Ceiling Fan Impeller Blade Vortex Cancellation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ceiling fans with traditional impeller structures often experience vibrations and noise, which can be detrimental to the fan's operation and efficiency, and may pose safety risks due to exposed blades and flickering shadows.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an impeller with blades that extend radially from a hub, featuring deltate or toothed tips with extensions, which reduce vibration and noise by canceling out vortices and improving airflow efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional impeller structures are used, then the ceiling fan can move air, but vibrations and noise are generated
Solution Approach 1:
The blade tip is segmented into multiple delta extensions (typically three) arranged radially around the blade axis. Each extension acts as an independent vortex generator, dividing the single large vortex into multiple smaller vortices that cancel each other out, thereby reducing noise and vibration while maintaining air moving capability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the harmful vortices that cause noise and vibration into beneficial airflow patterns. The delta extensions at the blade tips intentionally generate controlled vortices that enhance mixing and airflow distribution while their interaction cancels out the harmful sonic vibrations, turning a harmful phenomenon into a beneficial one
2Productivity
If traditional exposed blades are used, then the ceiling fan can move air, but safety risks and flickering shadows occur
Solution Approach 1:
The impeller with delta extension blades is nested within a protective housing that encloses the rotating components. The housing has air inlet and outlet openings that allow airflow while physically containing the moving parts, eliminating safety risks of exposed blades and preventing flickering shadows by blocking the view of rotating components
3Productivity
If traditional impeller structures are used, then the ceiling fan operates, but operating efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The delta extensions at the blade tips are specifically designed to generate controlled mechanical vibrations in the form of vortices. These intentional vibrations improve airflow mixing and distribution efficiency while their symmetrical arrangement causes them to cancel out harmful sonic vibrations, thereby reducing energy loss and improving operating efficiency
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
This design minimizes noise and vibration while maintaining or enhancing operational efficiency, reducing induced drag and improving airflow, thus providing a safer and more effective air-moving solution.
Implementation Method 1
featuring deltate or toothed tips with extensions, which reduce vibration and noise by canceling out vortices
Implementation Method 2
an impeller mounted to the rotor to move air through the air flow passage
Data Source
AI summary
A ceiling mounted fan or ceiling fan includes a body defining an interior passage having an inlet and an outlet provided on the body. The inlet, outlet, and interior passage can be annular. An impeller mounted is mounted within the interior passage and driven by a motor mounted within the body to draw a volume of air through the interior passage from the inlet to the outlet. The impeller blades include a set of extensions extending from the tip.