HYBRID FLOW FAN APPARATUS

• US 20100329871A1
• Filed: 02/19/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2008
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company), Horton Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Horton Incorporated
• Inventors: Williams, Eugene Elvin, Cahill, Kevin M., Didandeh, Hooshang
• Application Number:
  US12/867,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20100329871A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 416/187
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 17/06 Helico-centrifugal pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/023 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/281 for fans or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/626 Mounting or removal of fans
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/232 by welding
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/433 Polyamides, e.g. NYLON

Abstract

A fan assembly for directing fluid flow in a hybrid radial and axial direction includes a backplate having an inner diameter portion and a substantially frusto-conical outer diameter portion positioned about a center axis (CL), a plurality of blades extending from the backplate, and an annular fan shroud positioned adjacent to the plurality of blades and configured for co-rotation therewith. The backplate, the plurality of fan blades and the fan shroud form a fan subassembly, and an overall depth of the fan subassembly is approximately 20-35% of an overall fan subassembly diameter (øD1).

Claims

1. A fan assembly for directing fluid flow in a hybrid radial and axial direction, the assembly comprising:

a backplate having an inner diameter portion and a substantially frusto-conical outer diameter portion positioned about a center axis, wherein the frusto-conical outer diameter portion extends to a circumference of the backplate;

a plurality of blades extending from the backplate; and

an annular fan shroud positioned adjacent to the plurality of blades and configured for co-rotation therewith, wherein the backplate, the plurality of fan blades and the fan shroud form a fan subassembly,

wherein an overall depth of the fan subassembly is approximately 20-35% of an overall fan subassembly diameter.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the overall depth of the fan subassembly is approximately 25-33% of the overall fan subassembly diameter.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the overall depth of the fan subassembly is greater than or equal to approximately 26% and less than 30% of the overall fan subassembly diameter.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein a discharge angle defined by the outer diameter portion of the backplate is oriented at approximately 65-80°

with respect to the axis.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein an inside diameter of the fan inlet is approximately 80-90% of an overall diameter of the fan subassembly.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein an inlet angle of the each of the plurality of blades is approximately 15-30°

, and wherein an exit angle of each of the plurality of blades is approximately 40-90°

.

14. The assembly of claim 1, wherein a total blade length is approximately 450-550% of an overall diameter of the fan subassembly.

15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the total blade length is approximately 480-520% of the overall diameter of the fan subassembly.

16. The assembly of claim 1, wherein an inside diameter of the plurality of blades is approximately 50-75% of an overall diameter of the fan subassembly.

19. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of blades are equally spaced and attached to the outer diameter portion of the backplate.

24. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner diameter portion of the backplate is substantially planar.

30. The assembly of claim 1 and further comprising:

an annular inlet shroud positioned adjacent to the fan shroud, wherein the inlet shroud is rotationally fixed, wherein the inlet shroud comprises a wall that defines an inlet opening and an outlet opening, wherein the inlet opening has a smaller diameter than the outlet opening, and wherein the wall has an arcuate cross-sectional shape.

33. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner diameter portion of the backplate is axially positioned at approximately a center of mass of the fan subassembly.

34. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of blades have a configuration selected from the group consisting of:

a forward curved configuration, a backward curved configuration, and a backward inclined configuration.

37. The assembly of claim 1, wherein a discharge angle defined by the outer diameter portion of the backplate is oriented at approximately 65-80°

with respect to the axis, wherein an inside diameter of the fan inlet is approximately 80-90% of an overall diameter of the fan subassembly, wherein an inlet angle of the each of the plurality of blades is approximately 15-30°

, wherein an exit angle of each of the plurality of blades is approximately 40-90°

, wherein a total blade length is approximately 450-550% of the overall diameter of the fan subassembly, and wherein an inside diameter of the plurality of blades is approximately 50-75% of the overall diameter of the fan subassembly.

38. The assembly of claim 1, wherein a tilt angle of the plurality of blades is within a range of approximately 0-15°

.

39. The assembly of claim 1, wherein a tilt angle of the plurality of blades is within a range of approximately 3-10°

.

42. The assembly of claim 1 and further comprising:

an at least partially axially extending annular rib positioned at the substantially frusto-conical outer diameter portion of the backplate, wherein the annular rib extends opposite the plurality of blades and is radially aligned with the plurality of blades.

5-6. -6. (canceled)

8-10. -10. (canceled)

12-13. -13. (canceled)

17-18. -18. (canceled)

20-23. -23. (canceled)

25-26. -26. (canceled)

28-29. -29. (canceled)

31-32. -32. (canceled)

35-36. -36. (canceled)

40-41. -41. (canceled)

43. A fan assembly for directing fluid flow in a hybrid radial and axial direction, the assembly comprising:

a backplate having an inner diameter portion and a substantially frusto-conical outer diameter portion positioned about a center axis;

a plurality of blades extending from the backplate; and

an annular fan shroud positioned adjacent to the plurality of blades and configured for co-rotation therewith, wherein the backplate, the plurality of fan blades and the fan shroud form a fan subassembly,

wherein the total blade length is approximately 480-520% of the overall diameter of the fan subassembly.

44. The assembly of claim 43, wherein an inside diameter of the plurality of blades is approximately 50-75% of an overall diameter of the fan subassembly.

45. (canceled)

46. A fan assembly for directing fluid flow in a hybrid radial and axial direction, the assembly comprising:

a backplate having an inner diameter portion and a substantially frusto-conical outer diameter portion positioned relative to an axis;

a plurality of blades extending from the substantially frusto-conical outer diameter portion of the backplate; and

an annular fan shroud positioned adjacent to the plurality of blades and configured for co-rotation therewith, wherein the backplate, the plurality of fan blades and the fan shroud form a fan subassembly,

wherein an inside diameter of the plurality of blades is approximately 50-75% of an overall diameter of the fan subassembly, and wherein the inside diameter of the plurality of blades is located radially outward from the inner diameter portion of the backplate.

47. The assembly of claim 46, wherein the total blade length is approximately 480-520% of the overall diameter of the fan subassembly.

48. The assembly of claim 46, wherein the overall depth of the fan subassembly is approximately 20-35% of the overall fan subassembly diameter.

49. A fan assembly for directing fluid flow in a hybrid radial and axial direction, the assembly comprising:

a backplate having an inner diameter portion and a substantially frusto-conical outer diameter portion positioned about a center axis;

an annular fan shroud; and

a plurality of blades extending between the backplate and the fan shroud,

wherein the backplate, the plurality of fan blades and the fan shroud form a fan subassembly,

wherein an overall depth of the fan subassembly is approximately 20-35% of an overall fan subassembly diameter,

wherein a discharge angle defined by the outer diameter portion of the backplate is oriented at approximately 65-80°

with respect to the axis,

wherein an inside diameter of the fan inlet is approximately 80-90% of an overall diameter of the fan subassembly,

wherein an inlet angle of the each of the plurality of blades is approximately 15-30°

,

wherein an exit angle of each of the plurality of blades is approximately 40-90°

, wherein a total blade length is approximately 450-550% of the overall diameter of the fan subassembly, and

wherein an inside diameter of the plurality of blades is approximately 50-75% of the overall diameter of the fan subassembly.