This fan has a filter screen that is built like a conveyor belt, that passes over both sides of the fan. The dirt would catch in the filter before reaching the fan, then on the outlet side the filter would be blown clean again.-- mitxela, Oct 18 2016 Inspiration Lintless_20duct_20blower [mitxela, Oct 18 2016] Particle Removal by Electrostatic and Dielectrophoretic Forces for Dust Control During Lunar Exploration Missions https://ntrs.nasa.g...gov/20130012970.pdfLunar dust is charged, but terran dust should be chargible too right? [Voice, Oct 21 2016] Bun as promised.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 18 2016 Of course, you should have patented this _before_ posting...-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 18 2016 I suspect it probably has already been patented, like every other idea ever.-- mitxela, Oct 18 2016 You might want to discuss that with [2fries].-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 18 2016 Since most systems are designed to collect the dust, but this one isn't (it merely keeps the fan clean during extraction), there doesn't seem to be anything like this out there (but I'll keep digging... not that Google knows everything). This is a good idea, as long as the benefits of a cleaner fan and less maintenance offset the expense of complexity and greater power usage (admittedly, it won't be much power...).-- neutrinos_shadow, Oct 18 2016 While trawling Google for prior art, I came up with the perfect target market for this system: computer cooling fans. Run the conveyor around the outside of the parts to be cooled, so both the fan and the motherboard/whatever are inside the belt; dust from the room doesn't get into the guts. It will reduce the cooling efficiency somewhat, and the case will need a more defined air inlet and outlet (more "duct", less "a bunch of air holes somewhere").-- neutrinos_shadow, Oct 18 2016 (+) Make sure the rollers aren't made of too dissimilar materials or any metal ducting might have some kind of Van de Graaff effect from the static.
muhaha-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 19 2016 Build it around the computer itself and it would look like some weird Star Trek force field. [+]-- whatrock, Oct 19 2016 /The trouble is, it'll blow the same dust back out there into the air,/ That is why I did not think the linked blower scheme would be good for cooling small items - these coolers just move ambient air around.
If there is any issue with the fact that this concept, as described, makes insufficient use of flames may I suggest that the screen duck under a baffle on return back under the fan. Under the baffle are flames (or possibly hot wires if one does not want to hook it up to the gas) which burn off any remaining tiny adherent particles not blown free.-- bungston, Oct 19 2016 Having personally pulled big wads of dust from around my computer's fans, while realizing how much thermal stress it must have been putting on the computer, I would like to see this idea applied to computer cooling. [+]-- Alvin, Oct 19 2016 <old joke> My mate used to collect old farm equipment. He's an ex-tractor fan. <\oj>-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 19 2016 Thanks, [MaxwellBuchanan]; that's just the right amount of silly for a Thursday morning :-D-- neutrinos_shadow, Oct 19 2016 If the filter belt is woven in a way such that fan air flowing by tends to push it along the same direction the belt is meant to travel, there may be no need for motor or mechanism to move the belt.
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If dust traps are well placed downstream of the entire fan and filter, they could be come clogged and overflowing and still not drop the fans efficiency.-- popbottle, Oct 20 2016 I did a search for the performance-size curve for fans but I couldn't find anything useful. The question at hand is whether the smallest possible fan can successfully dislodge the smallest likely Detritus. I think not, and that electrostatic removal is a much better option.-- Voice, Oct 21 2016 ^ Yes.
//I suspect it probably has already been patented, like every other idea ever.[mitxela]
You might want to discuss that with [2fries]. [MaxwellBuchanan] //
Sorry [Max] I didn't notice you fawning over me again until you changed [21q] to [2fries].
There are many new things under the sun.Yes Virginia... there is an easter bunny.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 21 2016 //changed [21q] to [2fries]// Yes - names with digits sometimes confuse me. Sorry about that.
Any luck with the dowsing yet?-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 23 2016 Maybe.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 24 2016 // Probably using a möbius strip. //
That would be ideal, because it would never wear out - only one side is ever used.-- 8th of 7, Oct 29 2016 random, halfbakery