Aerometals’ (Booth C429) latest engine inlet barrier filter (IBF) products represent a significant leap forward in IBF design, the company says. The company is using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to assess airflow characteristics around and through the filter, resulting in a lighter and more efficient design. Among the most recent of filters to employ this design approach is the flat Airbus H130 (EC130T2) IBF, which last summer received an FAA STC.
“The old way of designing a filter was very simple: the more filter area you have, the more dirt you can collect,” said Tony Bohm, who formerly directed business development for the Northern California-based parts manufacturer. “Using CFD, we found that the old way didn’t take into account how the air is flowing, and the airflow around a rotorcraft is incredibly complex. Nearly 25 percent of the old curved element was not being used because air was not flowing through it. That’s what led us to the flat filter, which is nearly two pounds lighter and quite a bit smaller than the old design.”
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