To keep (oil) pure

The correct operation of any power unit largely depends on the quality of the engine oil. The cleaner it is, the more effectively it eliminates unwanted friction. Unfortunately, in everyday use, motor oil is subject to gradual wear and contamination. In order to slow down these processes and at the same time extend the life of the engine, oil filters are used in vehicles. Their main task is to maintain the proper purity of the oil by separating various types of impurities. We present some of the most commonly used in this article.

Filter, what is it?

The heart of the oil filter is the filter fiber, which in most cases consists of pleated (accordion-folded) paper or a cellulose-synthetic blend. Depending on the manufacturer, it is cleaned to obtain a higher degree of filtration or to increase resistance to harmful substances (eg acids). For this, among other things, synthetic resins, which further increase the resistance of the filter fiber to unwanted deformations caused by engine oil pressure.

A meeting of skeletons

One of the simplest oil filters are the so-called mesh filters. The basis of their design is a cylindrical frame surrounded by a filter mesh. Most used mesh filters are cartridges consisting of two or even three filter meshes. The filtering accuracy depends on the cell size of the individual grids. Instead of the latter, other filter materials can also be used. An example is a nickel foil filter wall. Its thickness varies from 0,06 to 0,24 mm, and the number of holes in an area of ​​​​only 1 cm50. can reach XNUMX thousand. Despite its effectiveness, nickel foil has not yet found wide application. The main reason is the expensive technology for creating holes, which is performed by etching.

With centrifugal "centrifuge"

Another type of oil filters are the so-called centrifugal filters, which experts also call centrifugal filters. The name comes from how they work. Inside these filters there are special separators made of metal or plastic. They rotate under the action of centrifugal force and oil pressure. There can be up to 10 of them. rpm, by using small nozzles for free flow of oil. Thanks to the action of high centrifugal forces, it is possible to separate even the smallest particles of dirt that accumulate inside the rotor.

ECO modules

In state-of-the-art solutions, the oil filter is not the only element preventing contamination, it is an integral part of the so-called oil filtration module (ECO). The latter also includes sensor kits and an oil cooler. Thanks to this extension of the filtration system, deterioration in the quality of the engine oil can be constantly monitored. The downside of this solution, if it is necessary to change the engine oil, is the need to replace the entire module, and not just the filter itself, as in standard systems.

One is not enough!

In vehicles equipped with high power diesel engines with long oil change intervals, special auxiliary filters, known as bypass filters, are additionally used. Their main task is to unload the main oil filter, as a result of which impurities that accumulate in the oil during everyday operation are better separated. The use of a bypass filter also reduces the risk of so-called cylinder polishing. In the case of used oils or long periods between subsequent oil changes, contamination particles can cause the lubricating layer (oil film) to peel off from the cylinder surface and gradually wear (polish). In extreme cases, the lack of a lubricating layer can even lead to engine seizure.