Air Diffuser For a HVAC System

• US 20100074743A1
• Filed: 09/22/2008
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Components Holdings LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Shahabi, Mehran, Jairazbhoy, Vivek A., Barnhart, Todd R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,197,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 415/208.100
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 3/04 having stationary wind-guiding means, e.g. with shrouds or channels F03D9/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 3/0463 with converging inlets, i.e. the shield intercepting an area greater than the effective rotor area
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/32 on moving objects, e.g. vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/444 Bladed diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/13 to collect or cause flow towards or away from turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/52 Outlet
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 Onshore wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/74 Wind turbines with rotation axis perpendicular to the wind direction

Abstract

A diffuser for carrying air flow to an evaporator in an air conditioning system of an automotive vehicle includes an inlet and an outlet, a wall extending between the inlet and the outlet, and a guide vane, extending at least partially between the inlet and the outlet, spaced from the wall by a containing a control region whose area ratio changes along a length of the guide vane.

Claims

1. A diffuser for carrying air flow to an evaporator in an air conditioning system of an automotive vehicle, comprising:

an inlet;

an outlet located downstream from the inlet;

a wall extending between the inlet and the outlet; and

a guide vane including a surface that extends at least partially between the inlet and the outlet, spaced from the wall by a gap containing a control region whose area ratio changes along a length of the guide vane, an inlet end and a second end located downstream from the inlet end.

2. The diffuser of claim 1 further comprising:

a second guide vane extending at least partially between the inlet and the outlet, spaced from the guide vane by a second gap containing a second control region whose area ratio changes along a length of the second guide vane, and including a second inlet end and a fourth end located downstream from the second inlet end.

3. The diffuser of claim 1 wherein a first tangent to a surface of the guide vane at the inlet end and a second tangent to a surface of guide vane along a length of the guide vane produce an angle of at least eight degrees.

4. The diffuser of claim 1 wherein a surface of the guide vane has a curvature that changes between convex and concave such that at least a portion of the guide vane has a S-shape.

5. The diffuser of claim 1 wherein a surface of the guide vane is substantially parallel to the flow at the inlet.

6. The diffuser of claim 1 wherein the guide vane is secured to an upper surface of the diffuser.

7. The diffuser of claim 1 wherein the guide vane is secured to a lower surface of the diffuser.

8. The diffuser of claim 1 wherein the guide vane has a height that changes anywhere along a length of the guide vane such that a ratio of a difference between a maximum height and a minimum height of the guide vane, and a length of the guide vane is in a range between 0.2 and 1.0.

9. A diffuser for carrying air flow to an evaporator in an air conditioning system of an automotive vehicle, comprising:

an inlet;

an outlet located downstream from the inlet;

a wall extending between the inlet and the outlet;

a first guide vane, extending at least partially between the inlet and the outlet, spaced from the wall by a first gap containing a first control region whose area ratio changes along a length of the first guide vane; and

a second guide vane, extending at least partially between the inlet and the outlet, spaced from the first guide vane by second a gap containing a second control region whose area ratio changes along a length of the second guide vane.

10. The diffuser of claim 9 wherein:

an inlet of one of the first control region and the second control region has a first inlet flow area;

an outlet of said one of the first control region and the second control region has a first outlet flow area; and

a ratio of said first inlet flow area to said first outlet flow area is equal to or greater than 1.0.

11. The diffuser of claim 10 wherein the ratio is equal to or greater than 1.4 and causes the flow to accelerate between said inlet and said outlet.

12. The diffuser of claim 9 wherein:

an inlet of one of the first control region and the second control region has a first inlet flow area;

an outlet of one of the first control region and the second control region has a first outlet flow area; and

a ratio of said first inlet flow area to said first outlet flow area is less than 1.0.

13. The diffuser of claim 12 wherein the ratio is equal to or less than 0.95 and causes the flow to decelerate between said inlet and said outlet.

14. The diffuser of claim 9 wherein at least one of the first guide vane and the second guide vane has a height that changes anywhere along a length of said one of the first guide vane and the second guide vane, such that a ratio of a difference between a maximum height and a minimum height of said at least one of the first guide vane and the second guide vane, and a length of said at least one of the first guide vane and the second guide vane is in a range between 0.2 and 1.0.

15. The diffuser of claim 9 wherein at least one of the first guide vane and the second guide vane is partially located within the diffuser and extends outward therefrom.

16. A diffuser for carrying an air stream in an air conditioning system of an automotive vehicle, comprising:

an inlet;

an outlet located downstream from the inlet;

a duct extending between the inlet and the outlet and including a side wall and a ceiling, whose surfaces are substantially locally saddle having a convex inward curvature in a direction transverse to the direction of air flow in the duct and concave inward curvature in the direction of an the air stream in the duct; and

a guide vane located in the duct and extending at least partially between the inlet and the outlet, spaced from the side wall by a gap containing a control region whose area ratio changes along a length of the guide vane.