Engine air particle separator with fluid scavenge pump

Claim 1

An air filter adapted to be attached to the inlet of an air breathing engine and including: A. an inner wall member shaped to define a passageway therewithin having an inlet opening and an outlet opening adapted to be connected to an air breathing engine inlet in axial alignment, B. an outer wall member communicating with atmosphere and enveloping said inner wall member and spaced therefrom to define a chamber therebetween, C. a plurality of centrifugal separator tube members each extending between and through said wall members and having an inlet connected to said outer wall to communicate with atmosphere external of said outer wall member and also having a clean air outlet connected to said inner wall and communicating with said passageway within said inner wall member and further having a separated particle outlet into said chamber, and still further having means to apply centrifugal force to the atmospheric air between said inlet and said separated particle outlet so that material separated from the atmospheric air in passing through said centrifugal force applying means will enter said chamber and clean air will enter said passageway, D. means connecting said wall members to said separator tube members and to each other so that the only gas flow paths between said wall members is through said separator tube members, E. scavenge means connected to said chamber and applying a suction thereto to scavenge the separated material therefrom, F. and door means positioned in said inlet opening of said inner wall member and mounted and shaped to be movable between a first position to block air flow into said passageway so that all air entering said passageway must pass through said centrifugal separator tube members and a second position to permit air flow through said inlet opening and into said passageway, G. a fluid scavenge pump comprising: 1. tube means mounted in the bottom of said inner wall member and having an inlet opening into the inner wall member interior and oriented to constitute a drain therefrom and having an outlet and including: a. annular ejector defining means near the inlet of said tube means shaped to define an annular passage around said tube means and an annular ejector outlet therefrom oriented to discharge along the inner wall of said tube means toward the outlet end thereof so that fluid passed through said annular ejector defining means will create a suction to cause accumulated fluid to scavenge from said housing and through said tube means.