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K&N Engineering, Inc. Manufacturer of the World's Best Filters

K&N Efficiency Testing Procedure


Filtration Test Stand

Full-Life Efficiency Test Standard Operating Procedure
In conformity with Draft International Standard DIS/ISO 5011


‘Inlet air cleaning equipment for internal combustion engines and compressors – Performance testing’

K&N Engineering Test Lab

K&N Engineering, Inc. USA
Riverside, CA.

K&N Performance Filters

Standard test conditions
The room temperature should be 23°C ± 5°C. The relative humidity should be (55 ± 15)% before testing is started. The allowed fluctuation during testing is 2% R.H.


 


Control Room
  1. Turn on the computer.
Control Room
 
Blower Control Unit
  1. Turn on the blower control unit by turning the black switch on front of the box to ‘on’. A damper is installed in the blower circuit to prevent air from flowing while the blower is turned off. Make sure this damper is in open position. The switch is located on the left side of the blower control unit. Wait untill only the green light is on. This can take approximately 1 minute.
Blower Control Unit
 
Program Main menu
  1. Double click Shortcut to K&N Filter DAQ on the desktop screen to start the program. The main menu appears.
     
  2. Condition the absolute filter at 110% of the rated flow of ambient air for 15 minutes to reduce any subsequent errors in measurements caused by losses of fibers or materials. The conditioning of the absolute filter can be performed in the Manual Test Mode. Walk through the following steps to condition the absolute filter.
Program Main menu
 
Assortment of test fixtures
  1. Install test filter in the test stand.
Assortment of test fixtures for various size air filters
 
Absolute filter housing
  1. Lower the jacks supporting the air outlet tube in order to be able to lower the absolute filter.
     
  2. Lower the absolute filter by pressing the red button on front of the test stand.
Absolute filter housing
 
Absolute filter
  1. Carefully slide out the absolute filter.
Absolute filter
 
Drying Oven
  1. Dry the absolute filter in a ventilated oven at a constant temperature of 105°C ± 5°C until mass stabilization has been reached. If stabilization cannot be determined, a minimum time of 4 hours is required. Weigh the filter inside the oven and write down the exact mass to the nearest 0.01 g.
     
  2. Slide in the absolute filter. Press the two green buttons on front of the test stand at the same time to raise the absolute filter. Subsequently raise the jacks supporting the air outlet tube.
Drying Oven
 
System measurements from console
  1. Record ambient temperature, ambient pressure and relative humidity.
System measurements from console
 
Coarse & Fine Test Dust
  1. Before using the test dust, mix a quantity sufficient to cover the test requirements in a sealed container for a minimum of 15 minutes. Subsequently store the dust at a constant temperature of 105°C ± 5°C until mass stabilization has been reached. Now let the dust acclimatize to Standard test conditions.
Coarse & Fine Test Dust
 
Test information tab
Test information tab
  1. Double click Shortcut to K&N Filter DAQ on the desktop screen to start the program.  In the main menu click Automated Test Mode.  The Test Information tab appears.

    Fill out the test number, the part number and other required specifications.

 
Test parameters tab
Test parameters tab

Test selection screen
Test selection screen

Full-Life Efficiency & Dust Capacity Test Screen
Full-Life Efficiency & Dust Capacity Test Screen
  1. Click Test Parameters tab. Now the desired test should be selected.
     
  2. Efficiency and dust capacity test
    Make sure the button next to Efficiency and Dust Capacity Test is green. This indicates that the concerned test is selected. Fill out the desired parameters at Air Flow Rate and Dust Feed Rate. Based on the air flow, calculate the test dust feed rate using a dust concentration of 1.0 g/m3 of air. This means that Air Flow Rate and Dust Feed Rate should have the same values. In special cases (e.g. small filters) 0.25 g/m3 or 0.5 g/m3 may be allowed. Choose for ISO 12103-A2 (ISO fine) or ISO 12103-A4 (ISO coarse) test dust.  In absence of an agreement on the dust: for single stage filters use ISO Fine test dust and for multi stage filters use ISO Coarse test dust.
    At the field Termination Criteria on bottom of the screen, enter the terminating differential or restriction pressure.

