Air duct damper
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air dampers lack precise control over airflow at lower flow rates and higher static pressures, leading to uncontrollable airflow changes due to small blade movements.
Innovation Solution
An air damper assembly with a damper plate featuring multiple teeth of varying lengths and materials, along with an axle assembly and control system, allowing for precise rotation between fully open and closed positions to control airflow effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional damper blade is rotated from an initial closed position to a slightly open position, then airflow is permitted to pass through, but a large volume of air immediately passes through in an uncontrollable manner
Solution Approach 1:
The damper blade is segmented into multiple adjustable vanes that can be independently positioned. This segmentation allows for gradual, precise control of airflow by adjusting individual vanes rather than moving the entire blade at once, thereby achieving fine control resolution at low flow rates while maintaining the ability to block or permit large volumes of air when needed.
2Stress or pressure
If the static pressure in the ductwork is high, then airflow control is required, but tiny movements of the blade damper result in significant changes in airflow
Solution Approach 1:
The damper system incorporates dynamic adjustment mechanisms that allow the vanes to be positioned with high precision and held firmly in place. The adjustable nature of the segmented vanes enables operators to make small, controlled movements even under high static pressure conditions, preventing runaway airflow changes while maintaining the ability to respond to pressure variations.
3Device complexity
If a conventional damper blade is used, then the structure is simple, but there is not enough control over the blade with the actuator to create movements small enough that proper control is maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The simple conventional damper blade is replaced with a segmented structure of multiple adjustable vanes. While this increases structural complexity, it enables precise control of blade position through independent adjustment of each vane, allowing the actuator to create sufficiently small movements for proper control maintenance while still blocking or permitting airflow as required.
Data Source
AI summary
An air damper assembly for an air duct having an interior wall and an exterior wall is provided. The air damper assembly includes a damper plate having a periphery and multiple teeth spaced at least partially around and extending from the periphery. The multiple teeth vary in length from a maximum to a minimum over a span of approximately 90 degrees around the periphery. The air damper assembly further includes an axle assembly fixedly coupled to the damper plate and rotatably coupled to the air duct. Rotation of the axle assembly causes the damper plate to rotate within the air duct between a fully open position and a fully closed position to increase or decrease a flow of fluid through the air duct.