Blower Scroll Wall Cutoff Design for Airflow Turbulence Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional blowers for air handler units face inefficiencies in airflow redirection, leading to turbulence and noise, as they redirect air from a circumferential to a tangential direction, resulting in reduced efficiency and increased noise levels.
Innovation Solution
The blower design incorporates an adjustable cutoff with a flared outlet portion and a scroll-shaped outer wall, optimized using an Archimedean curve approximation, which redirects airflow smoothly from a circumferential to a tangential direction, reducing turbulence and noise by up to 30% efficiency and 3 dB in sound reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional blowers redirect air from circumferential to tangential direction using a redirecting wall, then airflow direction is changed, but turbulence and noise increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a curved transition surface instead of a sharp redirecting wall to guide airflow from circumferential to axial direction. The curved surface gradually changes the flow direction, avoiding sudden redirects that cause turbulence and noise, thus resolving the contradiction between achieving airflow redirection and minimizing harmful turbulence.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs an adjustable cutoff that can be positioned at different angles relative to the scroll-shaped outer wall. By dynamically adjusting the cutoff position, the system optimizes airflow redirection while minimizing turbulence and noise generation, allowing adaptation to different operational requirements.
2Productivity
If conventional blowers use a redirecting wall to change airflow direction, then air is directed outward from outlet, but efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The curved transition surface in the scroll-shaped outer wall enables smooth, gradual airflow direction change from circumferential to axial. This curved path reduces flow separation and energy loss compared to sharp redirects, thereby improving overall blower efficiency while achieving the required airflow direction change.
Solution Approach 2:
The scroll-shaped outer wall is designed to gradually guide airflow along a curved path before the final axial discharge. This preliminary curving action prepares the airflow for efficient axial discharge, reducing energy loss and improving productivity by optimizing the flow path in advance.
3Ease of operation
If conventional blowers redirect air sharply from circumferential to tangential direction, then airflow direction is changed, but noise levels increase by 3 dB or more
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a curved transition surface within the scroll-shaped outer wall to gradually redirect airflow from circumferential to axial direction. This curved path avoids sudden flow direction changes that generate noise, reducing noise levels by 3 dB or more while maintaining effective airflow direction control.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable cutoff allows dynamic optimization of the airflow path. By positioning the cutoff at optimal angles relative to the curved transition surface, the system achieves effective airflow direction control while minimizing noise generation through smooth, gradual redirection rather than sharp changes.
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with one aspect of the current disclosure, a blower assembly is provided that includes a housing having a pair of side walls and an outer wall connecting the side walls. The outer wall has a cutoff portion and an outlet portion. The housing includes an outlet defined at least in part by an outlet end of the outlet portion and the cutoff portion. The outer wall includes a scroll portion connecting the cutoff portion and the outlet portion. The outlet portion flares outwardly away from the cutoff portion as the outlet portion extends from the scroll portion to the outlet end of the outlet portion.