Precleaner system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11118545-B2
Application number	US-201916365286-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2019
Priority date	Mar 26, 2019
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

A precleaner system for an air intake system. The precleaner system includes precleaners each having flow paths that induce a rotation to air flow and separate out particulate matter. The particulate matter is ejected from an outlet port in each of the flow paths and out of a dust ejector. The precleaned air is collected into a plenum from each of the precleaners. The precleaned air can flow from the plenum to a precleaner system outlet and the precleaned air can be received by an air intake system. A cover can be used to block air flow through one of the precleaners to tune the precleaner system to the desired airflow.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A precleaner system for precleaning intake air for an air intake system, the precleaner system comprising:
a plurality of cyclonic precleaners, each precleaner including
a precleaner outlet wall, having a plurality of precleaner outlets extending through the precleaner outlet wall, each precleaner outlet in fluid communication with the intake air;

a housing extending between each precleaner and formed to position the plurality of precleaners in a predetermined relationship to each other;
a plenum formed by the housing and the precleaner outlet wall from each of the plurality of precleaners, the plenum in fluid communication with the plurality of precleaner outlets;
a system outlet in the shape of a hollow cylinder extending away from the housing and in fluid communication with the plenum;
a first cover formed to completely block intake air from passing through one of the plurality of precleaners; and
wherein each of the plurality of cyclonic precleaners further includes clips disposed proximate to the precleaner outlet wall and formed to connect each of the plurality of cyclonic precleaners to the housing.

2. The precleaner system of claim 1 , wherein the precleaner system further comprises a second cover formed to block intake air from passing through a plurality of precleaner outlets of at least one of the plurality of precleaners.

3. The precleaner system of claim 1 , wherein plurality of precleaners comprises at least three precleaners.

4. The precleaner system of claim 1 , wherein each precleaner further comprises a dust ejector having a valve.

5. The precleaner system of claim 4 , wherein the valve is a flap valve.

6. The precleaner system of claim 1 , wherein the each precleaner further comprises a flap valve.

7. A precleaner system to remove particulate matter from intake air for an air intake system, the precleaner system comprising:
a first cyclonic precleaner including
a first precleaner intake, having
a first intake wall, and
a plurality of first flow paths extending through the first intake wall, each flow path having a first outlet port disposed opposite from the first intake wall,

a first precleaner outlet wall having a plurality of first precleaner outlets extending through the first precleaner outlet wall and into the plurality of first flow paths, the plurality of first precleaner outlets in fluid communication with the plurality of first flow paths, and
a first dust ejector in fluid communication with each first outlet port, having a first valve disposed opposite from the first outlet port;

a second cyclonic precleaner having
a second precleaner intake, having
a second intake wall, and
a plurality of second flow paths extending through the second intake wall, each second flow path having a second outlet port disposed opposite from the second intake wall,

a second precleaner outlet wall having a plurality of second precleaner outlets extending through the second precleaner outlet wall and into the plurality of second flow paths, the plurality of second precleaner outlets in fluid communication with the plurality of second flow paths, and
a second dust ejector in fluid communication with each second outlet port having a second valve disposed opposite from the first outlet port;

a third cyclonic precleaner having
a third precleaner intake having
a third intake wall, and
third flow paths extending through the second intake wall, each having a third outlet port disposed opposite from the third intake wall,

a third precleaner outlet wall having a plurality of third precleaner outlets extending through the third precleaner outlet wall and into the plurality of second flow paths, the plurality of third precleaner outlets in fluid communication with the third flow path, and
a third dust ejector in fluid communication with each third outlet port and having a third valve disposed opposite from the second outlet port;

a housing extending between the first precleaner, second precleaner, and third precleaner, and formed to receive a portion of the first precleaner, the second precleaner, and the third precleaner;
a plenum in fluid communication with the plurality of first precleaner outlets, the plurality of second precleaner outlets, and the plurality of third precleaner outlets;
a precleaner system outlet disposed downstream of the plenum, in the shape of a hollow cylinder extending away from the plenum and in fluid communication with the plenum;
a first cover formed to completely block at least one of the plurality of first flow paths, the plurality of second flow paths, and the plurality of third flow paths; and
wherein the first precleaner, second precleaner, and third precleaner further comprise clips disposed proximate to the first intake wall, second intake wall, and third intake wall, the clips formed to connect the first intake wall, second intake wall, and third intake wall, to their respective first precleaner, second precleaner, and third precleaner.

8. The precleaner system of claim 7 , wherein the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve, each comprise a flap valve.

9. The precleaner system of claim 7 , wherein the precleaner system further comprising a second cover formed to replace at least one of the first precleaner intake, the second precleaner intake, and third precleaner intake and block at least one of the plurality of first precleaner outlets, plurality of second precleaner outlets, and plurality of third intake outlets.

10. The precleaner system of claim 7 , wherein the first cover includes a clip formed to connect to at least one of the first precleaner, second precleaner, and third precleaner.

11. A method for tuning intake airflow through the precleaner system of claim 7 , the method comprising:
determining the intake airflow requirement of the engine; and
tuning the intake airflow speed with regards to a determined intake airflow requirement by completely blocking airflow through at least one of the plurality of precleaners.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the intake airflow requirement of the engine is dependent on a size of particulate matter in the environmental air.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the intake airflow requirement of the engine is dependent on a quantity of particulate matter in the environmental air.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the intake airflow requirement of the engine is dependent on a composition of particulate matter in the environmental air.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein tuning the intake airflow speed with regards to a determined intake airflow requirement by blocking airflow through at least one of the plurality of precleaners includes blocking the plurality of precleaner outlets of at least one precleaner of the plurality of precleaners with a cover.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein tuning the intake airflow speed with regards to a determined intake airflow requirement by blocking airflow through at least one of the plurality of precleaners includes blocking the plurality of flow paths of at least one precleaner of the plurality of precleaners with a cover.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Finn Timothy

Classifications

• B01D50/20

  Combinations of devices covered by groups B01D45/00 and B01D46/00 · CPC title

• B01D45/16

  generated by the winding course of the gas stream {, the centrifugal forces being generated solely or partly by mechanical means, e.g. fixed swirl vanes} · CPC title

• B01D46/527

  in wound arrangement · CPC title

• F02M35/10386

  for flow rate (air flow meters in air cleaners F02M35/021; circuit arrangements for generating control signals by measuring intake air flow F02D41/18) · CPC title

• F02M35/044

  Special arrangements of cleaners in or with respect to the air intake system, e.g. in the intake plenum, in ducts or with respect to carburettors · CPC title