Cross-Flow Fan Stabilizer Geometry for Quiet Airflow

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Solution Overview

Problem

Air conditioners face challenges in reducing noise while maintaining air volume, as the distance between the stabilizer and fan affects both noise levels and airflow efficiency, leading to periodic noise and potential air volume loss.

Innovation Solution

The air conditioner design incorporates a stabilizer with a modifier that adjusts the distance between the fan and stabilizer components, ensuring a specific relationship between the first and second distances to minimize noise and air volume loss, featuring a first gap between fan blades and a smaller gap between adjacent blades, with the modifier extending along the fan modules to optimize airflow.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the distance between the stabilizer and fan is reduced, then noise is reduced, but air volume is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovenoiseVSAvoidair volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The stabilizer is designed with different distances from the fan at different locations: a first distance at the first location and a second distance (greater than the first) at the second location. This local variation in geometry allows the stabilizer to reduce noise in specific areas while preserving air volume in others, resolving the contradiction between noise reduction and maintaining productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the stabilizer is positioned closer to the fan, then noise is reduced, but periodic noise occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovenoiseVSAvoidnoise stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

By positioning the stabilizer at different distances from the fan at different locations (first distance at first location, second distance at second location), the design creates non-uniform airflow patterns that prevent periodic noise while still achieving overall noise reduction. The varied geometry disrupts the formation of consistent vortex patterns that cause periodic noise.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If the stabilizer is positioned farther from the fan, then air volume is maintained, but noise increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair volumeVSAvoidnoise
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The stabilizer combines regions at different distances from the fan: a first location with a smaller distance for noise reduction and a second location with a larger distance for air volume maintenance. This spatial differentiation allows the system to achieve both noise reduction and air volume preservation simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between these two parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3825615B1Air conditioner
Publication Date: 2023.03.29 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3825615B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3825615B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3825615B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is an air conditioner. The air conditioner comprising, a housing having an inlet and an outlet, a fan in the housing to suck in air through the inlet and discharge air through the outlet, and including a plurality of fan blades with an installation space between two fan blades of the plurality of fan blades, a fan driver coupled to an end of the fan by a fastener, to drive the fan, wherein the installation space is positioned to allow the fastener to pass through the installation space to couple the fan driver to the fan, and a stabilizer including a body having at least a portion extending along the fan at a first distance from the fan, and so as to not be over the installation space as the fan rotates, and a modifier extending along the fan at a second distance, which is greater than the first distance, from the fan, and so as to be over the installation space for at least part of a full rotation of the fan as the fan rotates.