Multi-Stage Blower Stator Vanes for Compact PAP Devices
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing blower designs for positive airway pressure (PAP) devices are not sufficiently quiet and compact while maintaining air delivery capacity.
Innovation Solution
A blower design with a housing containing an inlet and outlet, driven by a motor with first and second impellers, and stationary components with stator vanes that expand in cross-sectional area to increase pressure, while being compact and reducing noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If existing blower designs are used, then air delivery capacity is maintained, but the device is not sufficiently quiet and compact
Solution Approach 1:
The blower is divided into multiple stages with separate impellers and stator components. Each stage processes air sequentially, allowing for compact packaging while maintaining pressure generation capability. The segmentation enables reduced overall device volume without compromising air delivery capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The impellers and stator vanes are arranged in a nested configuration where subsequent stages are positioned within or adjacent to previous stages. This nested arrangement maximizes space utilization, reducing the blower's external dimensions while preserving the necessary air delivery capacity through multiple compression stages.
2Volume of moving object
If existing blower designs are used, then air delivery capacity is maintained, but the device is not sufficiently compact
Solution Approach 1:
The blower transitions from a single-stage axial flow design to a multi-stage design that utilizes radial and axial dimensions more efficiently. By arranging impellers and stators in a compact, space-saving configuration that leverages multiple spatial dimensions, the design achieves reduced volume while maintaining air delivery capacity through sequential compression stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The design employs variable impeller and stator geometry parameters optimized for each stage. By carefully selecting and varying parameters such as blade angles, vane shapes, and stage dimensions, the blower achieves compact packaging while maintaining the necessary air delivery capacity and pressure generation across all stages.
3Volume of moving object
If blower size is reduced, then compactness is achieved, but inertia is reduced affecting performance
Solution Approach 1:
The blower employs locally optimized impeller and stator geometries at each stage, with varying blade heights, angles, and shapes tailored to the specific pressure and flow requirements of each stage. This local quality optimization allows for compact dimensions while maintaining adequate inertia and performance characteristics through strategically designed critical components.
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 blower achieves high pressures with low noise and reliability, being approximately 50% smaller and having 50-60% less inertia than prior art blowers, while maintaining equivalent air delivery capacity.
Implementation Method 1
stator vanes downstream of the first impeller... configured and arranged to direct airflow along the motor, to de-swirl the airflow and to decelerate air to increase pressure
Implementation Method 2
decelerate air to increase pressure
Implementation Method 3
first rotating impeller where it is accelerated tangentially and directed radially outward
Implementation Method 4
first and second impellers provided to the shaft, the first and second impellers each including a plurality of impeller blades
Implementation Method 5
motor to drive a rotatable shaft
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
A blower, comprising at least one impeller and a stationary component following each impeller, each stationary component including a plurality of stator vanes that provide vane passages therebetween for airflow, each of the vane passages including an expanding cross-sectional area that increases from an upstream direction to a downstream direction to increase pressure, wherein at least one stationary component includes a shield providing a first set of stator vanes and a housing providing a second set of stator vanes, the shield assembled to the housing to provide a full set of stator vanes including both the first and second sets of stator vanes.