An air-cleaning blower for ventilating traction equipment

AN air-cleaning blower has been developed which will economically exclude most of the dirt, rain, or snow from the air used for ventilating traction motors on electric, diesel-electric, and gas-turbine-electric locomotives. An axial flow fan is used. Separation is accomplished by spinning the air stream and depending upon inertia of the foreign particles to cause them to separate from the air. Cleaning efficiencies of over 70 per cent have been realized with the materials encountered in air used for locomotive ventilation. By reducing the major cause of electrical troubles and insulation failures, air cleaning has increased the reliability and cut down the maintenance cost of traction motors on locomotives where it has been used.