Multi-Directional Fan Module for Compact Electronics Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling fans are inadequate for small-size electronic products as they cannot draw air from different directions, limiting their cooling effectiveness in devices like notebook computers and mobile phones.
Innovation Solution
A fan module with a housing and impeller design that includes an axial air inlet, a radial air inlet, and multiple radial air outlets, featuring first and second air-guiding blades and a partitioning member to separate and direct air currents from different directions, allowing for efficient air intake and exhaust.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional cooling fans (axial-flow or blower type) are used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the cooling effectiveness is limited because they can only draw air from one direction
Solution Approach 1:
The impeller is segmented into multiple independent blade groups (first blade group, second blade group, third blade group) that can process airflows from different directions simultaneously. Each blade group is positioned at specific angular intervals (e.g., 120 degrees) to handle air intake from axial, radial, or other directions independently, thereby improving cooling effectiveness without requiring multiple separate fans.
Solution Approach 2:
The fan module is designed with universal adaptability to handle multiple airflow patterns (axial flow, radial flow, and combined flows) using a single impeller structure. The impeller can process air intake from different directions simultaneously, making it suitable for various electronic products with different heat dissipation requirements, thus improving versatility while maintaining structural simplicity.
2Productivity
If air currents from different directions are drawn in without separation, then more air can be processed, but turbulence increases reducing cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The impeller blades are segmented into distinct groups with specific orientations. Each blade group is responsible for processing airflow from a particular direction, and the segmented structure naturally separates different airflow streams as they pass through the impeller, preventing turbulence while maintaining high air processing capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the impeller have locally optimized blade characteristics. The first, second, and third blade groups have different angular positions and geometries tailored to their specific airflow directions, ensuring that each local region processes its designated airflow efficiently without interfering with other airflow streams, thereby reducing turbulence.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple air inlets and complex blade structures are added to draw air from different directions, then cooling effectiveness improves, but the axial height increases
Solution Approach 1:
The design transitions from processing airflow in a single axial dimension to handling three-dimensional airflow patterns simultaneously. The impeller accepts air intake from multiple directions (axial, radial, and oblique) and processes them through its three-dimensional blade structure, enabling multi-directional cooling without increasing axial height by utilizing spatial arrangement of blades rather than stacking components axially.
Solution Approach 2:
The multiple blade groups are nested within a single impeller structure, with each blade group positioned at different angular intervals around the rotation axis. This nested arrangement allows the impeller to process multiple airflow streams simultaneously within a compact axial footprint, avoiding the need for multiple separate fan units that would increase overall axial height.
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 fan module effectively draws air from both axial and radial directions, enhances cooling efficiency by expelling hot air, reduces turbulence, and simplifies the structure while minimizing axial height, thus improving cooling performance in compact electronic devices.
Implementation Method 1
The impeller is rotatably disposed in the housing and has a first air-guiding blade, a second air-guiding blade and a partitioning member
Data Source
AI summary
A fan module includes a housing and an impeller. The housing has an axial air inlet, a radial air inlet and at least one radial air outlet. The impeller is rotatably disposed in the housing and has a first air-guiding blade, a second air-guiding blade and a partitioning member. The partitioning member separates an interior space of the housing into a first air channel and a second air channel. The first air-guiding blade is located in the first air channel, and the second air-guiding blade is located in the second air channel.