Oil filtration system

• US 20050126968A1
• Filed: 12/09/2004
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu America Corporation (Komatsu)
• Original Assignee: Komatsu America Corporation (Komatsu)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Paul Wayne, Boatman, Robert Murray
• Granted Patent: US 7,674,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/167.40
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 36/02 Combinations of filters of different kinds B01D29/50, B01D33/35 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 39/06 by filtration filters in general B01D; magnetic separators B03C1/00; centrifugal separators or filters B04B5/005
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 7/38 with a separate pump; Central lubrication systems

Abstract

An oil filtration system includes three separate tanks. A first of these tanks is to receive oil from a wheel motor of the mining or construction vehicle. A second of these tanks is to receive the oil from the first tank after the oil in the first tank has been sufficiently heated so as to remove moisture therefrom. And, a third of these tanks is to receive the oil from the second tank after the oil has been sufficiently filtered so as to remove particles and debris therefrom. The third tank can hold the filtered oil therein until it is ready to be supplied back to the wheel motor.

Claims

1. An oil filtration system comprising:

a first tank, a second tank and a third tank in fluid communication with one another;

a heater in said first tank; and

a first filter between said second tank and said third tank.

2. The oil filtration system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first pump for pumping oil from said first tank to said second tank.

3. The oil filtration system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a second pump for pumping oil from said second tank through said first filter and to said third tank.

4. The oil filtration system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a first valve positioned downstream of said first filter and upstream of said third tank such that

(i) when said first valve is in an opened position and oil is pumped by said second pump, the oil flows through said first filter and then to said third tank, and

(ii) when said first valve is in a closed position and oil is pumped by said second pump, the oil is re-circulated through said first filter.

5. The oil filtration system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a particle counter for determining an amount of particles in the oil after the oil has passed through said first filter.

6. The oil filtration system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a second valve positioned downstream of said first filter and upstream of said particle counter such that when said second valve is in an opened position and said first valve is in the closed position, and oil is pumped by said second pump, the oil flows through said first filter and to said particle counter.

7. The oil filtration system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a heater in said second tank.

8. The oil filtration system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a heater in said third tank.

9. The oil filtration system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a second filter between said second tank and said third tank.

10. The oil filtration system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a third pump for pumping oil from said second tank through said second filter and to said third tank.

11. The oil filtration system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a third valve positioned downstream of said second filter and upstream of said third tank such that

(i) when said third valve is in an opened position and oil is pumped by said third pump, the oil flows through said second filter and then to said third tank, and

(ii) when said third valve is in a closed position and oil is pumped by said third pump, the oil is re-circulated through said second filter.

12. The oil filtration system according to claim 11, wherein said particle counter is also for determining an amount of particles in the oil after the oil has passed through said second filter, and further comprising:

a fourth valve positioned downstream of said second filter and upstream of said particle counter such that when said fourth valve is in an opened position and said third valve is in the closed position, and oil is pumped by said third pump, the oil flows through said second filter and to said particle counter.

13. The oil filtration system according to claim 10, wherein

said second filter has a greater filtration capacity than that of said first filter, and

said second pump and said third pump are constructed and arranged to be operated in series so as to first pump oil from said second tank through said first filter and then pump the oil through said second filter.

14. The oil filtration system according to claim 10, wherein

said second filter has a filtration capacity equal to that of said first filter, and

said second pump and said third pump are constructed and arranged to be operated simultaneously so as to simultaneously pump oil from said second tank through said first filter and said second filter.

15. The oil filtration system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first conduit connectable to a wheel of vehicle to supply oil from the wheel to said first tank; and

a second conduit connectable to the wheel of the vehicle to supply oil from said third tank to the wheel.

16. A method of filtering oil, comprising:

in a first tank, heating oil to a temperature sufficient to remove moisture therefrom;

conveying said oil from said first tank into a second tank;

passing said oil from said second tank through a first filter; and

then conveying said oil into a third tank.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein

conveying said oil from said first tank into a second tank comprises pumping said oil, via a first pump, from said first tank into said second tank.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein

passing said oil from said second tank through a first filter comprises pumping said oil, via a second pump, from said second tank through said first filter, and

conveying said oil into a third tank comprises pumping said oil, via said second pump, into said third tank.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein

pumping said oil into said third tank comprises pumping said oil into said third tank in response to opening a first valve that is positioned downstream of said first filter and upstream of said third tank.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein

pumping said oil from said second tank through said first filter comprises re-circulating said oil through said first filter in response to closing said first valve.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

using a particle counter to determine an amount of particles in said oil after said oil has been pumped through said first filter via said second pump.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein

using a particle counter to determine an amount of particles in said oil comprises pumping said oil, via said second pump, to said particle counter in response to closing said first valve and opening a second valve that is positioned downstream of said first filter and upstream of said particle counter.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising:

heating said oil in said second tank.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising:

heating said oil in said third tank.

25. The method according to claim 22, further comprising:

pumping said oil, via a third pump, from said second tank through a second filter; and

then

pumping said oil, via said third pump, into said third tank.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein

pumping said oil into said third tank comprises pumping said oil into said third tank in response to opening a third valve that is positioned downstream of said second filter and upstream of said third tank.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein

pumping said oil from said second tank through said second filter comprises re-circulating said oil through said second filter in response to closing said third valve.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising:

using said particle counter to determine an amount of particles in said oil after said oil has been pumped through said second filter via said third pump.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein

using said particle counter to determine an amount of particles in said oil after said oil has been pumped through said second filter comprises pumping said oil, via said third pump, to said particle counter in response to closing said third valve and opening a fourth valve that is positioned downstream of said second filter and upstream of said particle counter.

30. The method according to claim 25, wherein said second filter has a greater filtration capacity than that of said first filter, and further comprising:

after pumping said oil through said first filter via said second pump, pumping said oil through said second filter via said third pump.

31. The method according to claim 25, wherein said second filter has a filtration capacity equal to that of said first filter, and further comprising:

simultaneously pumping said oil through said first filter via said second pump and pumping said oil through said second filter via said third pump.

32. The method according to claim 16, wherein

heating oil in a first tank to a temperature sufficient to remove moisture therefrom comprises heating 680 Viscosity oil to 130 F.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein

conveying said oil into a third tank comprises conveying said 680 Viscosity oil into said third tank after said oil has been filtered so as to correspond to ISO Specification of 18/13.

34. The method according to claim 16, wherein

heating oil in a first tank to a temperature sufficient to remove moisture therefrom comprises heating 1000 Viscosity oil to 160 F.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein

conveying said oil into a third tank comprises conveying said 1000 Viscosity oil into said third tank after said oil has been filtered so as to correspond to ISO Specification of 18/13.

36. The method according to claim 16, wherein

conveying said oil into a third tank comprises conveying said oil into said third tank after said oil has been filtered so as to correspond to ISO Specification of 18/13.