The internal combustion engine requires clean air in order to operate without problems the entire service life. The air filter acts as a barrier between the ambient air ridden with particulate matter, and the sensitive interior of the engine. Several factors affect the air filter performance, such as pressure drop, efficiency, and dust holding capacity. Many external factors affect the air filter too, such as driving style, engine type, if the car is equipped with hybrid propulsion et cetera.

The scope for this thesis work aims to extend the knowledge of air filtration for the customer, in this case, Volvo Cars. A comprehensive literature study along with benchmarking of competitors acts as a foundational approach. Regarding air filter service life, three parameters are identified as the most significant: dust holding capacity, efficiency and pressure drop over the filter element.

Reverse engineering shows some competitor design decisions. A model of estimating air consumption is developed using a data-driven approach with real-world driving data as a basis. The model shows how much the actual air consumption varies between different markets and various engines. As a result, the service lifetime of air filters in certain cars with certain engines may be extended or allow for a smaller filter size for the same service lifetime.