Owners of small workshops and just home craftsmen often have to deal with the problem of air purification after intensive work on wood processing and sanding. metal surfaces etc. Conventional room ventilation will not help here; you will need to install specialized equipment. With known skills, you can do it yourself.
Purpose and characteristics of cyclones
A cyclone is a specialized air purification unit (although similar units are also used as chip ejectors, sawdust and other means for removing waste).
As air purifiers industrial structures cyclones must provide suction and dust removal with an efficiency of at least 85...90%, when removing dust fragments with sizes of at least 10...12 microns. They are equipped various designs filters. The most effective are electrostatic precipitators, which simultaneously remove static electricity charges from dust particles.
The principle of operation of the cyclone is as follows. Air enters the snail-shaped inlet space of the cyclone at high speed (up to 20 m/s), for which fans are usually used. The air containing dust particles is swirled and then enters the conical cavity of the device. Features of the geometric structure of the cyclone cause a gradual increase in the speed of the air flow containing dust and other waste. During this process, heavier dust particles self-separation from lighter ones. The former settle to the bottom, and the latter, moving in a cone-shaped space, end up in the dust collector, from where they can be easily removed using a bucket or sealed container. The purified air is released into the atmosphere through the pipe.
The number of cyclones, depending on the requirements for the quality of dust removal, can be made different: there are groups of three, four and even eight single cyclones.
Operational requirements for cyclones include the following parameters:
- permissible dispersion of particles that enter the cyclone, microns.
- the efficiency of the process, which is expressed in the maximum weight concentration of particles after dust removal, in g/mm 3 ;
- cyclone productivity, m 3 /h;
- limit temperature of air or gas entering the cyclone socket (more typical for gas cleaning systems than dust removal systems) - usually up to 400...600 °C;
- internal diameter of the cyclone, mm.
In addition to purely design requirements, there are also conditions quality installation air purification devices. For example, if the gaps in the air duct connections are exceeded, air leaks often occur, during which the performance of dust separation from air sharply decreases. The permissible suction value should not be more than 6...8%.
Cyclones not only remove dust from the ambient air, but can also supply clean air into the room.
Construction of a household cyclone
There are no universal cyclones for performing various cleaning operations. For example, the chip ejector must have increased strength of the pipe walls, which will prevent premature wear. Regarding a cyclone designed to collect and remove sawdust, it is important to ensure minimal losses in the suction air ducts. Providing a cyclone for the purpose of cleaning the air from cement dust arising in construction work, Special attention pay attention to filter design.
IN living conditions The most universal are cyclones that clean the air from coarse dust. By changing the design of the filters, such devices can be made for dust removal purposes, as a chip suction unit, or for cleaning the air from sawdust in a woodworking workshop (for example, at an operating sawmill).
The components of such a unit are:
- body - includes conical and cylindrical parts, and the shape of the conical part has a predominant influence on the quality of the process;
- pipe - one or more, where the original polluted air enters;
- an exhaust pipe designed to remove dust-free air;
- inlet filter (or their system) as a chip suction device;
- receiving bucket;
- drive motor;
- fan.
All of the listed parts/assemblies can be purchased or made by yourself.
Motor selection
Since a homemade cyclone is installed in a workshop, the main parameter of the engine is its power and the number of rotor revolutions. If there is a fan, motor power special significance does not, since dust particles still end up in a working machine, sawmill, etc. will not hit. However, the power and diameter of the cyclone scroll must be interconnected. With a snail wheel diameter of up to 300...350 mm, a high-speed (required!) engine of up to 1.5 kW is quite suitable. With smaller diameters, the power may be lower, but the cleaning performance will also decrease. Therefore, if there is a metalworking machine in the workshop, they accept a motor from 1 kW.
The power of the electric motor increases significantly if you plan to build it yourself homemade device outside the premises. There will be more free space, but cleaning efficiency will decrease, mainly due to losses in the air ducts. It is also worth noting that during the cold season, such a homemade cyclone will effectively “pull” heat from the workshop.
