Cyclone Separator Air Inlet Layout for Lower Vacuum Flow Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum cleaners with limited cross-sectional area for tangential air inlet and outlet suffer from high flow resistance, reducing suction power and increasing noise and power consumption, especially in small and upright designs.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum cleaner with a dust separation device featuring a vortex separator that utilizes multiple tangential air supply openings to reduce flow resistance, allowing for higher suction power with lower fan power consumption or the same power with reduced noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single lateral air inlet is used for tangential supply into the dust separation chamber, then the device complexity is reduced, but the flow resistance increases and suction power decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The single air inlet is divided into multiple air inlets (first air inlet and second air inlet) that supply air to different locations on the dust separation chamber. This segmentation increases the total inlet area and reduces flow resistance while maintaining the simplicity of the overall chamber structure.
2Power
If the cross-sectional area of the air inlet is increased to reduce flow resistance, then the suction power improves, but the device dimensions increase which is unsuitable for small and upright vacuum cleaners
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the cross-sectional area of a single inlet, the solution distributes multiple inlets around the circumference of the dust separation chamber. This utilizes the dimensional space around the chamber, effectively increasing the total inlet area without increasing the overall device dimensions.
3Power
If a larger cross-sectional area air inlet is provided, then the flow resistance is reduced, but the noise level increases due to higher fan power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The air supply is segmented into multiple inlets that distribute the airflow more evenly. This reduces the workload on the fan, allowing it to operate at lower power consumption levels, which in turn reduces noise generation while still achieving the required suction power.
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 design achieves lower flow resistance, enabling higher suction power with the same power consumption or the same suction power with reduced noise and improved usability, especially in battery-operated models.
Implementation Method 1
In a vortex separator, the centrifugal principle is used to separate the dust by causing the suction air flow to rotate, with particles contained in the suction air flow being separated from the air flow by the effect of centrifugal force.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner formed from a unit, which can be assembled, consisting of a compact vacuum cleaner and an upright vacuum cleaner frame, the vacuum cleaner being equipped with a dust separating device (10), a fan for generating a flow of suction air through the dust separating device (10) and an electric motor (25) for driving the fan. The dust separating device (10) comprises a cyclone separator and said cyclone separator has a plurality of air inlet openings (53), each of which permits the tangential supply of one partial air flow of the flow of suction air to a substantially cylindrical dust separating chamber (55). It is hereby possible to reduce the flow resistance that is to be overcome by the flow of suction air and thus improve the suction power of the vacuum cleaner and/or a reduce the power consumption of the electric motor.