Breathing Apparatus Fan Control for Pressure Stability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional breathing apparatuses with breath-synchronized motor fans experience high current consumption and delayed response due to static friction resistance, leading to suboptimal internal pressure maintenance during inhalation, which complicates power savings and operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The motor fan's rotation speed is increased from an extremely low speed to the target speed while overcoming dynamical friction resistance, reducing initial current demand and response delay, and micro-current is applied from the middle of exhalation to inhalation to maintain internal pressure without significant power consumption increments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If the motor fan rotation speed is increased from zero to target speed while overcoming maximum static friction resistance, then the internal pressure of the face piece can be maintained at the predetermined positive target value, but large amount of current is applied to the motor fan causing aging deterioration and high power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The controller applies a preliminary current to the motor fan before inhalation starts (during the transition period from exhalation to inhalation) to rotate the motor fan at an extremely low speed, thereby overcoming the maximum static friction resistance in advance. This preliminary action reduces the peak current demand when full speed is needed later.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor fan operates in multiple dynamic states: idle state (during exhalation), extremely low speed state (during transition), and target speed state (during inhalation). The controller dynamically adjusts the rotation speed based on the breathing phase, optimizing the balance between maintaining positive pressure and reducing power consumption.
2Productivity
If the motor fan rotation speed is increased from zero while overcoming maximum static friction resistance, then the motor fan can supply external air to the face piece, but response of the motor fan to applied current is delayed causing internal pressure to drop far below the target value
Solution Approach 1:
The motor fan is rotated at an extremely low speed during the transition period from exhalation to inhalation as a preliminary action. This pre-rotation reduces the inertia and static friction effects, enabling the motor fan to respond more quickly when full current is applied during inhalation, thereby preventing excessive pressure drop.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the positive target value is set at as low as possible to save electric power consumption, then power savings are improved, but the internal pressure of the face piece becomes far below the target value immediately after start of current application
Solution Approach 1:
A preliminary current is applied to rotate the motor fan at extremely low speed during the transition period, creating a head start that reduces the pressure drop during subsequent inhalation. This allows the system to maintain lower target pressure values while still preventing excessive pressure fluctuations.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller uses feedback from the breath monitoring apparatus to detect the transition from exhalation to inhalation and adjusts the motor fan operation accordingly. The feedback mechanism enables the controller to apply preliminary current at the optimal moment, balancing pressure maintenance with power consumption reduction.
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 approach minimizes initial current application, prevents internal pressure drops, and allows for setting a lower target pressure value, thereby enhancing power savings and operational efficiency while maintaining effective airflow.
Implementation Method 1
a motor fan for supplying internal space of the face piece with external air through the inhale valve
Implementation Method 2
a filter for cleaning the external air to be sucked into the motor fan
Implementation Method 3
a membrane member deforming in accordance with fluctuation of internal pressure of the face piece and a sensor for detecting the deformation of the membrane member
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(a)~2(b)
Figure 3
AI summary
[Object of the Invention] An object of the present invention is to provide a breathing apparatus, wherein current for keeping internal pressure of the face piece at a predetermined positive target value at the time of inhale is not applied to the motor fan in a large amount at the start of current application to the motor fan, and the internal pressure of the face piece is prevented from becoming far below the predetermined positive target value immediately after start of current application to the motor fan so as to keep the internal pressure of the face piece at the predetermined positive target value at the time of inhale. [Disclosure of the Invention] A breathing apparatus provided with a breath-synchronized motor fan comprising a face piece for covering a part of or all of a face of a user, an inhale valve and an exhale valve attached to the face piece, a motor fan for supplying internal space of the face piece with external air through the inhale valve, a filter for cleaning the external air to be sucked into the motor fan, a breath monitoring apparatus provided with a membrane member deforming in accordance with fluctuation of internal pressure of the face piece and a sensor for detecting the deformation of the membrane member, and a controller for controlling operation of the motor fan synchronously with breathing of the user in accordance with a detection signal from the breath monitoring apparatus, wherein the controller applies current to the motor fan at the time of inhalation so as to keep the internal pressure of the face piece at a predetermined positive target value, and stops current application to the motor fan so as to stop the motor fan at the time of exhalation, and wherein the controller applies micro-current to the motor fan so as to rotate the motor fan at extremely low speed from the middle of exhalation to inhalation.