ANATOMY OF AN OIL FILTER

By definition, an oil filter's main role is to cleanse oil from destructive contaminants within a machine such as an engine, transmission, hydraulic system, and other oil-dependent systems.

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In the case of automotive oil filters, canister-type filters are the most common. This filter configuration was most likely responsible for the advanced performance of oil filtration technology.

In 1922, Ernest Sweetland invented the first oil filter device for automobiles. It was named the “Purolator,” which was short for “pure oil later.” The spin-on filters common in today's automotive industry were introduced in the 1950s and were virtually a standard by the early 1970s.

Aside from the automotive industry, oil filtration is an integral part of equipment in a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, power generation, oil refining, manufacturing, and mining. Although most current oil filter designs come in canister or cartridge types, several variations in size, filter media, dirt-holding capacities, and flow arrangements are available. For this reason, it is important that filters and filtration systems are selected to meet the needs of the application with cost, performance, ease of use, and environmental conditions in mind.

Oil Filter Types

Oil filters can be characterized by the method in which the contaminants are filtered or the method in which the oil flows through the housing. One technique used to control contamination in filters is through surface-type media. This is the type of filter used in automobiles. In depth-type filters, the filter media are designed to hold much higher levels of contamination and provide a more circuitous path for lubricant contaminants to become trapped.

Other possible contamination control methods include magnetic and centrifugal filtration. Magnetic filtration utilizes rare-earth magnets or electromagnets to attract and collect ferrous particles as the oil passes through a magnetic flux region. Centrifugal filtration works by integrating a rapidly rotating cylinder to produce a centrifugal force for contamination separation from the oil.