Impeller for a ventilation unit and ventilation unit comprising said impeller
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ventilation units for aerobic treatment of organic waste face issues with condensate water formation due to humid air, leading to motor malfunction and undesirable contamination, as the air sucked or blown through the waste heap is charged with humidity, causing condensate water to leak along the impeller axis.
Innovation Solution
The impeller design features a housing with solid disk-like plates and radial blades that create an under-pressure zone in the central region, preventing condensate water from leaking along the axis by extending second radial blades from the hub towards the periphery, which cooperates with the inner wall of the housing to maintain lower pressure in the central area compared to the peripheral zone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If air is sucked or blown through the waste heap for aerobic treatment, then the treatment process is effective, but condensate water forms and leaks along the impeller axis causing motor malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The impeller is segmented into functional zones: outer radial blades for gas flow generation and inner curved blades for condensate management. This segmentation allows simultaneous achievement of effective waste treatment and motor protection by directing condensate away from the motor through dedicated blade geometry
Solution Approach 2:
The curved blades act as an intermediary mechanism between the humid air flow and the motor. They create a controlled pressure environment that intercepts condensate before it can reach the motor, serving as a protective interface that maintains both treatment effectiveness and motor reliability
2Productivity
If air is sucked through the waste heap, then aerobic fermentation is achieved, but condensate water contaminated with waste leaks into the outer environment
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes contaminated condensate from the system before it can be discharged into the environment. The curved blades create a collection zone that separates condensate from the main air flow, allowing it to be diverted to appropriate drainage or treatment systems rather than releasing it externally
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful contaminated condensate is converted into a manageable byproduct. Instead of being a harmful discharge, the condensate is captured and redirected through the impeller's blade design to controlled exit points, transforming an environmental hazard into a controlled waste management opportunity
3Duration of action of stationary object
If the impeller operates in humid conditions, then waste treatment continues, but condensate accumulates and causes malfunctioning
Solution Approach 1:
The impeller design incorporates dynamic pressure management through the curved blades that actively respond to condensate formation. As the impeller rotates, the curved blades continuously create moving low-pressure zones that actively draw condensate away from the motor, providing dynamic protection rather than static prevention
Solution Approach 2:
The curved blades create preliminary action by establishing a protective pressure environment before condensate can accumulate harmfully. The blade geometry is designed to preemptively intercept and redirect condensate droplets before they can coalesce and reach critical accumulation levels that would cause motor malfunction
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 design effectively prevents condensate water from reaching the motor and exiting into the environment, ensuring reliable operation and preventing contamination, especially in humid conditions encountered during the aerobic treatment of organic waste.
Implementation Method 1
second curved blades (9a) extending on at least one of said plates (3a, 3b), on the side of said plate (3a, 3b) remote from the other plate (3b, 3a) and facing the inner wall of said housing, said second curved blades (9a) cooperating, in use, with said inner wall of said housing for creating, in the central region of said plates (3a, 3b), a zone having a pressure lower than that on the peripheral zone of said plates (3a, 3b)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a
AI summary
The present invention refers to an impeller (1) for a ventilation unit (10), especially for use in plants for the aerobic treatment of organic waste. According to the invention, said impeller (1) comprises means (9a) adapted to create an under-pressure zone in the central region of the impeller itself, at its hub (5). Thanks to this measure, condensate water deriving from the humidity of the air sucked/blown by the ventilation unit (10) is prevented from leaking along the rotation shaft (24) of the impeller (1), towards its motor and towards the outside environment.