Turbo Fan Cooling Element With Axial Air Guide Elements

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fans face challenges in achieving efficient engine cooling while minimizing noise and vibration, as the air flow past the engine is turbulent, impairing aerodynamics and increasing noise and vibration.

Innovation Solution

A fan design featuring a heat sink with air guide elements that extend along the motor's winding and stator, connected to a diffuser with guide vanes, redirects the air flow along the heat sink for efficient cooling, reducing turbulence through a smooth and continuous surface, and a cylindrical housing with a decreasing inner diameter to optimize aerodynamics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If air flows directly along the electric motor for cooling, then cooling efficiency is improved, but turbulence increases leading to higher noise and vibration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotor cooling efficiencyVSAvoidnoise and vibration
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a heat sink as an intermediary component between the motor and the air flow. The heat sink's air guide elements channel the air flow along the motor's winding and stator, enabling efficient cooling while maintaining laminar flow to reduce turbulence, noise, and vibration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameters of air flow by using the heat sink's air guide elements to transform turbulent flow into laminar flow. The guide elements extend in the axial direction over the motor components, directing air flow in a controlled manner that reduces turbulence while maintaining cooling effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Temperature

If air flow is directed along the motor for cooling, then cooling efficiency is improved, but aerodynamic performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotor cooling efficiencyVSAvoidaerodynamic performance
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The heat sink acts as a mediator that separates the cooling function from the aerodynamic flow path. The air guide elements within the heat sink manage the air flow along the motor components, enabling cooling without directly exposing the main aerodynamic path to turbulent flow, thus preserving aerodynamic performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms the air flow parameters from turbulent to laminar through the heat sink's guide elements, achieving both cooling efficiency and aerodynamic performance by controlling the flow regime along the motor components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Object-generated harmful factors

If complex cooling structures are added to reduce turbulence, then noise and vibration are reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenoise and vibrationVSAvoidcooling structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the cooling function with the heat sink structure that already exists in the fan system. The air guide elements are integrated into the heat sink, combining the cooling and flow guidance functions in a single component, thereby reducing overall device complexity while achieving turbulence reduction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The heat sink serves multiple functions: it provides thermal management for the motor through its air guide elements, maintains aerodynamic flow, and reduces turbulence. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate cooling and flow control structures, reducing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 efficient engine cooling, minimizes noise and vibration, and enhances aerodynamic performance by ensuring a laminar air flow and effective heat transfer, suitable for high-pressure and high-throughput applications.

Implementation Method 1

the thermal energy produced by the motor and in particular by the current-carrying winding during fan operation is transferred from the stator from the interior to the inner wall of the heat sink. Since the inner wall preferably rests directly on the engine with its inner surface, this transmission takes place in a particularly efficient manner. By the air guide elements guiding the gaseous medium conveyed by the fan wheel along the heat sink, the thermal energy can be transferred from the heat sink to the gaseous medium

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 2

the air is turbulent as it flows past the engine, which not only impairs the aerodynamics of the fan, but also leads to increased vibrations and noise... In order to redirect the gaseous medium conveyed by the fan wheel in the axial direction towards the heat sink, a diffuser with guide vanes is also provided... Each of the air guiding elements of the heat sink is assigned a guide vane of the diffuser

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLaminar flow: Laminar Flow

Data Source

PatentEP3347598B1Turbo fan with cooling element
Publication Date: 2022.09.21 MICRONEL
  • EP3347598B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3347598B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP3347598B1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

The invention relates to a ventilator with a motor (12), a ventilator wheel (14), a heat sink (11), and a housing (10). The motor (12) is electrically driven and has a stator (122) and a rotor (121) which is rotatably mounted about a rotational axis (DA). The motor (12) has at least one coil (1221) through which a current flows during operation. The ventilator wheel (14) is rotationally fixed to the rotor (121) and is used to suction and convey a gaseous medium. The heat sink (11) has an inner wall (111), which delimits an interior (112) for receiving the motor (12), and air conducting elements (113), each of which extends in an axial direction (AR) over a large part of the longitudinal extension of the coil (1221) through which a current flows in order to conduct the gaseous medium conveyed by the ventilator wheel (14) along the heat sink (11) for the purpose of cooling the motor. The housing (10) has an outer wall (101) which delimits a cavity (102) for receiving the heat sink (11) and the motor (12).