Patent attributes
A centrifugal separator comprises a filtered-gas passageway, a spinner, and a drive mechanism. The filtered-gas passageway has an inlet. The spinner is configured and adapted to rotate about a spinner axis relative to the filtered-gas passageway, and has an inner cavity, a gas permeable outer wall, and a plurality of protrusions that extend radially outward from the gas permeable outer wall relative to the spinner axis. The inner cavity of the spinner is operatively connected to the inlet of the filtered-gas passageway. The drive mechanism is adapted to rotate the spinner about the spinner axis at a rate such that the protrusions prevent particulates from passing through the gas permeable outer wall and into the inner cavity of the spinner and such that gaseous matter is able to pass through the gas permeable outer wall, into the inner cavity, and thereafter into the filtered-gas passageway via the inlet.