A good option is to purchase an electric motor complete with a volute, the number of which determines the consumer capabilities homemade system air purification. The most common for household use The parameters of the snails and the electric motors recommended for them are given in the table:
The systems are supplied with rubber vibration isolators. They are capable of creating operating pressure from 0.8 kPa and above.
When choosing (or making with your own hands) a snail, preference should be given to a radial air intake pattern rather than a tangential one.
In the latter case, unproductive losses for a homemade snail increase, and the inertia of the particle selection method for the option with a chip suction device will be very low.
When choosing an engine, it is necessary to take into account that the speed of air movement in the device cannot be less than 2.5...3 m/s. If cleaning is unsatisfactory, the elements of a homemade cyclone like a chip suction device (filter, bucket) quickly become clogged with shavings, sawdust and other small waste.
Manufacturing of cyclone elements
On specialized Internet forums you can find drawings of all components of the unit, which are available for making them yourself. Using improvised means, a household (or better yet, an industrial) vacuum cleaner is often remade. Additionally required:
- a set of hoses made of translucent corrugated material (this will facilitate visual control of dust particles settled inside). For chip extraction, rubber hoses are more practical;
- a soundproofing box that will perform two functions - it will reduce the noise level in the workshop, and provide additional protection for all machines and power tools located there from static electricity periodically accumulated by dust. For this purpose, you can make the box yourself from plywood, and decorate the inside with any type of sound insulator;
- air ducts for purified air: assembled with your own hands from a thin aluminum sheet and connected to each other with folds;
- waste collection container - can be made from an ordinary construction bucket with a capacity of 20 liters or more, which is sealed with the body of a homemade cyclone using a corrugated sleeve;
- filter (you can use a filter from trucks), which is installed on the outlet pipe.
A vacuum cleaner converted with your own hands for the needs of dust removal is checked: first at idle, passing normal air through the system, and then with the vacuum cleaner connected to a working machine.
Cyclone-type installations are used in industry for purifying gases and liquids. The operating principle of the filter is based on the physical laws of inertia and gravity. Air (water) is sucked out of the device through the upper part of the filter. A vortex flow is created in the filter. As a result, the contaminated product enters the filter through a pipe located on the side of the upper part. Since debris particles are heavier, they settle in the lower part of the filter, and the purified product is discharged through the upper part. Today we will look at just such a filter, made for the workshop, together with the author of the homemade product.
Tools and materials:
76 l waste container;
Plywood;
Polycarbonate;
Plastic pipe;
coupling;
Fasteners;
Masking tape:
Manual frezer;
Electric jigsaw;
Drill;
Glue gun;
Band saw;
Sander.
Then from the lid, using band saw, cuts out a circle with a diameter of 40 cm.
The place of the cut is glued and polished.
In a circle with a diameter of 40 cm, which remains from cutting out the bottom cover, cut out the middle according to the diameter of the plastic pipe. This blank will be installed at the top of the device.
For the side wall, the author used transparent polycarbonate. This will allow you to control the operation of the filter and the filling of the trash can. I rolled up a polycarbonate cylinder and inserted it into the inner hole of the bottom cover. Marked and cut along the joint. I received a cylinder with a diameter of 40 cm and a height of 15 cm.
By inserting the polycarbonate cylinder into inner ring bottom cover, drills holes in 10 cm increments. Fixes the cylinder with self-tapping screws. Whatever crush polycarbonate Bottom part screws must be flat.
The top cover is inserted into another part of the cylinder. Secure with tape. After drilling the holes, fasten the polycarbonate with self-tapping screws.
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For the inlet and outlet holes the author used plastic pipe with a diameter of 7.6 cm, as well as two couplings for it.
First, the inlet hole is made. Cuts a 23 cm piece from the pipe. Cuts the coupling in half. Cut a rectangle from plywood with sides 12.5 and 15 cm. Cut a hole 8.9 cm in the middle ( outside diameter couplings). Inserting a pipe into the hole, secure it on both sides with a coupling. Seals the seam with hot glue.
