Powered air cleaning system and air cleaning method

An air cleaning method comprising:

• drawing particulate debris laden air into an air cleaning system with a motor-driven fan located in the system;
• forming a rotating flow of the debris laden air about an axis in a separator-ejector chamber of the system at a positive pressure to stratify the flow with the heaviest particles in the outermost orbits of the rotating flow;
• aerodynamically redirecting clean air from the innermost orbits of the stratified rotating flow in the separator-ejector chamber toward an outlet located centrally within the downstream end of the chamber to provide a positive airflow pressure out of the outlet;
• returning particulate debris laden air from the stratified rotating flow in the system to the environment.

A powered air cleaning system for supplying clean air with a positive airflow pressure out of an outlet of the system to an air inlet of a device with which the system is used, the system comprising:

• a flow path extending through the system from an inlet to an outlet;
• a motor-driven fan located along the flow path to draw particulate debris laden air into the inlet and rotate it about an axis to form a rotating flow that stratifies the debris laden air with the heaviest particles in the outermost orbits of the rotating flow;
• a compression assembly located along the flow path downstream of said fan, the compression assembly including a plurality of stationary vanes in the flow path for compressing the volume of the rotating flow of debris laden air to increase the air velocity and centrifugal force acting on the airborne particles;
• an ejector port for ejecting particulate debris laden air from the stratified rotating flow in the system;
• means extending along the flow path from a location upstream of the eject port for aerodynamically redirecting clean air from the innermost orbits of the stratified rotating flow toward the outlet;
• wherein the motor-driven fan includes a variable speed motor and an integrated controller for adjusting the speed of the motor and thereby the flow rate of clean air through the outlet of the system.

A powered air cleaning system for supplying clean air with a positive airflow pressure to an air inlet of an internal combustion engine having variable airflow requirements during operation of the engine;

• the system comprising:
• a flow path extending through the system from an inlet to an outlet in communication with the air inlet of the engine;
• a motor-driven fan located along the flow path to draw particulate debris laden air into the inlet and rotate it about an axis to form a rotating flow that stratifies the debris laden air with the heaviest particles in the outermost orbits of the rotating flow;
• a separator-ejector chamber in the flow path downstream of the motor-driven fan, the outermost orbits of the rotating flow riding on an outer wall of the separator-ejector chamber;
• an ejector port located at a downstream end of the chamber for ejecting particulate debris laden air from the stratified rotating flow in the system;
• means extending along the flow path from a location upstream of the ejector port for aerodynamically redirecting clean air from the innermost orbits of the stratified rotating flow toward the outlet to provide a positive airflow pressure out of the outlet to the air inlet of the engine;
• wherein the motor-driven fan includes a variable speed motor and an integrated controller for adjusting the speed of the motor and thereby the flow rate of clean air through the outlet of the system to the air inlet of the engine;
• the system further including means for signaling the controller as a function of the airflow requirements of the engine for varying the speed of the motor and thereby the flow rate of clean air through the outlet to the air inlet of the engine in accordance with the airflow requirements.

A powered air cleaning system for supplying clean air to an air inlet of a ventilation system having variable airflow requirements during operation of the ventilation system, the air cleaning system comprising:

• a flow path extending through the air cleaning system from an inlet to an outlet in communication with the air inlet of the ventilation system;
• a motor-driven fan located along the flow path to draw particulate debris laden air into the air cleaning system inlet and rotate it about an axis to form a rotating flow that stratifies the debris laden air with the heaviest particles in the outermost orbits of the rotating flow;
• a separator-ejector chamber in the flow path downstream of the motor-driven fan, the outermost orbits of the rotating flow riding on an outer wall of the separator-ejector chamber;
• an ejector port located at a downstream end of the chamber for ejecting particulate debris laden air from the stratified rotating flow in the air cleaning system;
• means extending along the flow path from a location upstream of the ejector port for aerodynamically directing clean air from the innermost orbits of the stratified rotating flow toward the outlet to provide a positive airflow pressure out of the outlet to the air inlet of the ventilation system;
• wherein the motor driven fan includes a variable speed motor and an integrated controller for adjusting the speed of the motor and thereby the flow rate of clean air through the outlet of the air cleaning system to the ventilation system air inlet;
• the air cleaning system further including means for signaling the controller as a function of the airflow requirements of the ventilation system for varying the speed of the motor and thereby the flow rate of clean air through the outlet to the air inlet of the ventilation system in accordance with the airflow requirements.