Do-it-yourself cyclone filter or how to remove construction debris with a household vacuum cleaner. Cyclones for cleaning air from dust What to make a cyclone for a vacuum cleaner

Today we will tell you about the cyclone filter for a vacuum cleaner in the workshop, because one of the problems that you have to deal with in woodworking is dust removal. Industrial equipment quite expensive, so we will make a cyclone with our own hands - it's completely simple.

What is a cyclone and why is it needed

In the workshop, there is almost always a need to remove garbage of a sufficiently large fraction. Sawdust, small scraps, metal shavings - all this, in principle, can be caught by a regular vacuum cleaner filter, but with a high probability it will quickly become unusable. In addition, it will not be superfluous to remove liquid waste.

The cyclone filter uses an aerodynamic swirl to bind the specks different sizes. Spinning in a circle, the garbage manages to stick together to such a consistency that it can no longer be carried away by the air flow and settles at the bottom. This effect almost always occurs if the air flow passes through a cylindrical container at a sufficient speed.

Such filters are included in the kit of many industrial vacuum cleaners, but their cost cannot be called affordable for the layman. At the same time, the range of tasks solved with the help of home-made devices is not at all narrower. A handicraft cyclone can be used both in conjunction with planers, perforators or jigsaws, and for removing sawdust or chips from different kind machine tools. In the end, even simple cleaning with such a device is much easier, because the bulk of dust and debris settles in a container, from where it can be easily removed.

Difference Between Wet and Dry Cyclone

To create a swirling flow, the main requirement is that the air entering the tank does not follow the shortest way to the exhaust hole. To do this, the inlet pipe must have special form and be directed either to the bottom of the tank, or tangentially to the walls. The exhaust channel, according to a similar principle, is recommended to be made rotatable, optimally if it is directed towards the cover of the device. The increase in aerodynamic drag due to pipe bends can be neglected.

As already mentioned, the cyclone filter has the potential to remove liquid waste as well. With a liquid, everything is somewhat more complicated: the air in the pipe and the cyclone is partially rarefied, which contributes to the evaporation of moisture and its breakdown into very small drops. Therefore, the inlet pipe must be located as close as possible to the surface of the water or even lowered under it.

Most washing vacuum cleaners air is supplied to the water through a diffuser, so any moisture it contains is effectively dissolved. However, for greater versatility the minimum amount alterations to use such a scheme is not recommended.

We make from improvised materials

The most simple and affordable option for the capacity of the cyclone there will be a bucket of paint or other building mixtures. The volume should be comparable to the power of the vacuum cleaner used, approximately one liter for every 80-100 watts.

The bucket lid must be intact and hermetically put on the body of the future cyclone. It will have to be finalized by making a couple of holes. Regardless of the material of the bucket, the easiest way to make holes of the desired diameter is to use a homemade compass. AT wooden lath you need to screw in two self-tapping screws so that their tips are at a distance of 27 mm from each other, no more, no less.

The centers of the holes should be marked 40 mm from the edge of the cover, it is desirable that they be as far apart as possible. Both metal and plastic scratch excellently in this way. homemade tool, forming even edges with virtually no scoring.

The second element of the cyclone will be a set of sewer elbows at 90º and 45º. In advance, we draw your attention to the fact that the position of the corners must correspond to the direction of air flow. Their fastening in the housing cover is carried out according to the following scheme:

The knee is inserted all the way into the side of the socket. Silicone sealant is pre-applied under the side.
FROM reverse side a rubber o-ring is pulled onto the socket with force. To be sure, you can additionally compress it with a screw clamp.

The inlet pipe is located with a narrow turning part inside the bucket, the socket is on the outside almost flush with the lid. The knee must be provided with another turn at 45º and directed obliquely down and tangentially to the wall of the bucket. If the cyclone is made with the expectation of wet cleaning, the extreme elbow should be increased by cutting the pipe, reducing the distance from the bottom to 10-15 cm.

The exhaust pipe is located in the opposite position and its socket is located under the bucket lid. You also need to insert one knee into it so that the air intake occurs at the wall or make two turns for suction from under the center of the lid. The latter is preferable. Don't forget the o-rings, for more secure fixation and to avoid turning the knees, they can be wrapped with plumbing tape.

