Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1049987
BAC~GROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional fluid filters, such as oil filters, are
basically mechanical strainers which include a filter pack element
having pores which trap and segregate dirt from the fluid. Since
the flow through the filter is a function of the pore size,
filter flow will decrease as the filter pack becomes clogged
with dirt. Since the filtration system must remove dirt at the
same rate at which it enters the oil, a clogged conventional
pack cannot process enough oil to keep the dirt level of the
oil at a satisfactorily low level.
A further disadvantage of some mechanical strainer
type filters is that they tend to remove oil additives. Further-
more, the additives may be depleted to some extent by acting
upon trapped dirt in the filter and are rendered ineffective
for their intended purpose on working 5urfaces in an engine.
Prior art centrifugal filters have been proposed which
do not act as mechanical strainers but, rather, remove contaminant
from a 1uid by centrifuging. Such a filter is shown in ~.S.
patent No. 2,650,022, granted to Fulton et al. In the Fùlton et
al patent there is illustrated a hollow rotor which is rotata~ly
mounted on a spindle. The spindle has an axial passageway which
conducts oil into the interior of the rotor. Tangentially directe I
outlet ports are provided in the rotor so that the rotor is
rotated upon issuance of the fluid therefrom. Solids, such as
dirt, are centrifuged to the sidewalls of the rotor and the dirt
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~ay be later removed by disassembling the rotor and scraping the
filter cake from the sidewalls. Although oil additives are not cen-
trifuged to the sidewalls of the rotor, the oil additives may become
depleted by normal usage in the engine lubrication system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides a centrifugal separator for re-
moving contaminants from oil and for supplying an oil additive to
the oil at a predetermined rate which is a function of the degree to
which oil is pumped through the filter and, therefore, relatable to
the degree to which oil additives are depleted from the oil during
use.
In one particular aspect the present invention provides a
centrifugal separator for separating contaminants from contaminated
fluids and for supplying an additive to the fluids, comprising
shroud means defining a first chamber, a vertically extending spin-
dle within said shroud means and having a hollow rotor mounted there-
on for axial rotation within said shroud means, sald hollow rotor
defining a second chamber for receiving contaminated fluids to be
~ 20 separated, fluid inlet means through said spindle for conducting
; such contaminated fluids to said second chamber, means to rotate
said rotor and thereby cause said contaminants in contaminated
` fluids within said second chamber to migrate toward a sidewall of
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said second chamber under the influence of centrifugal force and to
be separated from such contaminated fluids, said means to rotate said
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rotor comprising tangentially mounted outlet port means on said rotor
to cause said rotor to rotate upon discharge of fluid from said
second chamber to said first chamber, an oil additive block mounted
in said first chamber and being radially spaced from said outlet
port means, said block comprising an oil additive whereby as said
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10~9987
fluid is discharged from said outlet port means it will impinge
upon said block to thereby progressively ablate said additive and
mix the additive with said fluld.
~RIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The single figure of the drawing is a cross sectional
view of a centrifugal separator according to this invention.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TIIE INVEN~ION
¦ Referring now to the drawing, there is illustrated a
l centrifugal separator 10. The separator 10 includes a base 11
¦ having an annular wall 12 and a flanged foot structure 13 which
defines an outlet port 14. The foot structure 13 is adapted to
be connected to an engine or other mechanism to be lubricated
by bolting the flanged foot structure 13 to a valve cover, an
oil filler tube, the crankc~se, or side plates or hand holes
with suitable fittings (not shown). A cup-shaped shroud 15 is
telescoped onto the upper edge of the wall 12 and is sealed
¦relative to the wall by a gasket 16 which is compressed between
a recess 17 of the shroud and the upper edge 18 of the wall 12.
¦ The shroud 15 is clamped to the base by bolts (not shown) which
I project throu~h bosses (not shown) on the shroud 15 and the wall
: ¦12. The shroud 15 and the base 11 define a first chamber 19
I ¦ which is in fluid communication with the outlet port 14. An
¦ inlet port 20 is bored into the base 11 and communicates with an
¦ axial passageway 21 bored in a vertical spindle 22 by way of a
passageway 23 in the base 11. A plurality of outlet ports 24
are provided in the passageway 21. An isolating valve 25 is pro-
¦ vided between the inlet port 20 and the passageway 23 and is adapte Ito cut off flow to the filter if the supply pressure drops below
. ¦ 15 psi to assure the maximum oil flow to the engine under start-up
. ¦and low idle speed conditions.
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¦ The lower end of the spindle 22 is provided with a thrust
¦ bearing 26 which is press-fitted onto the end of the spindle and is
received within a bore 27 in the base 13. The other end of the
spindle 22 is provided with a thrust bearing 28 and a bushing 28a
¦which is press-fitted onto the end of the spindle and is received
¦within a bore 29 in the shroud 15.
¦ Carried by the vertical spindle 22 and fixed thereto
¦by a key 30 is a rotor assembly 31 which consists of an upper
body section 32 and a lower body section 33. The body sections
~32 and 33 are clamped together by a nut 34 threaded onto the
I upper end of the spindle 22 and are sealed by a gasket 35.
¦ Oil is fed into a second chamber 36 within the rotor
31 through the passageways 24 and egresses through reaction
¦ nozzles 37 provided at the lower end of the rotor. In order
¦ to reach the reaction nozzles 37, the oil must pass through
standpipes 38 within the rotor. The inlet ends of the standpipes
¦ 38 are covered with screens 39 which prevent large particles of
contaminants from plugging the nozzles 37. Since oil under
¦ pressure substantially fills the second chamber 36, the upper
I bearings 28 and28a are lubricated by oil passing through an inlet
¦ port 40 in the spindle 22 and then through an axial passageway 41.
¦ Oil is expelled from the second chamber 36 through the tangenti-
I ally mounted outlet ports 37 and, since those ports are oppositely
directed, they cause the rotor 31 to rotate according to the
¦ principle of Hero's engine.
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As the rotor 31 rotates, suspended solids migrate to
and are retained at the sidewalls of the rotor with a force which
is dependent upon the running oil pressure of the engine, which
is typically between 50 and 80 psi for a diesel engine. The
rotor speed usually exceeds 5000 r.p.m. and the force on the dirt
particles exceeds 1800 gs. In time, the dirt particles and sludge
form a rubbery mass at the rotor sidewalls. This mass ma~ be
removed from time to time by disassembling the rotor sections
32 and 33.
According to this invention, there is provided an oil
additive block 42 which comprises an oil additive or additives
dispersed in a binder matrix and which rests on a ledge 43 cast
into the base 11. The oil additives may be conventional additives
such as zinc dioctyl dithiophosphate and calcium and magnesium
phenolates an~/or sulfonates. The binder may comprise a porous
ceramic, spun fibers, or filaments such as spun glass fibers with
a suitable resin binder, or an open-celled foamed polymer. As
the oil issues from the nozzle 37, it strikes the additive block
to thereby ablate the additive and mix the additive with the oil.
It should be appreciated that the additives are mixed with the oil
only when needed and at a rate which is a function of the rate
of oil flow to the engine.
While the invention has been described in connection
with specific embodiments thereof, it is to be clearly understood
that this is done only by way of example, and not as a limitation
to the scope of the invention as set forth in the objects thereof
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l and in the appended claim8.
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