Diffuser Blade Sweep Angles for Quieter Humidifying Air Cleaners

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing humidification and air cleaning apparatuses experience noise issues due to high-speed air blower units, particularly caused by the design of vanes guiding discharged air, leading to increased noise levels.

Innovation Solution

The apparatus incorporates diffuser blades with specific sweep angles and an included angle to create a phase difference in the air flow, reducing noise by separating air with a phase difference and minimizing peak noise from collisions, while maintaining efficient air flow.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the air blower unit operates at high speed to increase air volume, then productivity is improved, but noise level increases due to air flow collision with vanes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair volumeVSAvoidnoise level
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The diffuser blades are designed with asymmetric geometry, where the leading edge has a different shape and angle than the trailing edge. This asymmetric design allows the blades to smoothly guide air flow while minimizing turbulence and collision noise, enabling high-speed operation without proportionally increasing noise levels

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The diffuser blades incorporate curved surfaces and rounded edges instead of sharp angles. The curved leading edge smoothly directs incoming air, while the curved trailing edge promotes laminar flow separation, reducing turbulence-induced noise and allowing higher operating speeds with controlled noise levels

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Ease of operation

If conventional vanes are used to guide discharged air, then ease of operation is maintained, but noise level increases due to air flow collision

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair flow guidanceVSAvoidnoise level
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The air flow guidance function is divided into multiple diffuser blades arranged in a circular pattern around the blower fan. Each blade independently guides air flow in its sector, distributing the guidance function across multiple elements. This segmentation reduces the noise from any single blade while maintaining effective overall air flow control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The diffuser blades serve as an intermediary element between the blower fan and the discharge opening. These blades smoothly transition and guide the high-velocity air from the fan, preventing direct collision with hard surfaces and reducing noise through controlled flow management

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 effectively reduces noise levels and power consumption by forming a phase difference in air passing through the diffuser blades, even at increased air volumes, thereby enhancing the operational efficiency of the humidification and air cleaning system.

Implementation Method 1

a first sweep angle and a second sweep angle are formed at the diffuser blades, and an included angle is formed between the first sweep angle and the second sweep angle, such that a phase difference may be formed in air passing through the diffuser blades

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhase difference in air flow:

Implementation Method 2

air is separated upward from the diffuser blades with a phase difference by the first sweep angle and the second sweep angle, thereby reducing peak noise caused by collision with the discharged air

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAir flow separation: Flow Separation

Data Source

PatentEP3832214B1Apparatus for both humidification and air cleaning
Publication Date: 2022.08.03 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP3832214B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3832214B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3832214B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a humidification and air cleaning apparatus, in which a first sweep angle and a second sweep angle are formed at diffuser blades, and an included angle is formed between the first sweep angle and the second sweep angle, such that a phase difference is formed in air passing through the diffuser blades, and thus air flow noise may be reduced.