Electrospun nylon‐66 nanofiber coated filter media for engine air filtration applications

Abstract Air filtration plays a vital role in the performance and operations of engines, especially for heavy‐duty combat vehicles operating in the desert environment. Conventional cellulose media comprises micro‐fibers exhibiting low filtration efficiency for particles within the range of 0.1 to 0.5 μm (most penetrating particle size, MPPS). Nanofiber coating on cellulose media can increase the filtration efficiency, however, with the penalty of an increase in pressure drop. The features of nylon‐66 nanofibers, such as high mechanical strength, greater thermal stability, and high surface‐to‐volume ratio, will be beneficial for developing nano‐coated filter media. In this study, electrospun nylon‐66 nanofibers were coated over two cellulose‐based filter media and tested on an air filtration test rig that employs a suction‐type blower replicating the realistic condition of a heavy‐duty engine intake. The test rig was fabricated to evaluate the performance of the nano‐coated filter media in terms of pressure drop, filtration efficiency, and quality factor (Q‐factor). The experimental results demonstrated that the nylon‐66 nano‐coated media have higher Q‐factor (in the MPPS range) than the cellulose media due to the increased filtration efficiency compared to the rise in pressure drop. Therefore, such electrospun nylon‐66 nanofiber‐coated air filters can be an alternative to conventional cellulose media.