Modular cyclone precleaner system and method

A modular cyclone precleaner system comprising:

• a precleaner housing including
• a first housing half having a plurality of openings;
• and
• a second housing half having a plurality of openings;
• wherein said housing halves are mated together forming said precleaner housing, said mated housing halves forming a particulate collection chamber within said precleaner housing and a particulate outlet extending from said particulate collection chamber to an exterior of said precleaner housing;
• wherein said housing halves are symmetric and interchangeable with each other, enabling said halves to be produced by a shared mold tool;
• at least one modular cyclone block installable into one or more of said openings of said precleaner housing, each of said modular cyclone blocks including
• an upstream support plate installed onto said first housing half covering one of said a plurality of openings of said first housing half, said upstream support plate including
• a plurality of first cyclone block halves secured to said upstream support plate;
• a downstream support plate installed onto said second housing half covering one of said a plurality of openings of said second housing half, said downstream support plate including
• a plurality of second cyclone block halves secured to said downstream support plate, each of said second cyclone block halves including a clean air takeoff tube;
• wherein said clean air takeoff tubes of said second cyclone block halves are received into an interior of respective ones of said first cyclone block halves;
• wherein said first cyclone block halves of said upstream support plate with said second cyclone block halves of said downstream support plate cooperate to form a plurality of cyclone separator cells, each of said cyclone separator cells having a particulate discharge port for particulates removed from an intake gas stream;
• wherein said precleaner housing is configured to capture particulates from said discharge ports.