Sealed Fan Cooling Circuit via PCB Airflow
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling solutions for electronic components in sealed, closed electronics housings, such as those used in high IP protection fans, are ineffective as they prevent air exchange with the ambient environment, limiting the ability to cool components efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A radial fan design with a cooling wheel that creates a defined air circulation by sucking air through a central opening on the printed circuit board, utilizing peripheral edge openings or recesses to circulate air radially, enhancing heat dissipation through a conical intake area and curved blades, and cohesive cooling ribs on the housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a sealed, closed electronics housing is used for high IP protection, then protection against environmental factors is improved, but heat dissipation from electronic components deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into an upper housing and a lower housing that can be separated to form a through-flow passage. This allows the sealed housing to be opened for heat dissipation while maintaining sealed operation during normal use, resolving the contradiction between protection and cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing transition from static sealed structure to dynamic adjustable structure. The upper and lower housings can be relatively moved between a sealed position (for protection) and an opened position (for heat dissipation), allowing the system to adapt to different operational requirements.
2Temperature
If air is blown directly onto electronic components for cooling, then cooling effect is achieved, but cooling efficiency is insufficient in sealed environments
Solution Approach 1:
A cooling fan is introduced to create forced air circulation within the sealed housing. The fan draws air from the lower housing, directs it through the through-flow passage over the circuit board, and exhausts it to the upper housing, creating an efficient closed-loop cooling system that operates effectively in sealed environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The air flow path is specifically designed to target hot spots on the circuit board. The cooling air is directed to flow over critical electronic components that generate the most heat, providing localized cooling where it is most needed rather than uniform cooling across the entire board.
3Temperature
If the housing is opened to enable air exchange for cooling, then heat dissipation is improved, but protection against environmental factors deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into separable upper and lower parts that can be opened to create a through-flow passage for cooling while maintaining the sealed structure during normal operation. This segmentation allows the system to alternate between protected and cooled states without compromising either function.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure is made dynamic, allowing transition between sealed and opened states. The upper housing can be relatively moved with respect to the lower housing to open the passage for cooling, then closed to restore environmental protection, enabling adaptive response to thermal conditions.
4Temperature
If a cooling circuit with multiple components is implemented, then cooling performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling circuit components (fan, air intake, flow passage, and exhaust) are integrated into the housing structure itself. The lower housing forms the air intake, the through-flow passage is created by the separable housing joints, and the upper housing serves as the exhaust. This merging reduces the number of separate cooling components while maintaining effective cooling performance.
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 achieves significantly better and more efficient cooling of electronic components by creating a closed air circuit that enhances heat dissipation, even in sealed environments, by increasing airflow velocity and pressure differences, thereby improving the cooling capacity.
Implementation Method 1
When the air is sucked in by the cooling wheel through the at least one central opening in the printed circuit board, a negative pressure is created in the upper area of the electronics housing
Implementation Method 2
As it flows along the electronics housing, the air gives off heat to the housing and thus to the environment
Implementation Method 3
cohesive cooling ribs are formed on the inner wall of the electronics housing, past which the air blown out in the radial direction flows and gives off heat via the electronics housing
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
The invention relates to a fan with a tightly closed electronic housing in which a circuit board with electronic components is arranged and the electronic housing is divided into an upper region and a lower region, and a cooling wheel arranged axially adjacent to the circuit board in the lower region, wherein the circuit board has at least one central opening and a plurality of circumferential edge openings or circumferential edge recesses for the flow connection of the upper region and lower region, and air can be drawn from the upper region into the lower region through the cooling wheel via the at least one central opening and returned to the upper region via the plurality of circumferential edge openings or circumferential edge recesses, wherein an air circuit is created with at least one airflow along a surface of the circuit board on which the electronic components are arranged.