Double Suction Blower Unit with Integrated Acoustic Damping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional noise damping systems for HVAC systems in vehicles require intensive testing and adjustment to suppress specific sound waves, are costly, and have limited effectiveness across a broad frequency range, leading to noise disturbance in vehicle cabins, especially in electric vehicles.

Innovation Solution

A blower unit with a double suction type centrifugal fan and a scroll case that splits the air intake into separate channels, filled with sound-absorbing material, to minimize noise amplification and improve sound damping properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional acoustic damping chambers with inner separation walls are used, then specific sound waves in a particular frequency range can be suppressed, but the system requires intensive testing and adjustment efforts and involves additional design and material costs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenoise suppressionVSAvoiddesign and adjustment complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the noise damping function from a separate, complex acoustic damping chamber and integrates it directly into the blower housing structure. The housing itself becomes the damping element through strategic placement of sound-absorbing material, eliminating the need for additional inner separation walls and complex adjustment mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges the structural housing with the acoustic damping function. The blower housing is designed to incorporate sound-absorbing material in specific regions, combining mechanical support and noise suppression into a single integrated component, thereby reducing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If Helmholtz resonators are used for noise dampening, then specific frequency ranges can be suppressed, but the system is incapable of suppressing sound waves in a broader frequency range

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenoise suppressionVSAvoidfrequency range coverage
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention uses sound-absorbing material with specific porous properties placed in strategically designed regions within the blower housing. This porous material effectively absorbs acoustic energy across a broad frequency spectrum, unlike Helmholtz resonators that are tuned to specific frequencies.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the approach from frequency-specific resonance (Helmholtz) to broadband absorption by utilizing materials and geometric configurations that dissipate acoustic energy across multiple frequencies. The housing geometry and material placement are optimized to create effective damping across the entire audible range.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Power

If the fan generates pressure difference for facilitating fluid flow, then cooling performance is improved, but noise is amplified and transferred to the vehicle cabin

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling performanceVSAvoidnoise disturbance
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention introduces sound-absorbing material as an intermediary between the noise source (fan) and the vehicle cabin. This material acts as a mediator that allows the fan to operate at high power for cooling while simultaneously absorbing the noise generated, preventing its transmission to the passenger compartment.

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 disturbance in vehicle cabins by utilizing a double suction centrifugal fan and sound-absorbing materials within the scroll case, providing improved comfort and reducing the need for extensive testing and adjustment.

Implementation Method 1

The housing is designed to incorporate sound-absorbing material in specific regions

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAcoustic absorption: Acoustic Absorption

Data Source

PatentEP4067128A1A blower unit
Publication Date: 2022.10.05 VALEO KLIMASYST
  • EP4067128A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4067128A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4067128A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A blower unit 1 for an air-conditioning device intended to be fitted to a motor vehicle, comprising an intake duct 10, a double suction type centrifugal fan 20 comprising a first suction side 21 and a second suction side 22, a motor 30 configured to motorize the fan 20, and a scroll case 40, wherein the scroll case 40 is adapted to split the air intake 10 duct into at least a first air channel 11 and a second air channel 12, the first air channel 11 being adapted to feed the air into the first suction side 21, and the second air channel 12 being adapted to feed air into the second suction side 21.