Pump filter with predetermined swirl

A filter assembly, wherein the filter assembly is monolithic and comprises:

• a filter housing having a tubular shape with an inlet aperture boundary at an inlet end and an outlet aperture boundary at an outlet end;
• a lattice filter that is integrally formed with the filter housing via an additive manufacturing (AM) process, the lattice filter being located between the inlet aperture boundary and the outlet aperture boundary, the lattice filter comprising:
• a lattice filter body extending from a filter inlet end to a filter outlet end, the lattice filter having a lattice structure;
• and
• one or more passageways within the lattice filter body,
• wherein each of the one or more passageways includes a passageway inlet located at the filter inlet end and a passageway outlet located at the filter outlet end,
• wherein each of the one or more passageways extend from the passageway inlet to the passageway outlet;
• wherein each of the one or more passageways are a corkscrew passageway formed by a corkscrew wall that spirals around a central longitudinal axis A of the lattice filter body between the passageway inlet and the passageway outlet, the central longitudinal axis extends down a center of the lattice filter body from the filter inlet end to the filter outlet end;
• and
• wherein the corkscrew wall is solid.

A method of manufacturing a filter housing and lattice filter for a filter assembly, wherein the filter housing and lattice filter are monolithic, the method comprising:

• defining a filter housing as a tubular shape with an inlet aperture boundary at an inlet end, and an outlet aperture boundary at an outlet end;
• defining a lattice filter between the inlet aperture boundary and the outlet aperture boundary;
• and
• performing an additive manufacturing (AM) process to additively manufacture the filter housing and the lattice filter such that the lattice filter is integral with the filter housing,
• the lattice filter comprising:
• a lattice filter body extending from a filter inlet end to a filter outlet end, the lattice filter having a lattice structure;
• and
• one or more passageways within the lattice filter body,
• wherein each of the one or more passageways includes a passageway inlet located at the filter inlet end and a passageway outlet located at the filter outlet end,
• wherein each of the one or more passageways extend from the passageway inlet to the passageway outlet;
• wherein each of the one or more passageways are a corkscrew passageway formed by a corkscrew wall that spirals around a central longitudinal axis A of the lattice filter body between the passageway inlet and the passageway outlet, the central longitudinal axis extends down a center of the lattice filter body from the filter inlet end to the filter outlet end;
• and
• wherein the corkscrew wall is solid.