A cut piece measuring 12.5 by 20 cm is screwed to the side wall of the rectangle (12.5 cm).
Then the author cuts the pipe and plywood in such a way that the curvature of the cut coincides with the curvature of the cylinder.
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Having attached the structure to the installation site, he takes measurements to make a vertical support. Having cut it out, it is attached to the body. It attaches where the seam of the cylinder goes, thus closing it.
Marks the location of the inlet cutout on the polycarbonate. He cuts it out with a drill.
Installs the inlet pipe into the hole and secures it. The seam is sealed with hot glue.
Next he makes the outlet pipe. Cuts a 15 cm piece of pipe. Inserts it into the hole in the top cover. Installs a coupling on both sides. Treated with hot glue.
The author made the bottom screen from MDF. Screen size 46 cm in diameter, thickness 3 mm. Draw a circle at a distance of 5 cm from the edge. Measures an angle of 120 degrees. Trims a strip between the sides of a corner. Screws the screen to the bottom cover so that the cutout begins immediately behind the inlet pipe.
This video from the “Lawyer Egorov” channel is about how to assemble a homemade, full-fledged cyclone from a bucket and two corners of a drain pipe in five minutes. In other words, a separator for chips, sawdust and other debris.
If you used it in a workshop or when renovating an apartment household vacuum cleaner, then its dust container will quickly fill up and work will have to be interrupted. But using the Cyclone, you can forget about replacing the dust bag for years. This separator is in its second year of service, and the author of its development is not overjoyed with it. In just two minutes, make sure that the title of this video is not an exaggeration, and you can assemble a full-fledged separator in your garage in just a couple of minutes.
For greater ease of use in the Cyclone workshop, it can be installed on a homemade platform in the form of a cart, the manufacture of which will take at least half an hour. But the separator can be used without it. In the case when it is connected to the chip discharge of a permanently installed router, planer saw and other equipment that produces sawdust, the cart is not needed at all. But it is very convenient when cleaning the workshop. A bucket, two pieces of hose and a vacuum cleaner will easily fit under any household machine. By the way, if you are planning to organize a unified dust removal system in a small home workshop with your own hands, perhaps connecting such a separate chip suction device to each machine will save you from having to deal with obvious engineering and technical difficulties.
Almost no sawdust comes out of a circular table equipped with a Cyclone. It is recommended to power the tool and the chip suction unit connected to it through one toggle switch. Then, when you turn on the machine, the vacuum cleaner will immediately start working. When making my bow I used a router, and dust from it flew in all directions. For this reason, until I made my own Cyclone, I tried not to use the router. Now there is less debris from the router. For a surface planer, a corner made from a larger diameter hose is better.
By placing the camera inside a homemade working Cyclone, you can see how sawdust is sucked into the separator, but cannot escape from it and get into the vacuum cleaner. The idea of a cyclone-type separator is to force coarse dust sucked into a container to fall to the bottom of the container, preventing this dust from entering the area from which air is pumped out. Gravity, friction and centrifugal force cause the sawdust to rotate inside the bucket, pressing against its walls, and fall in a spiral to the bottom of the container. As you can see, the idea of the separator is extremely simple and there is simply nothing to break in this primitive design.
Everyone is accustomed to the fact that such a container has the shape of a cone, but as practice has shown, the separator can also be cylindrical. The advantage of the proposed design is that the tangential air flow separator is entered not through a curved side wall, which is not at all easy, but through a flat cover. And this is much easier and faster to do. In addition, it reduces the dimensions of the structure. The entire structure of the Cyclone is placed on one lid, which allows you to carry the Cyclone by simply removing the lid from one bucket and covering it with another.
There is unrivaled mobility. This way you can sequentially fill bucket after bucket with sawdust, and then get rid of the sawdust at once. For example, pour them into compost heap, heat them by loading them into the oven long burning, or use them in any other way.
