Integral Fan Airflow Guide for Obstructed Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Standard fans in hydrostatic transmissions are obstructed by pulleys, which impairs airflow and reduces the cooling effect on machine components, as the pulley acts as an obstacle between the fan and the transmission housing.
Innovation Solution
An integral fan and airflow guide with a frusto-conical hub and inclined airflow guide surfaces that direct air axially and radially outwardly, integrated with circumferentially spaced fan blades, allowing airflow to bypass the pulley and cool obstructed areas effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a standard fan is mounted to the input shaft with a pulley between the fan and transmission housing, then the fan can be driven by the input shaft, but the pulley acts as an obstacle that restricts airflow to the housing and impairs the cooling effect
Solution Approach 1:
The fan assembly is segmented into distinct functional zones: fan blades for air movement, inclined airflow guide surfaces for directional control, and slots for penetrating airflow. This segmentation allows each zone to address specific cooling requirements while overcoming the pulley obstruction through multiple airflow pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds radial airflow capability to the traditional axial airflow fan design. By incorporating inclined airflow guide surfaces that direct air both axially and radially outwardly, and slots that allow axial airflow through the hub, the system creates three-dimensional airflow patterns that bypass the pulley obstacle from multiple directions.
2Power
If the pulley is mounted on the shaft between the fan and transmission housing, then the pulley can transmit power, but it obstructs the airflow path from the fan to the housing
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the fan assembly are designed with specialized airflow characteristics: the inclined airflow guide surfaces create radial outward airflow to cool outer housing areas, while the slots provide axial airflow paths through the hub for cooling regions behind the pulley. This local differentiation allows effective cooling of various housing zones despite the pulley's presence.
Solution Approach 2:
The slots in the hub act as intermediary airflow channels that penetrate through the hub structure itself. These slots allow air to pass axially through the hub and reach cooling targets on the opposite side of the pulley, effectively using the hub as a mediator to deliver cooling airflow around the obstacle.
3Device complexity
If a standard fan design is used without airflow guidance, then the structure is simple, but airflow is not directed effectively to cool obstructed areas
Solution Approach 1:
The airflow guide surfaces are integrated directly with the fan blade assembly as a unified structure, eliminating the need for separate airflow directing components. This merging maintains relative structural simplicity while incorporating advanced airflow control capabilities that direct cooling air effectively around and through the pulley obstruction.
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
Enhances cooling efficiency by directing airflow around and through obstacles, improving the cooling of machine components like hydrostatic transmissions by ensuring airflow reaches areas blocked by pulleys, thereby maintaining effective temperature regulation.
Implementation Method 1
The inclined airflow guide surface cooperates with the fan blades to direct impelled air axially and radially outwardly
Implementation Method 2
The inclined airflow guide surface cooperates with the fan blades to direct impelled air axially and radially outwardly for improving the cooling of a machine component that is obstructed from airflow by a pulley or other obstacle beneath the fan blades
Implementation Method 3
The respective fan blades may axially overlay the respective slots, and the slots may be configured to allow impelled airflow through the slots to further improve cooling to an area below the airflow guide surfaces
Implementation Method 4
An integral fan and airflow guide for cooling a machine component
Data Source
AI summary
An integral fan and airflow guide including a hub having a frusto-conical outer surface, and a plurality of fan blades circumferentially spaced apart about the hub and radiating outwardly from the hub. The frusto-conical outer surface having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart slots that separate inclined segments of the outer surface to define respective airflow guide surfaces. The plurality of fan blades are integral with the respective airflow guide surfaces. The inclined airflow guide surfaces cooperate with the fan blades to direct impelled air axially and radially outwardly for improving the cooling of a machine component, such as a hydrostatic transmission, that is obstructed from airflow by a pulley or other obstacle.