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Design and development of centrifugal oil filter for fine filtration

Conference Paper · December 2004

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Design and Development of Centrifugal Oil Filter for Fine Filtration
ABSTRACT
This paper incorporates the design and
development of a centrifugal oil filter (COF),
which overcomes fine filtration difficulties
generally encountered in lubrication of
engines. The newly developed filter has been
found very reliable in its objective. It is very
eco-friendly with easiness in its maintenance.
It can filter tiny contaminant particles of
various sizes varying in the range of 2.0
microns and above. The filtration efficiency of
centrifugal oil filter is approximately 99% for
15-20 microns size particles. This filter may
prove very efficient and economical in
comparison to barrier filter.
1. INTRODUCTION
The lubricated sliding components of engine
demand contaminant free clean lubricant for
minimizing the wear of moving mating
surfaces. The studies of maintenance
procedures in industry indicate that the
contamination of circulating lubricant causes
increased friction and wear, failure of machine
components, and high maintenance costs [1,2].
The filtration of fine particulates from
lubricating oil helps to extend component life
and reduces costs due to sudden unanticipated
breakdowns. Even today, the century old
process of filtration by porous media remains
by far the most practical means to remove
harmful contaminants from engine’s
lubricating system. Generally the engine
manufacturers fit the barrier types full flow
1
4th International Conference on Industrial Tribology
15-18 December 2004, Mumbai, India
R.K. Pandey* and V. P. Agrawal
Industrial Tribology, Machine Dynamics and
Maintenance Engineering Centre (ITMMEC)
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
New Delhi – 110016, India
* E-mail-rkpandey@itmmec.iitd.ernet.in
and by-pass filters with the engines for
effective filtration as schematically shown in
Fig.1. High-pressure drop along the fine pores
of barrier filters is bound to happen due to
clogging of tiny pores of filter membrane by
big size particulates. The increased pressure
development across the pores due to chocking
pushes the particles of bigger size through the
pores. This makes over sizing of the pores by
passage of time. Such full flow filters loose its
purpose very quickly. Moreover, it has been
noticed that the full-flow filters generally
remove above 25 microns particles effectively.
Even barrier types of by-pass filters are also
subjected to clogging and over sizing
problems.
(a) Full Flow Filter (b) By Pass Filter
Fig.1 Barrier type of filters fitted with engines
The particulates generally having size less than
ten microns escapes from the barrier filter due
to over sizing and these enter between the
mating surfaces of engine parts, which
generally operate under hydrodynamic
lubrication. Entrapped particles stop partially
or fully flow of the lubricant in the contact.
 4th International Conference on Industrial Tribology
15-18 December 2004, Mumbai, India

This accelerates the wear of the system. The general working principal of centrifugal
Therefore the removal of such smallest oil filter along with names of its various
contaminants from the lubricating oil is must components have been presented in Fig.2.
for good health and life of the engine. The sub-
micron size filtration by conventional filter
increases the maintenance costs [3]. These
filters happen to be expensive, clog frequently,
and require costly down time for replacement.

To maintain proper lubrication in engines, it is

very essential to design and develop lifetime
maintenance free oil filters of absolute
performance (captures solid particulates of sub
micron sizes). To meet the cleanliness
requirements of engines of medium power
(100-300 HP), high-speed centrifugal oil filter
(COF) of one-liter capacity has been designed
and developed for filtration of dangerous Fig. 2 Sectional view of COF with its
particulates of 2-10 microns in sizes. This type components
of oil filter may prove very effective at the
place of barrier filters of the engines.
EFFICIENCY OF FILTER:
2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
The efficiency of the filter varies with the
WORKING PRINCIPLE:
particle size of contaminants. The filter
The dirty oil enters in the filter from its base efficiency (η) is defined by:
under the pressure of 0.5 MPa and further it is
directed into a bored spindle where it exits via Number of particles of size
a cross drilling into the COF rotor as shown in “x” captured by filter
Fig.2. The rotor bowl becomes full with η (s) =
pressurized oil, and then oil is allowed to exit Number of particles of size
through two/three tangentially nozzles fitted in “x” at the inlet of filter
the rotor base. This makes rotation of the rotor
assembly in opposite direction of the jet. Thus
generating centrifugal force in the oil within = Nc (x) / Ni (x) = 1 – Ne (x)/ Ni (x)
the rotor bowl. As contaminants/solid
particulates along with lubricant enter the rotor Where Ni, Nc, and Ne are number of particles
bowl these are subjected to a centrifugal force. at inlet, captured and at exit respectively.
Under the action of this force, particulates
move radially outwards to the inner wall of the In practice the conventional membrane filters
rotor bowl. never work as an absolute filter. Such filters do
not capture all particles of contamination above
The contaminant layers compact and form a the size for which these are intended due to
dense cake with continuous accumulation of over sizing of pores.
these particles under the centrifugal force.
After certain interval of time, the rotor bowl
may be cleaned and re-assembled.

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 4th International Conference on Industrial Tribology
15-18 December 2004, Mumbai, India

3. DESIGN BACKGROUND

Based on the desired dirt holding capacity of

the bowl and level of cleanliness of oil under
filter’s operating pressure of 0.5 MPa, it has
been found that a liter capacity filter is suitable
for filtration of 200-300 liter of lubricating oil.
Aluminum casting alloy LM6-M (Al-Si12) has
been selected as material for many components
of filter due to its excellent casting, corrosion
resistance, and machinability properties. The
material for spindle of filter as shown in Fig.2,
is AISI-8620. Table-I contains the mechanical
properties of used materials of the present
design.

