device is not opened for a long time since large parts of the filter surfaces are covered with air
Solution Approach 1:
A vent channel is introduced as an intermediary structure that provides a dedicated pathway for air to escape from the filter housing through the discharge channel, preventing air from covering filter surfaces while maintaining continuous filtration efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The ventilation function is segmented from the main filter element, with the vent channel providing a separate airflow path that allows air removal without interfering with the filtration process, enabling continuous operation without manual venting
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a ventilation channel is arranged on the raw side to remove air, then air can be vented, but unfiltered liquid may get into the discharge channel and particles can be transferred
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing the vent channel on the raw side where unfiltered liquid flows, the vent channel is inverted to open into the discharge channel on the clean side, ensuring that only filtered liquid and air bubbles are present in the venting pathway, eliminating particle transfer risk
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge channel serves as an intermediary zone that receives both filtered liquid and air bubbles, allowing the vent channel to discharge air safely without exposing downstream components to particles, as the discharge channel already contains only filtered fluid
3Object-generated harmful factors
If a ventilation device with moving parts is provided, then air can be removed, but the device complexity increases and reliability decreases due to potential blockages and maintenance requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The vent channel provides passive, automatic air venting through its geometric design that allows air bubbles to rise and escape naturally via buoyancy, eliminating the need for active mechanical components, sensors, or control systems while maintaining continuous operation
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical ventilation system with moving parts is replaced by a geometrically-designed passive vent channel that uses natural buoyancy forces to remove air, substituting mechanical complexity with simple fluid dynamics
4Manufacturing precision
If additional particle filters are arranged on the ventilation channel to prevent particle transfer, then particle contamination is prevented, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding complex filtration components to the vent channel, the approach is inverted by positioning the vent channel to open into the discharge channel where only filtered liquid is present, eliminating particle contamination risk without additional filters
Solution Approach 2:
The need for additional particle filters on the vent channel is extracted/eliminated by redesigning the vent channel location and orientation, separating the venting function from the raw side and placing it where particle filtration is already ensured by the main filter element
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
The solution effectively reduces air bubbles to harmless sizes, prevents particle transfer, and ensures reliable venting over the filter's lifespan, maintaining component integrity and simplifying production and maintenance, while being robust against mechanical stresses and temperature fluctuations.
Implementation Method 1
air that has accumulated on the clean side of the liquid filter can be broken up into small bubbles and discharged into the discharge channel in a controlled manner via the ventilation channel
Implementation Method 2
a filter element which is arranged inside the filter housing. There, the filter element separates a clean side, on which the liquid that has been cleaned of particles
Implementation Method 3
a discharge channel which is arranged on the outside of the filter housing and which is connected in a fluid-conducting manner to the clean side via an outlet channel
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b~1c
Figure 2a
AI summary
The invention relates to a liquid filter (100) for filtering particles from a liquid, comprising a filter housing (200) and a filter element (300) arranged inside (202) the filter housing (200), separating a clean side (310) from a clean side (320). The filter housing (200) has a discharge channel (400) arranged on the outside (204) of the filter housing (200), which is fluid-conductingly connected to the clean side (310) via an outlet channel (220) formed in a first wall (210) of the filter housing (200).In order to enable continuous venting of air contained in the liquid, which may accumulate in the filter housing (200), it is provided that at least one venting channel (500) is arranged in the first wall (210) of the filter housing (200) adjacent to the outlet channel (220), wherein the at least one venting channel (500) connects the clean side (310) inside (202) of the filter housing (200) with the discharge channel (400).