How a homemade cyclone was made
He described his Cyclone in more detail. It's time to show how I made it. So, I drilled two holes in the lid. One is in the center of the cover, the other is on the edge, close to the stiffener. This was done with a core drill of a slightly smaller diameter than the polypropylene corner of the fan pipe. In this design I used corners with a diameter of forty millimeters. Remove burrs and at the same time bore holes for a tight fit of the corner, conveniently wrapping a sheet of sandpaper around the tube. It is important to stop in time here. Do not bore the hole beyond what is necessary. All that remains is to insert two polypropylene corners into the hole, and the full-fledged Cyclone is ready. As you noticed, I didn’t even seal the joints. I inserted the hoses from the vacuum cleaner into the corners, fortunately there are sealing rings in the corners that match the size of the corrugated hose of the vacuum cleaner, and immediately started using the separator. All operations did not take more than two minutes.
To make the Cyclone easier to use and increase its mobility, I assembled a T-shaped cart. It took me over half an hour to assemble, but with repeated use the work pays off. The cart was assembled from scraps of crooked, unusable plywood. I marked the platform in place. I placed a bucket and a vacuum cleaner on a sheet of plywood, marking the dimensions with a pencil.
The sawing table looks unsightly, as it is assembled from garbage on a quick fix and these are all temporary solutions. As rip fence piece used square pipe and two clamps. But, despite the primitiveness of the design, it is possible to work on this homemade product. Set the cutting depth according to the thickness of the plywood...
Discussion
- All vacuum cleaners (except one type) have at least two significant drawbacks. The first is that they throw the finest (and most dangerous!) dust back into the room (even water ones throw the finest dust back into the room along with the smallest drops of water). Secondly, during work, these emissions raise dust present in the room into the air. On the Internet, experts indicate that fine dust settles for many hours, and even days! And this fine dust is practically not excreted by the body.
But there is a type of vacuum cleaners that do not have these disadvantages - these are central (or built-in) vacuum cleaners. These vacuum cleaners, sucking air, do not supply it back into the room at all, and after cleaning, throw it out of the room (usually outside the building). In this case, you don’t need to carry the vacuum cleaner itself, because... it is permanently installed in another (utility) room, and in the rooms being treated special sockets are installed, which plastic pipes connected to the central vacuum cleaner, and a flexible hose with a tip-nozzle for collecting dust is connected to these sockets. I have a dust collector volume of 14 liters (a large, durable plastic “bucket”), and its cleaning consists of very conveniently disconnecting this container and its emptying is usually once a month. Such vacuum cleaners have long been used in hotels, childcare centers and hospitals. They are also certified for home use. (I have been using this vacuum cleaner at my dacha for about 4 years with pleasure). - I experimented with making such a cyclone. It turns out that not just any bucket will do. First, the bucket must be deep enough. Top part approximately 15-20 cm high - this is the vortex zone. If a mountain of garbage reaches it, then further garbage will fly straight into the hood. So 12-liter paint buckets are of little use; they simply fill halfway (and shavings, for example, from a thicknesser, are very voluminous) in a minute. Secondly, the bucket must be rigid. If the inlet pipe is plugged, the vacuum will collapse the bucket, deforming its wall, and the vortex will no longer be cylindrical - the garbage will again fly into the hood. I took two paint buckets, a little different diameters. I cut out the bottom of the larger one, leaving a narrow side - it turned out to be a stiffening rib. And inserted one into the other. The double wall and side provide acceptable rigidity, and the total height gives greater volume - the lower bucket is completely filled. Thirdly, the lid should be easy to remove. The paint bucket has a self-sealing lid, and the vacuum also suctions it. Then you have to pry it off with a screwdriver and unbolt it. It is necessary to somehow loosen the lid or seat, perhaps cut or bend fragments of the sealing lip. The tightness will still be ensured by the vacuum; the lid will stick very tightly.
- I would like to see how this vacuum cleaner gets rid of fine particles construction dust and how long will it last? Another question?? Is it difficult to find such an empty iron bucket? Let’s say we don’t have one in any hardware store, and ask every friend if he has one)) well, on the tenth person who says that there is no such bucket! The search is already turning into some kind of hassle. And without a real vacuum cleaner, this device will not work. In a word, the bottom line is you need to find an unnecessary good vacuum cleaner that works more or less, then find an ill-fated iron bucket, who the hell knows where to buy two sanatorium tubes, put it all in a briefcase and throw it away! Because how to go and buy an industrial one for 6 rubles and not engage in amateur activities. I agree that this miracle cart will work for sawdust!!!
