Modern Computer Filters Offer Simple, Low-Cost Dust Protection
Posted: Wednesday, February 27, 2008
by Computer Dust Solutions
Computer Dust Solutions
Computer filters provide dust and dirt protection for your PC. A common concern is that adding a computer filter to the air inlet port near the power supply fan may do little to block dust and dirt from entering the computer unit. Modern computers have numerous internal fans and it is often difficult to differentiate between the air intake and exhaust. Some fans are used just to circulate internal air. A simple computer filter on the back of a PC is not going to work for the long term.
Computer filters used on computer cabinets also do a poor job protecting your computer from dust and dirt in the long term. One reason is because most computer cabinets require you to open the cabinet to operate the computer, for instance to access the CDROM or floppy drive. These operational requirements allow dust to bypass the cabinet dust filter and traps dust within the cabinet which eventually will be pulled inside the PC and settle there. This is completely preventable with a dust bag filter.
It is very important to use computer filters with PCs used in industrial or workshop situations where dust and dirt can very rapidly reduce the reliability and lifespan of the computer. Critical computer components exposed to dust and dirt, particularly the mechanical components like the keyboard and CD-ROM, can cease to operate without warning, and many times cannot be repaired once damaged by these contaminants. Studies have shown that dust can fill an unprotected computer in a matter of days, causing it to overheat. And metal dust can cause circuits to short-out, introducing a new workshop hazard. Dust bag style computer filters can do a lot to minimize these issues.
A problem with traditional computer filters is that they are designed to capture dust without impacting the amount of air that can enter the computer for cooling. This requires them to be fairly porous with the filter designed to capture the larger dust particles and allowing smaller dust particles and other airborne particles to pass through. The small surface area of the standard filter means that the air-flow must be relatively high, and dust and dirt collecting in the filter material quickly begins to restrict air flow. This problem is ameliorated by the larger dust bag, where the huge surface area of the filter translates into lower air-flow speed and a larger area to spread the dust trying to enter the computer. The lower air-flow speed also ensures less dust makes it through the filter material, especially smaller dust particles and airborne mists.
A small investment in a dust filter can provide a level of insurance that your computer equipment will operate when you need it to, and not wear out before its time. Dust bag style computer filters are especially effective, easy to install and inexpensive.
yes this was very helpful but I think the best solution is a Nema Computer enclosure made of durable plastic. thompsonplasticvalley com. This new invention has a pleated dust filter to catch the dust and to solve the problem that a lot of enclosures have a porous sintered plastic air filter 50 microns pore size with a 1/4 inch x 4 inch x 4 inch is downstream of the air intake fan of this outer NEMA enclosure. The fan power is 200 CFM and is an axial tube type fan. The pressure drop is alot but actually the same amount of air passes through the plastic filter as the dirt bag. So what really makes this a great product is the fact that that a back pressure is created at the filter and moves in the negative direction. So the dust is trapped on the surface of the top pleated air filter that sits in a plastic retainer assembly with fan guard . This assembly has a top retainer piece with a grill pattern cut into it and fits vaccumm tight. It is held in place with velcro tabs, but a neoprene seal compresses down against the filter frame. So this top filter is really sufficient in itself to capture more dust than the bags and the standard polyester filter media. The filter material is cut from a furnace filter but has its own frame aproximately 4.5 x 4.5 x 1 " dimensions. The dust cabinets on the market all operate on the positive air displacement principle. However, What is unique about this thompson plastic design is the use of the poruous plastic lower filter. In itself it can be a filter that you would never have to change as it is not possible for the dust to settle on the top of this filter with the fan above it and the fact that the small pores only let in the clean air that you need. The negative backpressure created is actually a fluidized beg of air used in air stripping tanks. Therefore air cleanlines, oders, corrosive gases, moisture, chemicals can be kept out of your pc and greatly increase its life expectency. The inventor also has a digital controled Termoelectric cold plate AC that has a set point that you can control your self to set the temperature because as I am sure you know todays PC's Apple, Dell, HP, Compaq all have faster microprocessors and that means they generate a heck of a lot more heat. My laptop gets pretty hot and when tose fans turn on they run for a while to cool it. My tower PC works the same way