A Comparative Study of Helicopter Engine Particle Separators

Particle separators are fitted to helicopter engine intakes to remove potentially harmful dust from the influent air. Their use is necessary in desert environments to eliminate the risk of rapid engine wear and subsequent power deterioration. However, their employment is concomitant with an inherent loss in inlet pressure and, in some cases, auxiliary power. There are three main technologies: vortex tubes, barrier filters, and integrated inlet particle separators. The present study compares the pros and cons of each device, applying where possible analytical theory, and using computational methods to generate performance data. The vortex tube separators are found to achieve the lowest pressure drop, whereas the barrier filters exhibit the highest particle removal rate. The integrated inlet particle separator creates the lowest drag. The barrier filter and vortex tube separators are much superior to the integrated particle separator in improving the engine lifetime, based on erosion by uncaptured particles. The erosion rate predicted when vortex tube separators are used is two times that of a barrier filter; however, the latter experiences a temporal (but recoverable post-cleaning) loss of approximately 1% power