Table-I Mechanical Properties of filter

materials Fig.3 Vortex formation inside the bowl

Material LM6-M From fluid mechanics concepts the vortex

pressure computed on the upper cover of the
Tensile stress : 160 N/mm2 bowl comes out 1.53 MPa. Treating bowl as a
Proof stress : 60 N/mm2 pressure vessel the bowl’s wall thickness has
Elongation : 5% been computed 3 mm. Due to relatively
Specific gravity : 2.65 complicated geometries of filter components,
Finite Element Analysis of all the components
Material AISI-8620 has been done for their optimization.

Yield strength : 358 N/mm2 4. FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF

Tensile strength : 600 N/mm2
Elongation : 28%
Brinell hardness : 186
Centrifugal force acting on the lubricant filled
bowl has been computed and distributed over
the surface of the bowl. The design has been
done for 8000 rev/m of rotor. The combined
pressure acting on the inner surface of the wall
of bowl due to centrifugal force and due to
pressure of contaminated oil is 1.33 MPa. The
rotation of the bowl at high speed will cause
the formation of vortex as shown in Fig.3. A
huge thrust at the inner surface of the upper
cover of the bowl will arise by the vortex.
FILTER COMPONENTS
ANSYS (FEA) software has been used for
optimization of components’ geometries. The
solid modeling of various components has
been done using the dimensions, which have
been computed, based on strength of materials
formulas. For meshing the solid models
tetrahedron solid-45 elements have been used.
The boundary conditions have been applied for
static and dynamic analyses at the appropriate
bearing locations. The solid models of various
components of filter are given in Fig.4 based
on the optimized dimensions. Stress analyses
of various components have been presented in
Fig.5. Moreover, the photographs of the newly
developed filter are shown in Fig.6.

3
 4th International Conference on Industrial Tribology
15-18 December 2004, Mumbai, India

4 (a). Upper Cover

4 (d). Spindle

4 (b). Bowl

4 (e). Lower Body

4 (c). Deflector Plate Fig. 4 Solid models of filter components

4
 4th International Conference on Industrial Tribology
15-18 December 2004, Mumbai, India

5 (a). Contours of von-Mises stresses (N/mm2) 5 (d). Contours of von-Mises stresses (N/mm2)
in upper cover of the body in spindle

Fig.5 Results of Finite Element Analyses

5 (b). Contours of von-Mises stresses (N/mm2)

in Bowl 6 (a). Photographs of upper cover, bowl and
lower body

5 (c). Contours of von-Mises stresses (N/mm2) 6 (b). Photograph of lower body

in Deflector plate

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 4th International Conference on Industrial Tribology
15-18 December 2004, Mumbai, India

5. TESTING OF FILTER & DISCUSSION:

The newly developed filter has been tested for

its efficiency. Fig. 7 shows a plot between
filter efficiency vs. contaminants sizes. The
filter is looking very efficient for filtration of
the solid particulates of over 10 microns sizes.
While it has been observed that the efficiency
of filtration of tiny particles of sizes below 10
microns is very less. Moreover, the measured
speed of rotor is 6500 rpm at 0.5 MPa inside
pressure of the bowl. This indicates that rpm of
6 (c). Photograph of rotor having rotor should be enhanced for getting more
two nozzles centrifugal force, which will lead filtration of
the sub-microns sizes particulates.

6(d). Photographs of deflector plate, nut

and O-ring
Fig.7 Efficiency vs. Particulate sizes
(Inlet pressure of dirty oil =0.5 MPa)

6. CONCLUSIONS

The results of filtration of particulates are

encouraging. However, for sub-microns size
contaminants filtration more speed of the rotor
is essential. Therefore, the improvement in
rotor speed with stability is the subject of
further research.

6 (e). Photograph of assembled filter

Fig.6 Photographs of developed filter

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 4th International Conference on Industrial Tribology
15-18 December 2004, Mumbai, India

REFERENCES

[1] Fitch, E. C., “Representation of

Contamination Levels and Tolerances”, ASLE
Transactions, Vol.12, 1969, PP. 199-203.

[2] Fitch, E.C., “Controlling Contaminant

Wear through filtration”, Wear, Vol. 34, 1975,
PP. 319-330.

[3] Product review - “A look at Oil Filtration”

Industrial lubrication and Tribology Journal,
March- April 1980.

[4] Itchy, J.A., “A model of Lubrication

Filtration”, ASME, Journal of Lubrication
Technology, Vol. 103,1981, PP. 81-89.

[5] Davies, P.,“Oil maintenance in today’s

environment”, Industrial Lub. and Tribology,
Vol. 45 No.6, 1993, PP.3 – 4.

[6] Product review - “Oil Filters and

contaminant control” Industrial lubrication and
Tribology Journal, 1993.

[7] Sutton, D. I. “Filtration and Contamination

Control” Industrial lubrication and Tribology
Journal, Vol. 45 No.6, 1993, PP. 5 - 7.

[8] Norton, R. L., “ Machine Design – An

Integrated Approach” Pearson Education Asia,
New Delhi, 2001.

[9] Pandey, R.K., and Agrawal, V.P., “Design

of Centrifugal Oil Filter”, Internal report, IIT
Delhi, 2003.

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