What is the function of an oil-gas separator?

[McPaislee]

Oil-gas separator is used to separate the engine oil from the gases discharged by the crankcase, reducing the emission of engine oil from the crankcase breather to the outside of the engine. The oil-gas separator is commonly known as the exhaust valve, and some people also call it the pressure control valve. The following is about the principle of the oil-gas separator: The working principle of the oil-gas mixture mainly utilizes the density difference between oil and gas. When the oil-gas mixture enters the separator through the inlet pipeline, it is sprayed onto the oil baffle cap. The dispersed oil slides down along the pipe wall to the lower part of the separator by gravity and is discharged through the oil discharge pipe. At the same time, the gas, due to its lower density, rises and changes its flow direction upwards through the separation umbrella, adhering small oil droplets in the gas to the umbrella wall, which then gather and flow down along the wall.

[DeJudah]

My range hood is equipped with an oil mist separator, and this thing is incredibly practical! With all the heavy cooking fumes in the kitchen, it efficiently separates oil and smoke. Look at that metal filter mesh—it's specifically designed to trap oil particles, allowing the oil to flow down into the oil cup below. The smoke, on the other hand, gets directly sucked out by the fan. Before, the walls would always be covered in a greasy layer after cooking, making cleaning a tiring chore. Now, I only need to clean the oil cup every two months, and the stovetop and walls stay much cleaner. Without this separator, all the oil and smoke would gunk up the fan blades, gradually reducing suction power, and I might even end up spending a fortune to replace the entire range hood.

[SanSpencer]

Structurally, the oil fume separator is typically composed of multiple layers of metal mesh or polymer materials, primarily utilizing the principles of centrifugal force and condensation effects. When the oil fume mixture passes through the metal filter, the higher-density oil mist particles collide with the filter mesh in the high-speed airflow, adhere, and condense, forming liquid oil droplets that flow into the oil collection tray. Meanwhile, the gaseous particles in the oil fume are adsorbed and expelled by the fan. This physical separation process can reduce kitchen oil fume particulate emissions by over 60%, with actual measurements showing the oil collection tray separating approximately 3 milliliters of grease per minute, making it both environmentally friendly and practical. It is recommended to dismantle and clean the filter mesh quarterly to prevent clogging and maintain efficiency.

[DelElliott]

The key to oil fume separation lies in health protection. When cooking oil is used for high-temperature frying, it produces carcinogens such as acrolein and benzopyrene. The separator traps these harmful oil fumes through multi-layer metal filters. In my home test, the PM2.5 level from frying steak reached over 800, but dropped below 200 when the separation function was activated. Every month when cleaning the oil cup, seeing those solidified brown grease deposits is equivalent to intercepting over 300 grams of carcinogens for my family. It's recommended to open windows for ventilation while cooking and always use the separator, especially when frying foods—never skip this step for convenience.