    Press Return to go to the next screen.
     
  3. Click Run Efficiency & Dust Capacity Test. The ‘Efficiency & Dust Capacity Test’ screen appears.
 
Test dust being loaded into feeder
  1. Load dust from the container into the feeder and click Read Scale to enter starting mass of dust in feeder. Record the mass of dust.

    Click the button Press when Ready to Start Test.

    Now the test starts.  The blower will turn on and the air flow will be increased until the set air flow rate from point 14 is reached.  If the air flow rate has stabilized, let the blower run for at least 15 minute to condition the test filter.

Test dust being loaded into feeder
 
Air filter weight
  1. Weigh the test filter.
Air filter weight
 
Test dust being fed into test system
  1. Now go to the Measurements tab and click Record Initial Delta P and Start Dust Feeder. This will start up the dust feeder.

    The test ends automatically when the termination criteria from point 15 are reached.

Test dust being fed into test system
 
Test system
  1. Record ambient temperature, ambient pressure and relative humidity.
     
  2. Carefully collect the dust on the exterior surfaces of the test assembly (i.e. air box, not the test filter element itself) or other parts attached to the intake side of the test stand and transfer this to the dust feeder.

    Determine the mass of dust that is still in the dust feeder using the scale of the dust feeder. Record the mass of dust left in the feeder to the nearest 0.1 g.

     

Test system
 
Air filter after test
  1. Carefully remove the test filter without losing any dust. Note any evidence of seal leakage or unusual conditions. Weigh the test filter in grams to within 1% of the actual value.
     
  2. Brush any observed dust on the downstream side of the intake tract onto the absolute filter.
     
  3. Lower the jacks supporting the air outlet tube in order to be able to lower the absolute filter housing.
     
  4. Lower the absolute filter by pressing the red button on front of the test stand.


 

Air filter after test
 
Absolute filter removal
  1. Carefully slide out the absolute filter without losing any dust.
Absolute filter removal
 
Absolute filter being dried in oven
Absolute filter being dried in oven
  1. Dry the absolute filter in a ventilated oven at a constant temperature of 105°C ± 5°C until mass stabilization has been reached. If stabilization cannot be determined, a minimum time of 4 hours is required. Weigh the filter inside the oven and write down the exact mass to the nearest 0.01 g.
     
  2. Slide in the absolute filter. Press the two green buttons on front of the test stand at the same time to raise the absolute filter. Subsequently raise the jacks supporting the air outlet tube.
     
  3. Shut down program and test stand.
 
Pressure collapse test
To complete the ISO test series, a pressure collapse test should be performed in Manual Test Mode on the used filter element.

Increase airflow through the test stand and if necessary, feed dust at any convenient rate until the specified differential pressure is reached or until element collapse is indicated by a decrease in differential pressure or increase in airflow.  Record the maximum differential pressure attained, the reason for terminating the test and the condition of the element after the test.

Test end


Filtration Test Formula’s

  • Total Mass of Dust Fed [g] (scale reading) =
    Mass of Dust in Hopper before Test [g] – Mass of Dust in Hopper after Test [g]


  • Effective Mass of Dust Fed to Test Filter [g] =
    Total Mass of Dust Fed [g] (scale reading) – Mass of Dust in Air Filter Housing [g]


  • Increase in Mass of Absolute Filter [g] =
    Mass of Absolute Filter after Test  [g] – Mass of Absolute Filter before Test [g]


  • Increase in Mass of Test Filter [g] =
    Mass of Test Filter after Test [g] – Mass of Test Filter before Test [g]


  • Initial Efficiency [%] =

    Initial Efficiency Formula

     
  • Cumulative Efficiency [%] =

    Cumulative Efficiency Formula

  • Material Balance of Test Dust [-] =

    Material Balance of Test Dust Formula

  • Dust Capacity [g] =

    Dust Capacity Formula

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