Centrifugal Fan Guide Plate Layout for Airflow Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air conditioners for vehicles face difficulties in sufficiently separating two types of air due to differences in speed and position within the centrifugal direction, leading to inefficient air distribution and potential noise from air collisions with guide surfaces.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner employs phase change portions with varying phase difference angles along the rotation axis, where the phase difference angle decreases towards the lower side to effectively separate air with different speed components, and guide surfaces are designed to guide air at different timings and positions, reducing noise and improving separation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional guide plates are used to separate air flows, then air separation is attempted, but the separation is insufficient due to differences in speed and position within the centrifugal direction
Solution Approach 1:
The guide plate is designed with different surface characteristics at different locations. Specifically, a first guide surface is provided for guiding first air (outside air) and a second guide surface for guiding second air (inside air), with each surface optimized for the specific flow characteristics of the air type it handles. This local differentiation enables effective separation of air flows with different speed components.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide plate is segmented into multiple functional regions including a first guide surface for outside air, a second guide surface for inside air, and a third guide surface for mixed air. This segmentation allows each region to independently optimize the guidance of specific air flows, improving overall separation precision while maintaining efficient air distribution.
2Manufacturing precision
If guide surfaces are positioned to separate air flows, then separation is achieved, but noise is generated from air collisions with the guide surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The guide surfaces are designed to gradually guide and adjust the air flows before they meet, rather than allowing abrupt collisions. The first, second, and third guide surfaces work in sequence to pre-position the air flows, reducing the impact of collisions and minimizing noise generation while maintaining effective separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The design converts the potentially harmful effect of air collisions into a beneficial flow mixing zone. The third guide surface is specifically designed to handle mixed air flows, transforming the collision energy into controlled mixing rather than noise-generating turbulence, thus converting a harmful effect into a useful function.
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 configuration enables effective separation of air with varying speed components, enhancing air distribution efficiency and reducing noise generated by air collisions with guide surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
The fan rotates to draw air in a direction along a rotation axis and to blow out the air in a centrifugal direction around the rotation axis
Data Source
AI summary
An inner guide plate has an inner guide plate surface that guides air. An outer guide plate has an outer guide plate surface that guides the air toward a discharge port of the fan. In each of predetermined cross sections perpendicular to a rotation axis of the fan, a reference line is a line connecting the rotation axis and an outer guide end of the outer guide surface that is a radially inner end. In each of the predetermined cross sections, a guide line is a line connecting the rotation axis and an inner guide end of the inner guide surface that is a radially outer end. In each of the predetermined cross sections, a phase difference angle is an angle between the guide line and the reference line in a rotation direction of the fan. The phase difference angles of the predetermined cross sections are different from each other.