Powered low restriction air precleaner device and method for providing a clean air flow to an apparatus such as a combustion engine air intake, engine cooling system, ventilation system and cab air intake system

A powered low restriction air precleaner device for centrifugally ejecting heavier-than-air particulate debris from debris laden air to provide a clean air flow to an apparatus, said air precleaner device comprising:

• a fan located in said device for drawing debris laden air into said device, said fan including a fan blade and a motor for rotating said fan blade;
• means for spinning the debris laden air drawn into the air precleaner device to form a rotating flow pattern about a longitudinal axis of said air precleaner device that stratifies the debris laden air with the most massive particulates of debris in the outermost orbits of the rotating flow pattern of debris laden air;
• ejection means for ejecting debris from the rotating flow of the debris laden air in the air precleaner device to clean the air;
• an air outlet for flowing the cleaned air from the device to said apparatus;
• and
• primary and secondary separation chambers arranged successively in said device wherein in each of said primary and secondary separation chambers the debris in the outer strata of the rotating flow pattern is trapped and ejected from the device by way of said ejection means while the cleaner inner portion of the rotating flow is forced to exit the separation chamber as it flows toward said air outlet of the device, said primary and secondary separation chambers each having a larger volume than an upstream section of said device and being configured for mechanically forcing the air flowing therein to decelerate and then move radially inward with respect to said longitudinal axis before exiting said chamber while the debris in said rotating flow pattern not being decelerated as efficiently in said separation chambers as the air therein and being separated from the air flowing from said separation chambers toward said air outlet of the device, the separated debris continuing in an orbital flow pattern where it is collected for ejection from said device in an appendage area of said separation chambers isolated from the cleaned air flowing from said separation chambers toward said air outlet of the device.

An apparatus for providing a flow of clean air, the apparatus comprising, in combination, a powered low restriction air precleaner device for centrifugally ejecting heavier-than-air particulate debris from debris laden air to provide a clean air flow to an air outlet of the device, and an arrangement including means for applying a suction to the air outlet of the device for assisting drawing the debris laden air into the air precleaner device, wherein said air precleaner device comprises:

• a fan located in said device for drawing debris laden air into said device, said fan including a fan blade and a motor for rotating said fan blade;
• means for spinning the debris laden air drawn into the air precleaner device to form a rotating flow pattern about a longitudinal axis of said air precleaner device that stratifies the debris laden air with the most massive particulate of debris in the outermost orbits of the rotating flow pattern of debris laden air;
• means for ejecting debris from the rotating flow of the debris laden air in the air precleaner device back to the ambient conditions of the environment of the air precleaner device to clean the rotating flow of air in the device;
• and
• primary and secondary separation chambers arranged along a flow path for the debris laden air drawn into said device wherein in said primary and secondary separation chambers the debris in the outer strata of the rotating flow pattern is trapped and ejected from the device while the cleaner inner portion of the rotating flow is forced to exit the separation chamber as it flows toward said air outlet of the device, said primary and secondary separation chambers each having a larger volume than an upstream section of said device and being configured for mechanically forcing the air flowing therein to decelerate and then move radially inward with respect to said longitudinal axis before exiting said chamber while the debris in said rotating flow pattern not being decelerated as efficiently in said separation chambers as the air therein and being separated from the air flowing from said separation chambers toward said air outlet of the device, the separated debris continuing in an orbital flow pattern where it is collected for ejection from said device in an appendage area of said separation chambers isolated from the cleaned air flowing from said separation chambers toward said air outlet of the device.

A powered low restriction air precleaner device for centrifugally ejecting heavier-than-air particulate debris from debris laden air to provide a clean air flow from an outlet of the precleaner device to an apparatus, said air precleaner device comprising:

• a fan located in said device for drawing debris laden air into said device and rotating the debris laden air to form a rotating flow pattern about a longitudinal axis of said air precleaner device that stratifies the debris laden air with the most massive particulates of debris in the outermost orbits of the rotating flow pattern of debris laden air, said fan including a fan blade and a motor for rotating said fan blade;
• and
• primary and secondary separation chambers arranged along a flow path for the debris laden air drawn into said device wherein in each of said primary and secondary separation chambers the debris in the outer strata of the rotating flow pattern is trapped in an appendage area of said separation chamber and ejected from the device while the cleaner inner portion of the rotating flow is forced to exit the separation chamber as it flows toward said air outlet of the device, said primary and secondary separation chambers each being configured for mechanically forcing the air flowing therein to decelerate and then move radially inward with respect to said longitudinal axis before exiting said chamber while the debris in said rotating flow pattern not being decelerated as efficiently in said separation chambers as the air therein and being separated from the air flowing from said separation chambers toward said air outlet of the device, the separated debris continuing in an orbital flow pattern where it is collected for ejection from said device in said appendage areas of said separation chambers isolated from the cleaned air flowing from said separation chambers toward said air outlet of the device.

A method for centrifugally ejecting heavier-than-air particulate debris from debris laden air for providing clean air to an apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

• drawing debris laden air into an air precleaner device with a fan located in the device;
• spinning the debris laden air in the air precleaner device to form a rotating flow pattern about a longitudinal axis of said air precleaner device that stratifies the debris laden air with the most massive particles of debris in the outermost orbits of the rotating flow pattern of debris laden air;
• ejecting debris in the rotating flow pattern of debris laden air in the air precleaner device from the air precleaner device to clean the air;
• and
• flowing cleaned air to an air outlet of said device;
• and said method including flowing the rotating air flow pattern into a separation chamber in said device wherein the debris in the outer strata of the rotating air flow pattern is trapped and ejected from the device while the cleaner inner portion of the rotating flow is mechanically forced to decelerate and move radially inward to exit the separation chamber as it flows toward said air outlet of the device, and reaccelerating the cleaned air flow exiting said separation chamber to induce momentum forces to any remaining debris in said cleaned air flow and performing a further deceleration of said cleaned air flow and separation of remaining debris therefrom before flowing the cleaned air to said air outlet of the device.