Oil separator
OwnerBen Husband, Luke Scottinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a device for separating oil from crankcase blow-by gases such as gases that leak past the piston rings of an internal combustion engine, from the combustion chambers into the crankcase, and also to a method of separating oil from such crankcase blow-by gases.
Claims22
A device for separating oil from crankcase blow-by gases, the device comprising:
- a housing;
- an inlet arranged to admit the blow-by gases into the housing;
- a first outlet arranged to permit oil separated from the blow-by-gases to exit the housing;
- a second outlet arranged to permit gases having an oil content lower than that of the admitted blow-by-gases to exit the housing;
- and
- a passageway in the housing, the passageway having a first end proximate to the inlet, and a second end distal from the first end and proximate to the second outlet;
- wherein the passageway comprises a plurality of baffles, successive ones of at least some of the baffles extending from alternate ones of first and second walls of the passageway, towards a respective other one of the first and second walls, the baffles being angled at least partly against a direction of flow within the passageway, said direction being from the inlet to the second outlet.
The device of any preceding claim wherein the second outlet is positioned closer to the roof than to the base.
The device of any preceding claim wherein the passageway comprises sequentially arranged first and second portions.
The device of any preceding claim wherein a tip of each baffle forms a pinch point with the adjacent opposing one of the first and second walls.
The device of any preceding claim wherein the base comprises an oil drain channel for conveying separated oil to the first outlet.
The device of any preceding claim wherein the roof comprises at least one portion that slopes downwards to encourage oil droplets that have accumulated on the roof to be returned to the base by gravitational action.
The device of any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the pinch points is preceded in the passageway by a gas redirection feature.
A motor vehicle, such as a motor car, which includes a device as specified in any of the preceding claims.
A method of separating oil from crankcase blow-by gases, the method comprising:
- admitting blow-by gases into a passageway in a housing via an inlet, the passageway having a first end proximate to the inlet, a first outlet, and a second end distal from the first end and proximate to a second outlet;
- passing the blow-by-gases past a plurality of baffles disposed in the passageway, successive ones of at least some of the baffles extending from alternate ones of the first and second walls of the passageway, towards a respective other one of the first and second walls, the baffles being angled at least partly against a direction of flow within the passageway, said direction being from the inlet to the second outlet, such that oil is separated from the blow-by-gases;
- permitting oil separated from the blow-by-gases to exit the housing via the first outlet;
- and
- permitting gases having an oil content lower than that of the admitted blow-by-gases to exit the housing via the second outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.