Fan Shroud Segmentation for Airflow Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fan designs often suffer from inefficiencies in airflow due to flow separation at converging sections, leading to reduced performance and increased noise, and they lack innovative features to optimize packaging and weight reduction while maintaining performance.
Innovation Solution
A fan assembly with a fan shroud featuring a converging section that decreases in diameter, followed by a constant diameter section, and a diverging section that increases in diameter, which surrounds the fan blades and motor, along with a battery receptacle and grill structures for power and protection, enhancing airflow efficiency and reducing noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional fan shroud design is used, then the structure is simple, but airflow efficiency is reduced due to flow separation at converging sections
Solution Approach 1:
The fan shroud is segmented into three distinct functional sections: a converging section with decreasing diameter, a constant diameter section with substantially uniform diameter, and a diverging section with increasing diameter. This segmentation allows each section to perform its specific aerodynamic function optimally, preventing flow separation while maintaining overall structural coherence.
Solution Approach 2:
The shroud employs curved, aerodynamic surfaces throughout its structure, with smooth transitions between the converging, constant diameter, and diverging sections. These curved surfaces guide airflow smoothly, preventing turbulence and flow separation, thereby improving airflow efficiency without adding mechanical complexity.
2Productivity
If the fan shroud is enlarged to improve airflow, then performance increases, but noise increases and size/weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the geometric parameters of the shroud, specifically the diameter variations along its length. By using a converging section that decreases in diameter, a constant diameter section, and a diverging section, the design achieves efficient airflow performance while maintaining a compact size that reduces noise generation and overall weight.
3Volume of moving object
If the fan shroud size is reduced for better packaging, then transport costs decrease, but airflow performance may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The aerodynamic curved surfaces of the converging, constant diameter, and diverging sections enable efficient airflow within a compact volume. This allows the fan assembly to be reduced in size for better packaging and transport while maintaining optimal airflow performance through the carefully designed curved geometry.
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 described fan assembly achieves improved airflow efficiency, suppresses noise, and reduces the size and weight of the fan, maintaining performance while minimizing packaging and transport costs.
Implementation Method 1
Conventional fan designs often suffer from inefficiencies in airflow due to flow separation at converging sections
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of fan blades coupled to the output shaft and configured to be rotated by the output shaft when the motor is actuated to generate airflow in an airflow direction
Data Source
AI summary
A fan assembly includes a motor having an output shaft, a plurality of fan blades coupled to the output shaft and configured to be rotated by the output shaft when the motor is actuated to generate airflow in an airflow direction, and a fan shroud surrounding the plurality of fan blades. The fan shroud comprises a converging section that decreases in diameter in the airflow direction, and a constant diameter section downstream of the converging section in the airflow direction that has a substantially constant diameter.