How to adapt the device for machines and tools

To be able to draw in waste when working with hand and stationary tools, a system of adapters is required. Typically, a vacuum cleaner hose ends in a curved tube, the diameter of which is comparable to the nozzles for power tool dust bags. In extreme cases, you can seal the connection with several layers. double sided tape for mirrors, wrapped with vinyl tape to eliminate stickiness.

With stationary equipment, everything is more complicated. Dust vents have a very different configuration, especially for homemade machines, so we can only give a few useful recommendations:

If the dust extraction of the machine is designed for 110 mm or larger hose, use plumbing adapters with a diameter of 50 mm to connect the corrugated hose of the vacuum cleaner.
For docking with a dust trap of home-made machines, it is convenient to use press fittings for 50 mm HDPE pipes.
When designing the dust collector housing and outlet, use the convection flow created by the moving parts of the tool for greater efficiency. For example: a branch pipe for removing sawdust from circular saw must be tangential to the saw blade.
Sometimes it is required to provide dust extraction from different sides of the workpiece, for example, for band saw or a cutter. Use 50mm sewer tees and corrugated hoses for drains.

Which vacuum cleaner and connection system to use

Usually a vacuum cleaner makeshift cyclone do not choose independently, but use the one that is available. However, there are a number of limitations in addition to the power mentioned above. If you want to continue using the vacuum cleaner for domestic purposes, then at a minimum you will need to find an additional hose.

The beauty of the sewer elbows used in the design is that they ideally fit the diameter of the most common hoses. Therefore, the spare hose can be safely cut into 2/3 and 1/3, a shorter segment must be joined to the vacuum cleaner. The other, longer section, in this form, is refueled into the socket of the cyclone inlet pipe. The maximum that is required in this place is to seal the connection silicone sealant or sanitary duct tape, but usually the planting density is quite high. Especially with the o-ring.

In the video, another example of the manufacture of a cyclone for dust removal in the workshop

To pull a short piece of hose onto the exhaust pipe, the extreme part of the corrugated pipe will have to be leveled. Depending on the diameter of the hose, it may be more convenient to tuck it in. If the straightened edge does not fit slightly on the pipe, it is recommended to warm it up a little with a hair dryer or an indirect flame. gas burner. The latter is considered an excellent option, because this way the connection will be located optimally in relation to the direction of the moving stream.

Owners of small workshops and just home craftsmen often have to deal with the problem of air purification after intensive work on woodworking, grinding metal surfaces etc. Conventional ventilation of the room will not help here, you will need to install specialized equipment. With known skills, you can do it yourself.

Purpose and characteristics of cyclones

The cyclone is a specialized air cleaning unit (although similar units are also used as chip extractors, sawdust and other waste disposal agents).

As air purifiers, industrial designs of cyclones should provide suction and dust removal with an efficiency of at least 85 ... 90%, with dust removal of fragments with a size of at least 10 ... 12 microns. They are equipped various designs filters. The most effective are electrostatic precipitators, which simultaneously remove static electricity from dust particles.

The principle of operation of the cyclone is as follows. Air enters the volute-shaped inlet space of the cyclone at a high speed (up to 20 m/s), for which fans are usually used. The air containing dust particles is swirled, after which it enters the conical cavity of the apparatus. Features of the geometric structure of the cyclone cause a gradual increase in the speed of the air flow containing dust and other waste. In the process of this, the heavier dust particles separate from the lighter ones. The former settle to the bottom, while the latter, moving in a cone-shaped space, fall into the dust collector, from where they can be easily removed using a bucket or a sealed container. Purified air is removed to the atmosphere through a 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.
The operational requirements for cyclones include the following parameters:
allowable dispersion of particles that enter the cyclone, microns.
process efficiency, which is expressed in the maximum weight concentration of particles after dust removal, in g/mm 3 ;
cyclone performance, m 3 /h;
boundary temperature of air or gas entering the cyclone mouth (more typical for gas cleaning systems than dust removal systems) - usually up to 400 ... 600 ° C;
internal diameter of the cyclone, mm.

