Crankcase oil separator for internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12497912-B2
Application number	US-202318092502-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2023
Priority date	Jan 3, 2023
Publication date	Dec 16, 2025
Grant date	Dec 16, 2025

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems and methods are disclosed including apparatus for separating oil from a blow-by gas of an engine. The apparatus can include an outer housing, an inner housing, a filter, one or more ports, a first cover and a second cover. The inner housing can be positioned within the outer housing and defines an inner cavity. The inner housing and the outer housing can form a jacket therebetween. The filter configured to separate the oil from the blow-by gas positioned within the inner cavity. The one or more ports can be configured for fluid communication with the jacket. The first cover can have at least a first port therein to receive the blow-by gas or allow the blow-by gas to pass from the first cover. The second cover can have a second port therein to receive the blow-by gas or allow the blow-by gas to pass from the second cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for separating oil from a blow-by gas of an engine comprising:
an outer housing; an inner housing positioned within the outer housing, wherein the inner housing defines an inner cavity, and wherein the inner housing and the outer housing form a jacket therebetween; a filter positioned within the inner cavity and configured to separate the oil from the blow-by gas; one or more ports configured for fluid communication with the jacket; a first cover connected to at least the outer housing at a first end portion thereof, wherein the first cover is in fluid communication with the filter via a first manifold defined by the first cover, and wherein the first cover has at least a first port therein to receive the blow-by gas or allow the blow-by gas to pass from the first cover; and a second cover connected to at least the outer housing at a second end portion thereof, wherein the second cover is in fluid communication with the filter via a second manifold defined by the second cover, and wherein the second cover has at least a second port therein to receive the blow-by gas or allow the blow-by gas to pass from the second cover.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first cover or a second cover has a passageway formed therein, wherein the passageway has an outlet port and the passageway is configured to receive the oil captured by the filter and passes the oil as a drainage out of the apparatus at the outlet port.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more ports are formed by the outer housing.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first port or the second port comprise a plurality of ports positioned on two or more faces of the first cover or the second cover, and wherein the plurality of ports communicate with one of the first manifold or the second manifold.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of ports include a single port at one of the two or more faces and two or more ports at a second of the two or more faces.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first cover or the second cover is an assembly that includes a main body, an insulative material and a service plug, wherein the service plug is removable from the main body to allow for access to the inner cavity and the filter.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outer housing and the inner housing are cylindrically shaped and the jacket is cylindrically shaped, and wherein the one or more ports in fluid communication with the jacket comprise a plurality of ports spaced around a circumference of the outer housing from one another.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the jacket is sealed so as to be entirely separated from the inner cavity and the filter.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the jacket is configured as a sealed air gap or is configured to receive one or more of an electrical heater coil, an insulative material, pressurized engine boost air, engine coolant, or engine lube oil.

10 . A method of separating oil from a blow-by gas of an engine, the method comprising:
providing an inner housing within an outer housing, wherein the inner housing forms an inner cavity that receives a filter, and wherein the outer housing is separated from the inner housing by a jacket heating or cooling the inner housing and the filter from the jacket; passing the blow-by gas through at least a first inlet of a first cover to a first manifold adjacent a first end portion of the outer housing; passing the blow-by gas from the first manifold to the filter within the outer housing; separating the oil from the blow-by gas with the filter; passing the blow-by gas from the filter to a second manifold of a second cover and out at least a first outlet of the second cover, wherein the second manifold is adjacent a second end portion of the outer housing; and passing the oil separated by the filter through a passageway formed in one of the first cover or the second cover to a drainage port formed by the one of the first cover or the second cover.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the heating or cooling of the inner housing and the filter includes one or more of: applying electric heat via one or more coils in the jacket, passing pressurized engine boost air to the jacket, passing engine coolant to the jacket, or passing a engine lube oil to the jacket.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising applying an insulating material to the jacket.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein at least one of: the passing the blow-by gas through at least the first inlet of the first cover includes passing the blow-by gas through multiple inlets on two or more faces of the first cover or the passing the passing the blow-by gas out at least the first outlet of the second cover includes passing the blow-by gas through multiple outlets on two or more faces of the second cover.

14 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising insulating at least one of the first cover or the second cover.

15 . An engine system comprising: an engine; and an oil separating apparatus, comprising: an outer housing; an inner housing positioned within the outer housing, wherein the inner housing defines an inner cavity, and wherein the inner housing and outer housing form a jacket therebetween; and a filter positioned within the inner cavity and configured to separate the oil from a blow-by gas; a first one or more fluid lines passing the blow-by gas from the engine to the oil separating apparatus; a second one or more fluid lines passing the blow-by gas from the oil separating apparatus back to the engine; and a third one or more fluid lines in fluid communication with the jacket and configured to pass one or more of pressurized engine boost air, engine coolant, or engine lube oil.

16 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising one or more oil lines passing oil from the oil separating apparatus back to the engine, wherein the oil separating apparatus collects the oil separated by the filter and passes the oil back to engine via one or more drains located in one of a first or second cover of the oil separating apparatus, wherein the one or more drains are coupled to the one or more oil lines.

17 . An engine system comprising:
an engine; and an oil separating apparatus, comprising:
an outer housing;
an inner housing positioned within the outer housing, wherein the inner housing defines an inner cavity, and wherein the inner housing and outer housing form a jacket therebetween; and
a filter positioned within the inner cavity and configured to separate the oil from a blow-by gas;
a first one or more fluid lines passing the blow-by gas from the engine to the oil separating apparatus;
a second one or more fluid lines passing the blow-by gas from the oil separating apparatus back to the engine; and
one of: insulating material located within the jacket, an electrical heater having one or more coils located within the jacket or the jacket is configured as a sealed air gap.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Lawrence Rodney Allen
• Stack Brandyn A
• Ferguson Eric W
• Litvinov Yegor

Classifications

• B01D46/24

  Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, using rigid hollow filter bodies · CPC title

• F01M2013/0438

  with a filter · CPC title

• B01D46/4263 Primary

  Means for active heating or cooling · CPC title

• B01D46/58

  connected in parallel · CPC title

• F01M2013/0472

  using heating means · CPC title