- Good video. Everything is shown clearly, without unnecessary long explanations. I'm struggling with the home dry vacuum cleaner Stalt 1600W. As soon as I turn it on for cleaning, a cloud of fine dust flies out of it, then it works normally. But it is not suitable for large cleaning of a room, corridor or anything else large. His bag fills up instantly; the bag is not very convenient, because... It becomes clogged with dust, and knocking out and picking out branches from it is an unpleasant process. I liked your idea with the bucket. I dreamed of having water at the bottom of the bucket to absorb the pollen. Is it dangerous to pour some water into it? Will the system close in on itself?
A home vacuum cleaner is so commonplace in the household that no one thinks about the principle of its operation. Since the invention of this cleaning assistant, it has been used only possible way separating dust from clean air - filter.
Over the years, the filter element has been improved, from a banal bag made of thick tarpaulin, it has turned into high-tech membranes that retain the smallest particles of debris. However, it was not possible to get rid of the main drawback.
Filter creators are constantly looking for a compromise between cell density and throughput for air. In addition, the more contaminated the membrane, the worse it passes through it. air flow.
30 years ago, physicist James Dyson made a breakthrough in dust collection technology.
He invented a compact dust separator that works on the principle of centrifugal force. I must say that this idea was not new. Industrial sawmills have been using centrifugal cyclone-type scorch and chip storage for quite a long time.
But no one thought to use it physical phenomenon at home. In 1986, he registered a patent for the first cyclonic vacuum cleaner, called G-Force.
In general, there are three ways to separate dust from clean air:
- Filter membrane. The most widespread and cheap way remove dust. Used in most modern vacuum cleaners;
- Water filter. Air with debris passes through a container of water (like in a hookah), all particles remain in liquid medium, a perfectly clean air flow comes out. Such devices have gained popularity, but their use has not become widespread due to their high cost.
- Centrifugal dry cleaning filter of the “cyclone” type. It is a compromise in cost and quality of cleaning compared to a membrane and water filter. Let's look at this model in more detail.
Operating principle of a cyclone
The illustration shows the processes occurring in the chamber of a cyclone-type filter.
Contaminated air enters the cylindrical filter housing (2) through the pipe (1). The pipe is located tangentially to the walls of the housing, due to which the air flow (3) twists into a spiral along the walls of the cylinder.
Under the influence of centrifugal force, dust particles (4) are pressed against the inner walls of the housing, and under the influence of gravity they settle into the dust collector (5). Air with the smallest particles of debris (which are not affected by centrifugal force) enters the chamber (6) with a conventional membrane filter. After final cleaning they exit into the receiving fan (7).
When working in a workshop or at home with a grinding tool, when processing parts and preparing surfaces, the need arises to remove fine dust. And, of course, it is advisable to reduce its concentration even during work by organizing local constant air purification at the workplace.
At enterprises, this problem is solved by installing filter units with a cyclone, which collects and sediments dust with the required efficiency.
In our case it is enough make a vacuum cleaner with a cyclone, thereby saving on purchase construction vacuum cleaner, where such a function is provided by the manufacturer.
The principle of operation of a homemade construction vacuum cleaner with a cyclone filter
There are several options for manufacturing a cyclone for household needs. To decide on the most effective scheme operation of the equipment, you should know the operating principle of this filter.
Cyclone in classic version It is a cylinder and a cone, in the upper part of which there is an inlet for polluted air and an outlet for purified air.
The inlet is made so that the air enters the filter tangentially, forming a rotating flow directed towards the equipment cone (down).
Inertial forces act on pollutant particles and carry them out of the flow to the walls of the apparatus, where dust settles.