Except purely design requirements, there are also conditions quality installation air cleaners. For example, when the gaps in the air duct connections are exceeded, air leakage often occurs, in which the performance of separating dust from air is sharply reduced. The allowable value of suction should not be more than 6 ... 8%.
Cyclones not only remove dust from the surrounding air, but can also provide clean indoor air.

Household cyclone design
There are no universal cyclones for various cleaning operations. For example, a chip blower should have increased pipe wall strength to prevent premature wear. With regard to a cyclone designed to collect and remove sawdust, it is important to provide for minimal losses in the suction ducts. Providing a cyclone for the purpose of air purification from cement dust arising from construction works Oh, Special attention focus on filter design.
AT living conditions The most versatile are cyclones that purify the air from coarse dust. By changing the design of filters, such devices can be made for dust removal purposes, as a chip extractor, for cleaning air from sawdust in a woodworking workshop (for example, at an existing sawmill).
The components of this unit are:
body - includes a conical and cylindrical parts, and the shape of the conical part has a predominant effect on the quality of the process;
branch pipe - one or more, where the source polluted air enters;
exhaust pipe designed to remove dust-free air;
inlet filter (or their system) as a chip extractor;
receiving bucket;
drive motor;
fan.

All of the listed parts / assemblies can be purchased or made by hand.
Motor selection
Since a home-made cyclone is installed in the workshop, the main parameter of the engine is its power and the number of revolutions of the rotor. In the presence of a fan, the engine power does not matter much, since dust particles are still in a working machine, sawmill, etc. will not hit. However, the power and diameter of the volute of the cyclone must be interconnected. With a snail wheel diameter of up to 300 ... 350 mm, a high-speed (required!) Engine 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, an engine from 1 kW is accepted.
The power of the electric motor increases significantly if you plan to equip it yourself homemade device outside the premises. Free space will increase, but the cleaning efficiency will decrease, mainly due to losses in the ducts. It is also worth noting that in the cold season, such a home-made cyclone will effectively “pull” heat from the workshop.
A good option should be to recognize the purchase of an electric motor complete with a receiving volute, the number of which determines consumer capabilities homemade system air purification. Most common for domestic use the parameters of the snails and the recommended electric motors for them are given in the table:
The systems are supplied with rubber vibration isolators. They are able to create operating pressure from 0.8 kPa and above.
When choosing (or making with your own hands) a snail, preference must be given to a radial air intake pattern than a tangential one.

In the latter case, unproductive losses increase for a self-made snail, and the inertia of the particle selection method for the variant with a chip ejector will be very low.
When choosing an engine, it must be taken into account that the air velocity in the device cannot be less than 2.5 ... 3 m / s. With unsatisfactory cleaning, the elements of a home-made cyclone as a chip extractor (filter, bucket) are quickly clogged with chips, sawdust and other small waste.
Manufacturing of cyclone elements
On specialized Internet forums, you can find drawings of all the components of the unit that are available in order to make them yourself. From improvised means, an alteration of a household (or better, an industrial) vacuum cleaner is often made. Additionally required:
a set of hoses made of translucent corrugated material (this will facilitate visual control of dust particles that have settled inside). For a chip blower, rubber hoses are more practical;
a soundproof box that will perform two functions - it will provide a reduction in the noise level in the workshop, and additional protection of all machines and power tools located there from static electricity periodically accumulated by dust. To this end, the box can be made with your own hands from plywood, and from the inside you can finish it with any type of sound insulator;
air ducts for purified air: they are assembled with their own hands from a thin aluminum sheet, and are interconnected by folds;
a container for collecting waste - can be made from a conventional construction bucket with a capacity of 20 liters or more, which is sealed with a corrugated hose with the body of a home-made cyclone;
a filter (a filter from trucks can be used), which is installed on the outlet pipe.

A vacuum cleaner converted with their own hands for the needs of dust removal is checked: first on Idling, driving ordinary air through the system, and then with the connection of the vacuum cleaner to a running machine.

Process machining wooden blanks always accompanied by the release of dust or scattering of chips and sawdust. In modern power tools, it is possible to connect any installations for collecting and discharging wood waste, but their acquisition for domestic needs is not always justified. At the home level, a home-made device successfully copes with the problem of dust removal. Let us consider in detail the procedure for manufacturing a vacuum cleaner for a workshop.

