A comparative analysis of filtration performance of tangential and axial inlet reverse-flow cyclone separators and vortex tube separators is presented. The study showed that vortex tube separators are characterized by a quality factor q several time higher than tangential inlet reverse-flow cyclone separators. The cyclone separators yield low separation efficiency and low filtration performance at low air flow rates at low air volumes aspired by the engine at low speed. One of the well-known and not commonly used methods to improve separation efficiency is to apply electric field. An original design of a vortex tube separator with insulators generating electric field in the area of aerosol flow is presented. High voltage was applied to the cyclone separator housing and its swirl vane. A special method and test conditions were developed for cyclone separators with electric field. Separation efficiency, filtration performance and pressure drop across the cyclone separator in two different variants were determined. The tests were carried out at five inlet velocity of cyclones υ₀  = 1.75; 3.5; 7.0; 10.5; 14 m/s at an extraction rate of m₀  = 10%, and at an average dust concentration in the inlet air of
s = 1 g/m³. Using the electric field in the area of a swirling aerosol stream resulted in an increase (over 12% – φ_c  = 96.3%) in separation efficiency at inlet velocity of cyclone ranging from 1.75 to 3.5 m/s. An increase in separation efficiency at other inlet velocity of cyclone is minor and does not exceed 3‒4%.

The use of periodic structures as noise abatement devices has already been the object of considerable research seeking to understand its efficiency and see to what extent they can provide a functional solu- tion in mitigating noise from different sources. The specific case of sonic crystals consisting of different materials has received special attention in studying the influence of different variables on its acoustic performance. The present work seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the behavior of these structures by implementing an approach based on the numerical method of fundamental solutions (MFS) to model the acoustic behavior of two-dimensional sonic crystals. The MFS formulation proposed here is used to evaluate the performance of crystals composed of circular elements, studying the effect of varying dimen- sions and spacing of the crystal elements as well as their acoustic absorption in the sound attenuation provided by the global structure, in what concerns typical traffic noise sources, and establishing some broad indications for the use of those structures.