How the oil filter works
The working principle of oil filters is generally divided into three types according to impurity filtration methods: mechanical separation, centrifugal separation, and magnetic adsorption.
Mechanical separation can be further divided into three types based on its functional form: pure mechanical separation, overhead separation, and adsorption separation.
A common method for pure mechanical separation is filter filtration, which uses a certain aperture filter material to filter mechanical impurities and oil sludge. Impurities with a particle size larger than the filter hole are blocked by the filter material and filtered out. Aerial separation refers to the phenomenon where n small particles attach to the inner wall of the filter hole, gradually increasing in number, causing the filter hole to gradually become smaller and forming an aerial phenomenon, resulting in the filtered particle size being smaller than the filter hole size. Due to the irregular shape of most particles in engine oil, aerial phenomena are prone to form. In addition, adhesive substances in engine oil often adhere to the surface of the filter material or the inner wall of the filter hole to form adsorption. The actual filtering situation is generally not the result of a single principle, but may be a combination of the above.
Centrifugal separation refers to the process of oil passing through a high-speed rotating rotor, causing impurities in the oil to be thrown towards the inner wall of the rotor under centrifugal force, thus separating it from the oil.
Magnetic adsorption is the use of the magnetic force of a permanent magnet to adsorb iron particles in engine oil, preventing them from circulating back and forth in the oil lubrication system and endangering engine components.