Necessary materials and tools

The basis for the implementation of the project is an old household vacuum cleaner, from which the following components are used:
motor part;
Power regulator;
Power wire;
suction hose;
Nozzles.

For the homemade case, a polyethylene barrel with a capacity of 50–80 liters is selected, always with a fixed lid. You will also need:
piece of plastic sewer pipe diameter 50 mm;
Plywood 5–10 mm thick;
Bolts and nuts M6 - 14 pieces each;
Strip of galvanized sheet;
Air filter from a minibus;
220 Volt switch;
Threaded stud with washers and nuts;
Construction sealant;
Sandpaper;
Glue sticks;
Drain corrugated hose for washing machine;
Electrical corrugation PND 32.

Docking nodes are made of plastic tubes and fittings, selected depending on the size of the nozzles on the tools and the diameters of the suction hoses of the vacuum cleaner. The list of tools used:
Glue gun;
Drill;
Locksmith keys;
Screwdrivers;
wire cutters;
Electric jigsaw;
Sharp knife;
Files;
Sealant gun.

Workshop vacuum cleaner manufacturing process
Stepping back from the top about 100 mm, a hole is marked on the wall of the barrel for the inlet pipe and drilled with a drill. Then, with a knife, the hole is oval-shaped so that the inner end of the pipe is placed close to the wall and directed downward at a slight angle. Degrease the surfaces to be joined and, using glue gun, fix the pipe in place.

In the same "hot" way, an adapter for the suction hose is fixed on the outer part of the pipe.

With a jigsaw, two circles are cut out of plywood with a diameter slightly smaller than that of the barrel lid. First, two holes are made in the blanks for the bolts and the parts are fixed with them on both sides of the cover. Next, drill the rest of the holes, remove the circles and remove the burrs with a sandpaper. Sealant is applied around the perimeter of the blanks, the parts are placed on the lid and the fasteners are fully installed. In the center of the plywood circles, a hole is made for the stud, and a little to the side - for the air intake by the motor unit.

Remove from the air filter with wire cutters. metal mesh, otherwise it will become clogged with sawdust and interfere with the cleaning of the vacuum cleaner. One end of the cylinder is closed with a plywood plug.

The prepared filter element is fixed on the stud with a wing nut.

The motor part, as a rule, has a round shape. Therefore, for ease of installation, plastic parts in which the engine was located are cut out from the body of the old vacuum cleaner. Thanks to them, to fix the unit on the lid of the barrel, you only need one clamp, made from a strip of tin.

A switch and a power regulator are placed next to the engine, placing the latter in a suitable box. It remains to connect the elements together with wires and connect the cable with a plug. After making sure that the connections are correct and that there are no exposed contacts, they supply power and check the operation of the device.

The standard suction hose of a household vacuum cleaner is too short - it is extended with a corrugated pipe for wiring or other similar product.

Manufacture of nozzles and adapters

Cleanliness in the workshop begins with a workbench. To clean the workplace, a standard brush is used, which comes with the household appliance.

The nozzle is connected by means of a rubber adapter cut off from a tube of the appropriate caliber, for example, from the branch pipe of the car's cooling system.

One of the most littering power tools is an electric planer. The ejection fitting of the tool is large enough, most likely, the hose of the vacuum cleaner will be connected without problems.

The design does not provide for a filling sensor - at first you should look inside more often, preventing the vacuum cleaner from overflowing.

Cleanliness and order in the home workshop is the result of do-it-yourself work, achieved with a minimum of cash investment.

A home vacuum cleaner is so familiar to the household that no one thinks about the principle of its operation. Since the invention of this cleaning assistant, it has been used exclusively possible way separation of dust from clean air - filter.

Over the years, the filter element has been improved, from a banal bag of thick tarpaulin, it has turned into high-tech membranes that hold the smallest particles of debris. At the same time, it was not possible to get rid of the main drawback.

Filter makers are constantly looking for a compromise between cell density and air throughput. In addition, the dirtier the membrane, the worse the air flow through it.
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. Needless to say, this idea was not new. Industrial sawmills have been using centrifugal scorch and chip accumulators of the "cyclone" type for a long time.

