Ideas on keeping water from entering an air inlet valve

[spiri]

Folks,

I have an application that will require an air inlet port to occasionally be exposed to water (splashing mostly), a simple splash guard will likely not work. Are there any off-the-shelf or simple solutions that anyone can think of that can be used for keeping the water from entering the inlet port? I can probably make the air inlet port very small since it will require only a very small amount of air.

Thanks in advance!

John

 

[Mech_Engineer]

How about a drain catch with a way to get any water out that may get in?

Even just making the intake vertical could make it very difficult to get water in it...

 

[spiri]

Thanks, great idea. The problem is I can't rely on gravity since the device orientation can change.

 

[Mech_Engineer]

What range of orientations does it need to be able to operate in?

 

[spiri]

It could pretty much be in any orientation. It will be worn by a person and they can stand up, lie down, lean sideways, etc.

 

[Lok]

Folks,
a simple splash guard will likely not work.
John

Why not? Imagine a spherical guard with lots of holes, it will always permit air to get in while water will stick/flow on the walls. Just put the inlet in the center of it through a tube. Unless submerged it will work.

 

[jim hardy]

Imagine a spherical guard with lots of holes,

Slant the holes so they impart rotation to the incominig air. That'll hurl the water outward away from your intake tube.
Look at any diesel engine air cleaner. Many of those are cylindrical...

 

[fuse]

Or use a fine mask net like the ones in old fuelpumps that let the gasmolecules in but not the watermolecules