Separating device, an internal combustion engine and centrifugal separator assembly and a method of separating contaminants from crankcase gas

An internal combustion engine and centrifugal separator assembly for separating contaminants in the form of liquid and/or solid particles from crankcase gas which is produced during operation of the engine, wherein a crankcase of the engine is connected to the centrifugal separator comprising:

• a centrifugal rotor with a plurality of separation discs for separating the particles from the crankcase gas;
• a rotor housing delimiting a separation space in which the centrifugal rotor is arranged to rotate about a rotational axis during operation;
• a gas inlet which is connected to the crankcase and arranged to conduct crankcase gas, which is to be cleaned, to a central part of the centrifugal rotor;
• a gas outlet which is arranged to communicate with a part of the separation space surrounding the centrifugal rotor and to conduct cleaned crankcase gas out of the separation space;
• a particle outlet which is arranged to communicate with the part of the separation space surrounding the centrifugal rotor and to drain the separated particles out of the separation space, space;
• and
• a collector for the separated particles,
• wherein the particle outlet is connected to said collector, and wherein the collector is configured to communicate with the gas inlet via a connection to provide a pressure difference between the collector and the particle outlet, whereby the separated particles are drawn out of the particle outlet and into the collector during operation of the centrifugal separator, the collector being connected to the crankcase to drain the collected particles to the crankcase.

A method of separating contaminants in the faun of liquid and/or solid particles in crankcase gas which is produced during operation of an internal combustion engine, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

• conducting the crankcase gas from a crankcase of the engine to a centrifugal separator comprising a centrifugal rotor with a plurality of separation discs for separating the particles from the crankcase gas, the centrifugal rotor being rotated about a rotational axis in a separation space which is delimited by a rotor housing, wherein the crankcase gas which is to be cleaned is conducted to a central part of the centrifugal rotor through a gas inlet which is connected to the crankcase, the cleaned crankcase gas being conducted out of the separation space through a gas outlet which is arranged to communicate with a part of the separation space surrounding the centrifugal rotor, and wherein the separated particles is drained out of the separation space through a particle outlet which is arranged to communicate with the part of the separation space surrounding the centrifugal rotor;
• and
• draining the separated particles from the particle outlet to a collector for the separated particles, the collector communicating with the gas inlet via a connection to provide a pressure difference between the collector and the particle outlet, whereby the separated particles are drawn out of the particle outlet and into the collector during operation of the centrifugal separator, and wherein the collected particles in the collector is drained to the crankcase which is connected to the collector.