Develop New Innovative Filtration Designs and Components for Improved Service Life, Performance and Durability

A concept is presented for improving the service-life, performance and durability of air filters. This concept proposes to replace disposable fiber air filters with permanently installed self-cleaning filters that can be cleaned by air blast in the opposite direction, without removing the filter from its canister. The proposed self-cleaning filter is made from plastic discs and contains micro-passageways for the airflow. The disc material is robust, allowing it to withstand the intense air blast The proposed study will demonstrate the feasibility of our technology for applications in military vehicles and will carry out a system analysis that supports the goal of eliminating filter replacement. The main tasks will focus on an analysis of military vehicles and their filtration systems, modeling the fluid dynamics of air flow in the complex pattern of micro-passageways and creating an engineering database that will enable design of prototypes. The final Phase I report will clearly show the improved service life of our proposed self-cleaning filter, as well as the efficiency of its operation and its cost savings. A successful implementation in military vehicles will result with applications for commercial heavy- duty trucks and other machinery.