Time to bring back propeller driven planes ...

[Churchill]

You'd need an exceptionally fine filter.

That would clog fairly quickly.

SAS, have a look at this and then picture how much air would have to be filtered...

[Mich the Tester]

That would clog fairly quickly.

SAS, have a look at this and then picture how much air would have to be filtered...

Indeed. And a less fine filter would let stuff through. nasty problem.

Maybe a sort of Dyson whirly centrifugey thingummy could help.

[sasguru]

Bah! Gah!

Don't tell me why it can't be done, tell me how it can!

[Paddy]

You'd need an exceptionally fine filter.

I could be done in a similar way of Dyson vacuum cleaners.

[sasguru]

Maybe a sort of Dyson whirly centrifugey thingummy could help.

Ah ha! Lateral thinking - I like it.

[Mich the Tester]

Bah! Gah!

Don't tell me why it can't be done, tell me how it can!

A centrifuge that spins the air around and gets the glass and ash bits caught against some kind of cloth which can be automatically wound onwards. The air doesn't have to go 'through' the filter that way.

[Churchill]

Indeed. And a less fine filter would let stuff through. nasty problem.

Maybe a sort of Dyson whirly centrifugey thingummy could help.

Ah ha! Lateral thinking - I like it.

They still use filters...

[Mich the Tester]

They still use filters...

Yep, but this concept involves a rough filter to stop any big stuff and the fine stuff is caught in the dyson thing.

[Churchill]

A centrifuge that spins the air around and gets the glass and ash bits caught against some kind of cloth which can be automatically wound onwards. The air doesn't have to go 'through' the filter that way.

Filtering 1.2 tonnes of air per engine every second is impractical.

[Mich the Tester]

Filtering 1.2 tonnes of air per engine every second is impractical.

Alright, so no filter, just the dyson style centrifuge thingummy.