There are a couple different types of air filtration systems used on locomotives and I'm wondering what the differences are. The types I've come upon are called paper filters (kind of obvious), inertial filters, and IIRC oil-bath filters. Am I missing any? I was looking at some operating manuals of EMD locomotives and the ones for GP35 and GP38 both show some drawing of the inertial system and some cut aways.
An inertial filter is nothing more than a Pre cleaner. Usually with some type of ventury to spin the large particles from the air stream from damaging and plugging up the real air filters. There still must be some form of air filter before the air intake. This can consist of fiber wadding, pleated paper, a very course steel or aluminum wool, Or even a series of super fine mesh screens.
The oil bath air filter is just like it sounds. There is a reservoir of oil in the bottom of the filter housing. Air being sucked in goes through a series of sharp turns which makes the larger particles to fall or be trapped by the oil. Then the air is filtered further by usually a wad of course steel wool. Contrary to popular belief is that the air passes through the oil which it does not. Oil bath filters fell from favor because of the high maintenance they require and very messy to deal with.
Pete
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The Inertial filters knock the biggest chunks out of the intake air, combustion and compressor air is drawn from inside the carbody, but still has to go through fiberglass/paper filters. The oil in the oil bath filters is also drawn up into the steel/ aluminum mesh by the vacuum of the intake air, as the dirt particles go through the mesh they get trapped by the oil. not a very effective or efficient system at all.
Tugboat TonyThe oil in the oil bath filters is also drawn up into the steel/ aluminum mesh by the vacuum of the intake air, as the dirt particles go through the mesh they get trapped by the oil. not a very effective or efficient system at all.
Just catching up with my reading here -- For those of us old enough, Detroit cars into the 1950's usually had oil-bath air cleaners, too, our 1949 Ford V8 certainly had one. I always wondered what happened to the oil in a long hard corner...
- Gerhard
Dont confuse the auto oil bath filter the the oil type filter EMD used in locomotives. EMD filter was a steel frame approx 2 ft x 2ft approx 5 in thick steel pleated filter (two on each blower)that latched into the air housing above the roots blower. The dirty filter was submerged in a hot lye vat tank for an hour or so, then rinsed out. Then after dryed out,were submerged into a light oil tank and set on a screen to let the excess oil drip out. There was no oil bath as like the automobile typs.These were serviced every seven days. Used in FTs F7 and early GPs. Then there were also carbody filters mounted in the door vents GP7 and the side of the FT F7. I forget how many, been a few since I did that. LOL
The paper filters could run longer and were more effecient.
Hope this helps...John
gerhard_kDetroit cars into the 1950's usually had oil-bath air cleaners, too, our 1949 Ford V8 certainly had one. I always wondered what happened to the oil in a long hard corner...
My first car on the road was a Morris 1000. For no known reason it had a tropical , oil bath, filter. This was about 10" diameter and at least as tall mounted next to the exhaust manifold... so whenevre you did anything interesting - like hit a good pothole - the world behind got enveloped in a pawl of blue smoke. This was quite interesting when the car behind had blue lights on it.
Happy days
There's also sock filters