Device for exchanging thermal energy with ambient air
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Solution Overview
Problem
Axial fans in heat exchangers face challenges with decreasing volume flow under moderate back pressure and require large outflow housings for minimal flow resistance, leading to increased size and pressure losses, especially in applications requiring air deflection and compact designs.
Innovation Solution
The outflow housing is designed as an air intake chamber offset from the impeller wheel and motor, receiving the air flow across its entire cross-section and imposing a swirling movement, allowing the air to be deflected by 90° with minimal flow losses through a tangential directional component, using a hood-like structure to maintain a parallel flow and reduce pressure losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a box-like shaft outflow housing is used to deflect air flow by 90°, then the air flow can be directed transversely to the outlet direction, but the device size increases considerably and pressure losses cannot be avoided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the radial dimension of the impeller wheel to create a compact outflow housing. By receiving air flow over the entire cross-section of the impeller wheel and using the radial space for flow deflection, the design achieves 90° deflection without requiring a long axial box-like shaft, thus reducing device size while maintaining deflection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The outflow housing is designed with a curved surface that guides the air flow in a smooth arc from axial to radial direction. This curved geometry enables gentle flow deflection with minimal pressure losses, avoiding the sharp corners and flow separation that occur in box-like shaft designs.
2Ease of operation
If a box-like shaft outflow housing is used to deflect air flow by 90°, then the air flow can be directed transversely to the outlet direction, but pressure losses increase despite considerable size
Solution Approach 1:
The outflow housing employs a curved surface that smoothly guides air flow from axial to radial direction, eliminating sharp corners and flow separation. This curved geometry reduces turbulence and pressure losses during the 90° deflection, achieving efficient flow direction change with minimal energy loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The design optimizes the flow parameters by receiving air flow over the entire cross-section of the impeller wheel and using the radial dimension for flow guidance. This parameter optimization enables smooth flow transition and minimal pressure losses during deflection.
3Ease of operation
If axial fan is made large enough to cover heat sink surface, then air flow can be applied uniformly to heat sink, but device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The outflow housing serves multiple functions: it receives air flow from the axial fan, deflects it radially, and distributes it uniformly across the heat sink surface. By integrating these functions into a single compact component, the design achieves uniform air flow distribution without requiring additional large components.
4Volume of stationary object
If outflow housing is designed with small installation space, then device compactness is improved, but air flow deflection efficiency may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the radial dimension of the impeller wheel to achieve flow deflection within a compact axial length. By receiving air flow over the entire cross-section of the impeller wheel and utilizing radial space for flow guidance, the design achieves efficient 90° deflection in minimal installation space.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved surface of the outflow housing enables smooth flow deflection within a compact geometry. The curved geometry allows efficient 90° deflection without requiring long straight channels, maintaining flow efficiency while minimizing installation space.
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 achieves a compact and efficient air deflection with minimal pressure losses, ensuring uniform velocity distribution and preventing thermal short circuits, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing the device's size.
Implementation Method 1
the outflow housing is designed and configured to supply the conveyed air flow to the air outlet opening with a directional component tangential to a swirling movement imposed on the air flow by the axial fan
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for exchanging thermal energy with ambient air, comprising at least one heat exchanger (12; 162, 164; 202) through which an air flow can flow and which is assigned an axial fan (16; 166, 168; 208) for conveying the air flow through the heat exchanger and an outflow housing (40; 170, 172; 210) receiving the air flow, wherein the outflow housing has an air outlet opening (46) for discharging the air flow into the environment. In order to develop the device in such a way that the outflow of the axial fan (16; 166; 168; 208) can be deflected transverse to the outlet direction of the axial fan with minimal flow losses, according to the invention, the outflow housing (40; 170; 172; 210) forms an air-receiving space (41) axially offset to an impeller wheel (24) and a motor (26) of the axial fan (16; 166, 168; 208), which receives the conveyed air flow over the entire cross-section of the impeller wheel (24) and the motor (26) and is penetrated by the fan rotational axis (28), and wherein the outflow housing covers the impeller wheel (24) and the motor (26) when viewed from the rear and is designed and configured to supply the conveyed air flow to the air outlet opening (46) with a directional component tangential to a swirling movement imposed on the air flow by the axial fan.