Axial Flow Fan Blade Layout for Separation Flow Suppression

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing axial flow fans experience performance degradation due to separation flow generation, leading to stalling, reduced heat dissipation, and noise disturbances.

Innovation Solution

The axial flow fan design incorporates a hub with multiple fan sets, each comprising blades with specific distance and surface configurations to minimize separation flow, including varying curvatures and orientations to guide airflow effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If cross sections of the blades are designed to be airfoil-shaped, then the axial flow fan can generate lift and drive air, but separation flow may be generated causing the fan to stall and idle

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair driving capabilityVSAvoidstall resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The blade is divided into multiple sections along its span, with each section having a different cross-sectional shape. The root section has a different airfoil configuration than the tip section, allowing each part to optimize for its specific flow conditions and reduce overall separation flow tendency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the blade cross-section are given different geometric properties. Specifically, the leading edge radius, thickness distribution, and camber are varied locally along the blade span to control flow attachment and prevent separation in critical regions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If the axial flow fan operates with airfoil-shaped blades, then it can maintain airflow, but disturbing noise is caused due to separation flow generation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveairflow maintenanceVSAvoidnoise
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The blade is divided into multiple sections along its span, with each section having a different cross-sectional shape. The root section has a different airfoil configuration than the tip section, allowing each part to optimize for its specific flow conditions and reduce overall separation flow tendency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the blade cross-section are given different geometric properties. Specifically, the leading edge radius, thickness distribution, and camber are varied locally along the blade span to control flow attachment and prevent separation in critical regions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Reduces the likelihood of separation flow generation, preventing stalling and lowering noise levels while maintaining efficient airflow.

Implementation Method 1

When the axial flow fan generates a separation flow, the separation flow may cause the axial flow fan to stall

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSeparation flow: Flow Separation

Data Source

PatentEP3795841B1Axial flow fan
Publication Date: 2025.11.26 ACER INC
  • EP3795841B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3795841B1 patent drawingFigure 1C
  • EP3795841B1 patent drawingFigure 2A

AI summary

An axial flow fan includes a hub and a plurality of fan sets disposed around the hub. The hub rotates around a center axis and has a positive pressure side and a negative pressure side opposite to each other. Each of the fan sets includes at least two blades, and each blade has a wind inlet end, a wind outlet end opposite to the wind inlet end, a negative pressure surface, and a positive pressure surface opposite to the negative pressure surface. The wind outlet end of one of the adjacent two blades corresponds to the wind inlet end of the other one of the adjacent two blades. A gap is provided between the negative pressure surface of one of the adj acent two blades and the positive pressure surface of the other one of the adjacent two blades.