Twisted Upstream Guide Member for Vehicle Air Conditioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air-conditioning units for vehicles face challenges in suppressing phase shifts between upstream and downstream air flows due to the rotation of the blower fan, leading to potential disturbances and inefficiencies in air flow guidance.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an upstream side guide member with a twisted shape that rotates air flows in the opposite direction to the blower fan's rotation, and downstream side guide members that reduce the rotation component of air flow velocity, effectively canceling phase shifts and ensuring smooth air flow guidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a blower fan rotates to move air through ventilation paths, then air flow is generated and ventilation is achieved, but phase shifts and disturbances occur in the air flow due to the rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The upstream side guide member is configured with a twisted shape that rotates air flows in the opposite direction to the blower fan's rotation. This preliminary counter-rotation compensates for the phase shifts that will be introduced by the fan, thereby stabilizing the air flow and preventing disturbances before they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide members pre-condition the air flow by rotating it in advance before it reaches the blower fan. The upstream side guide member rotates the air in the opposite direction, while the downstream side guide member further adjusts the rotation, ensuring that the air flow enters and exits the fan with optimized characteristics that minimize phase shifts and disturbances.
2Adaptability or versatility
If air flows through multiple parallel ventilation paths, then ventilation coverage is improved, but phase shifts between different air flows occur
Solution Approach 1:
The upstream side guide member applies a counter-rotation to air flows from all parallel ventilation paths before they enter the blower fan. This preliminary action compensates for the phase shifts that would otherwise occur between different air flows, ensuring they remain synchronized and stable throughout the system.
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 configuration suppresses phase shifts around the fan axis, preventing air flow disturbances and enhancing the separability of air flows, thereby improving ventilation efficiency and reducing pressure loss.
Implementation Method 1
an upstream side guide member that is located on the one side of the blower fan in the axial direction in the air conditioning case and guides, toward the blower fan, the air flowing out of the first upstream side ventilation path and the second upstream side ventilation path from the one side to the other side that is opposite to the one side in the axial direction, wherein the upstream side guide member has a twisted shape in which the other side of the upstream side guide member in the axial direction is twisted relative to the one side thereof about the fan axis in a direction opposite to a rotation direction of the blower fan, and the upstream side guide member guides the air toward the blower fan along the twisted shape
Implementation Method 2
a blower that includes a blower fan rotating about a fan axis in the air conditioning case, the blower drawing in air flowing out of the first upstream side ventilation path and the second upstream side ventilation path from one side in an axial direction of the fan axis by rotation of the blower fan, the blower causing the drawn air to flow toward the first downstream side ventilation path and the second downstream side ventilation path
Data Source
AI summary
In an air conditioning case, a blower sucks air flowing out from first and second upstream side ventilation paths from one side in an axial direction of a fan axis by rotation of a blower fan and allows the sucked air to flow to first and second downstream side ventilation paths. An upstream side guide member is provided on one side in the axial direction with respect to the blower fan and guides the air to the blower fan. Further, the upstream side guide member has a twisted shape and guides the air to the blower fan along the twisted shape.