and there is more stuff to cool. I think its hotter. So what really impressed me was not the Valley Plastic Ac option or the Kevlar bullet reinforced plastic door and frame but actually the way the air purification works. It is actually a good idea. In that filter assembly two cartrides about 4 inches long 1 x 1 inch are filled with an active carbon impregnated air filter strip and activated aluimina Zeaolites with carbon in the for the pellets. Above this porous plastic air filter and below the fan on both sides these plastic cartiges are located. An air pump which is like a tiny air compressor forces air through a tube into the bottom end of this plastic cartrige and as this air moves through the zeolite and carbon pellets it sucks in the air that can be contaminated by any gas or moisture that is in this area between the fan which is blowing downward into the porous plastic air filter. In this fluidized air bed region all kinds of air contaminants which are heavier than the less dense air that can only pass through the porous plastic are then purified when they are vaccummed into the side air fitlers cartridges containing the activated alumina and carbon. So this was great for me because we had H20 gas that was turning into sulfuric acid and corroding our computer motherboards and creating silver wiskers often before the boards were corroded. So With the cartridges and the fluidized bed our problem is solved completely. Not the ordinary problem for most industrial environments but we feal the air is even a bit cleaner. And the dust never gets in the computer with the porous plastic air filter on the bottom. We are running a test on some know with just that lower plastic filter and it seems like the whole problem on dust is solved with this porous plastic 50 micron or even 100 micron filter because the back pressure creates a layer or cushion of air that dust cannot penetrate. So it seems like you can run this Valley Plastics TM PC Computer Dust Cover without ever having to change a single bag or air filter ever. And with the Kevlar it is real lightweight and strong so I imagine it could survive just about anywhere. It should last for years and the axial fans are the ones everyone is using in most computer dust covers.Whether is be a NEMA industrial PC, a cabinet a cover, whatever you choose to call it it works and it is a low price. check it out for yourself my goal is to help you make the right choice as I did. In the long run you will thank me.
Yes but the rebuttal was a bit too long. Let me sum it up. After reading the Plexiglas Computer dust Solution by Kelly Williams which was published on the Thompson website the sentiments of IBM provide the insight that all of us are need to be aware of when selecting a dust filtration enclosure or cover for the shop or warehouse.:
1. The IBM patent for the laptop was never marketed to consumers and shelved after a team of computer engineers developed it.
2. The bag type filter for the laptop has a spacer fabricated into the bag itself to keep a critical air space between the computer air intake port and the filter media.
3. This seemed important so we tested it and it turned out that it is very important if you are going to use the DIRTBAG TM product even for a server and especially for a laser printer because of the intense heat form the laser! Oh boy. That gets hot.
4. Also the material that IBM used for the filter is only manufactured in the UK and is not sold in the United States. The dirt bag is a different material and seems to work just fine.
5. We like the dirt bag as your friends do Eric and the price of a metal or ABS plastic enclosure is very costly until we found the Valley Plastic TM PC Computer cover by THOMPSON TM Innovative Plexiglas PLASTICS
Prices on the enclosures are too high ABS is the material everyone is using except THOMPSON and Dustsheild they are using a similar grey plastic for the casing. In particular, since DUSTSHEILD sells $1.5 million a year in these computer enclosures annually in the USA They have experience to vouch for the quality of the ABS substitute electronics plastic enclosure. But the price was still too high for our CFO to and MIS staff to justify the purchase because of the maintain costs on the air filters and the depreciable life of the asset. Basically, the price is too high and we can just buy another computer in 4 years. We wanted to see some savings in the purchase price which we got from the credit in the deal from Thompson.
6. Also, and the THOMPSON family has a history of leadership in plastics fabrication for 30 years when Valley Plastics was founded by the inventor's father so that was why I was not surprised by the low prices and the more durable design for just the basic box itself. So that closed the sale for me not to mention that we get a real kick out the advertising THOMPSON runs on the net to promote the VALLEY TM Cover.
Solution:
We are all sons of our Viking fathers 456 1903 when I see the commitment to the search for excellence that Mr. THOMPSON has made in the VALLEY PLASTICS TM COMPUTER DUST CABINET.
So far the ShopShield works great in my wood shop. Inexpensive and easy to install. A little ugly though, so you may not want to use it in your front office. I will report back on how it keeps the dust out.