Under the influence of gravity and secondary flow, the mass deposited on the walls moves towards the cone and is removed into the receiving hopper. The purified air rises up along the central axis and is discharged through a pipe located strictly in the center of the upper platform of the cyclone.
Required condition effective cleaning air is the exact calculation of the apparatus and the tightness of the cyclone, including in relation to the receiving hopper.
Otherwise, the principle of operation is disrupted and chaotic air movement occurs, preventing dust from settling normally.
In addition, it is necessary to select an engine that sucks in contaminated air, which will ensure optimal parameters equipment operation.
Homemade filter for a construction vacuum cleaner, the variants of which are offered on the Internet cannot be called a full-fledged cyclone.
The most simple circuit Such equipment is a plastic barrel with an embedded inlet pipe tangentially, a built-in filter from a car inside the “cyclone” body, through which purified air is removed and to which a household vacuum cleaner is connected.
The disadvantages of the equipment are the absence of a formed flow swirling along the walls of the barrel and a laminar return flow.
In essence, we get an additional capacity for settling large particles (sawdust, shavings), and fine dust will clog the filter at the outlet, and will require constant cleaning.
To improve the design, we suggest supplementing the plastic barrel with a homemade cyclone made from a traffic cone. It is best to install a stationary version of equipment for removing dust from the workplace if work is carried out over several hours.
In this case we need a radial household fan. And with a one-time connection of the cyclone, it is enough to use a regular vacuum cleaner with adjustable suction power.
Sometimes an additional rheostat is installed to reduce the rotation speed of the vacuum cleaner engine, thereby selecting the parameters necessary for the normal functioning of the filter.
In the following sections of the article we will present you with two options for a cyclone for domestic use.
Selection of equipment - what is needed for work
For the first design option for a permanent installation, you will need the following components:
- Plastic barrel;
- Gray plastic sewer pipe with a diameter of 50 mm;
- Traffic cone;
- Corrugated hoses, reinforced with steel wire or metallized hoses;
- Adhesive for plastic;
- Radial household fan with the ability to change the engine speed and performance equal to six times the exchange of air in the room;
- Plywood 10-12 mm thick.
The second version of the product is the most successful, since in this case the product approaches the functionality of a real cyclone.
To make a filter you will need to purchase:
- Ready-made plastic cyclone made in China;
- A barrel, bucket or other container for making a dust bin;
- Corrugated hoses.
A plastic cyclone is inexpensive, approximately 1500-2500 rubles, and is designed to collect medium and heavy dust. Works great with shavings and sawdust.
Step-by-step instructions for the cyclone assembly process
Our first option is a stationary design for workshops with a lot of dust. of various origins.
Assembling a cyclone filter for a vacuum cleaner - First we make the cyclone itself. We make a hole in the plastic cone for passage sewer pipe on a tangent.
- For better connection The mating surface of the pipe with the cone body is matted with emery cloth. We glue the seams using a mounting gun.
- In the upper part of the cone we install a vertical pipe, the lower end of which should be below the inlet. In this way we can achieve vortex air movement. The pipe is fixed in a plywood sheet in the shape of a circle with a diameter equal to the size of the base of the cone.
- The prepared cyclone is secured to the barrel lid using a round plywood sheet.
- To plastic barrel when the inlet pipe is clogged with debris, it does not deform under the influence of vacuum; inside the container we install a spacer - a frame made of plywood sheet. The external dimensions of the frame follow the internal diameter of the barrel. To strengthen the structure, we attach the construction cone to the lid of the container using metal pins.
- Next, we connect the cyclone to the corrugated hoses at the inlet and outlet. We install a radial household fan outdoors under a canopy.
The second version of the construction vacuum cleaner is based on a Chinese plastic cyclone, which is also attached to any of the selected containers. The result is a reliable and efficient design.
The cyclone is attached to the container using a metal clamping flange.
VIDEO INSTRUCTION
When starting the vacuum cleaner and further operation, do not forget to clean the inlet pipe and stop the internal spacers on the containers to prevent deformation of the receiving hopper.
If finer air purification is required, the design is supplemented with a car filter in the housing at the outlet of the product.