But no one guessed to apply this physical phenomenon in everyday life. In 1986, he registered a patent for the first cyclone type vacuum cleaner, called G-Force.

In general, there are three ways to separate dust from clean air:

filter membrane. The most massive and cheap way remove dust. Used in most modern vacuum cleaners;
Water filter. Air with garbage passes through a container of water (like in a hookah), all particles remain in a liquid medium, and a perfectly clean air stream enters the outlet. Such devices have gained popularity, but their use has not become widespread due to the high cost.
Centrifugal dry cleaning filter of the "cyclone" type. It is a compromise in terms of cost and quality of cleaning in comparison with a membrane and a water filter. Let's take a closer look at this model.

The principle of operation of the cyclone

The illustration shows the processes taking place in the cyclone filter chamber.

Polluted air enters the cylindrical filter housing (2) through the pipe (1). The branch pipe is located tangentially to the walls of the housing, due to which the air flow (3) is twisted into a spiral along the walls of the cylinder.

Under the action 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 debris particles (which are not affected by centrifugal force) enters the chamber (6) with a conventional membrane filter. After the final cleaning, they exit to the intake fan (7).

Very often, after repair and construction work, there is a lot of debris and dust that can only be removed with a powerful vacuum cleaner. Since the usual home appliance not suitable for these purposes, it is used, the filter for which may be homemade. How to make a cyclone for a vacuum cleaner with your own hands, so that the unit can effectively cope with the cleaning of construction dust?

Those whose work is constantly connected with repair, construction and carpentry, know firsthand the problem of cleaning the premises after the completion of direct work. Construction wood dust, crumbling plaster, the smallest grains of foam plastic and drywall usually settle in a dense layer on all horizontal surfaces of the room. Wiping by hand or sweeping with a broom is not always possible, because with a large area of \u200b\u200bthe room, such cleaning will take a long time. Wet cleaning also often impractical: a mixture of water and thick dust is even more difficult to wipe off.

In this case optimal solution – vacuum cleaner application. The standard vacuum cleaner that we are used to using in everyday life will not work. First, due to a large number the dust collector will instantly become clogged, and you will need to clean it at least once every 15-20 minutes. Secondly, the ingress of large particles, such as splinters, sawdust or wood chips, can cause clogging or a complete malfunction of the device.

A construction vacuum cleaner has a much higher vacuum than a household one. Features of its engine provide long work, and the presence of a long hose (3-4 m or more) allows you to clean a large area.

However, industrial and construction vacuum cleaners have large dimensions, are not very convenient to use, clean and move, and are not affordable for everyone. Therefore, many craftsmen increase the capabilities of a household vacuum cleaner by supplying it with a special cyclone filter. Such dust collectors can be bought both in finished form, and you can assemble your own version yourself.

We make a cyclone ourselves

In world wide web you can find many detailed diagrams and drawings of cyclones. Let's give an example of making a simple filter that can be assembled at home, having necessary materials, patience and a little skill. For work you will need:

Any oil filter for small debris (these can be bought at auto supply stores).
20-25 l container with tightly screwed lid.
Polypropylene elbow with 45° and 90° angles.
The pipe is about a meter long.
Corrugated hose 2 meters long.

Make a hole in the lid of the main container. The width of the hole is adapted to the polypropylene elbow with an angle of 90°.
Seal existing gaps with sealant.
On the side wall of the container, make another hole and attach a 45° angle.
Connect the corrugated hose and elbow with a pipe. Tilt the outlet hose towards the bottom so that air with debris is directed along the required path.
On the filter, you can put on a material made of nylon or other permeable fabric in a fine mesh. This will prevent large particles from entering the filter.
Next, connect the elbow on the cover and the filter outlet.

Of course, this is only a brief and approximate scheme for creating a cyclone. We present to your attention a video where, in detail and with a good example, it is shown how to make a filter from improvised materials.

We check the made filter for tightness, as well as for suction quality. Garbage should be collected at the bottom of the tank or settle on the walls.

If everything is assembled correctly, suction will occur efficiently and at high speed.