Crossflow Vent Booster Assembly for Quiet Airflow Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Central air circulation and delivery systems often fail to provide uniform air distribution to rooms due to insufficient blower power and uneven duct lengths, leading to energy wastage and inefficient air delivery, with existing booster fan solutions either obstructive, noisy, or inefficient.
Innovation Solution
An airflow boosting assembly featuring a crossflow fan with a resilient mounting system and arcuate air deflection panels, integrated into a vent opening, which enhances air flow by creating a guided air passageway and reduces noise through elastomeric connectors and vibration damping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a booster fan is installed over a register to increase air flow, then air delivery to the room is improved, but the booster fan creates an obstacle on the floor and alters the room's aesthetic appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The airflow boosting assembly is nested within the existing vent opening structure. The housing fits inside the vent opening, the register plate covers the vent opening, and the crossflow fan is enclosed within the housing, creating a compact integrated unit that does not protrude into the room space.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the booster fan function with the existing vent opening structure. The register plate serves as both a cover for the vent opening and a mounting surface for the housing, integrating the aesthetic requirement with the airflow boosting function.
2Productivity
If a booster fan is installed over a register to increase air flow, then air delivery is improved, but good sealing between the booster fan and register is required to maintain negative air pressure and avoid ambient air being drawn in
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed to fit tightly within the vent opening, and the register plate serves as a common interface between the housing and the vent opening. This integration creates natural sealing surfaces that reduce the need for additional complex sealing mechanisms.
3Productivity
If the central air blower is installed in a basement while bedrooms are two or three floors up, then the system can serve multiple floors, but the air blower may not be sufficiently powerful to deliver the desired volume of air to upper floors
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the power of the central air blower to serve all floors, the invention provides localized airflow boosting at specific vents on upper floors. The crossflow fan in the airflow boosting assembly compensates for the insufficient power of the remote basement blower by creating additional pressure at the point of delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The crossflow fan acts as an intermediary device between the central air blower and the room vents. It receives air from the duct system and provides additional boosting power locally to overcome the distance and elevation challenges from the basement installation.
4Ease of operation
If dampers are used to control air supply to vents with stronger air delivery, then air distribution balance is improved, but the dampers are difficult to reach and reducing air flow at some vents reduces the efficiency of the entire air delivery system
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of reducing airflow at vents with excessive delivery using dampers, the invention applies the opposite approach by providing additional airflow boosting only at vents that need it. The airflow boosting assembly is selectively installed at specific vents on upper floors to increase their delivery without affecting other vents.
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
The solution provides improved air distribution and reduced noise by increasing airflow efficiency and minimizing the need for high fan speeds, thus enhancing comfort and reducing energy wastage in buildings.
Implementation Method 1
an elastomeric bearing housing attached to the housing and a bearing resiliently housed in the bearing housing; the bearing housing biasing the crossflow fan toward the motor along a direction generally parallel to the rotational axis
Implementation Method 2
A motor is resiliently connected to the crossflow fan in a driving relation through the elastomeric motor connector
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates generally to the field of airflow boosting devices. In particular, the invention relates to a booster fan for installation into a vent opening of a duct system in a forced air circulation and delivery system. In an embodiment, the booster fan includes a register plate for covering a vent opening. An opening or openings on the register plate provide an air outlet. A housing is secured to the register plate for enclosing a crossflow fan therein. The crossflow fan is disposed adjacent and spaced from the register plate and resiliently supported at both ends. A motor is resiliently connected to the crossflow fan. The housing also has an aperture for providing an air inlet communicating with the duct system. Preferably, two arcuate air deflection panels are provided in the housing for connecting the air inlet and air outlet to form a guided air passageway.