Ventilator Blower Heat Pipe Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ventilator blowers face challenges in managing noise emissions and heat generation, where sound-insulating layers that reduce noise also impede heat dissipation, leading to overheated ventilation gas and potential motor damage.
Innovation Solution
A blower design featuring a heat pipe connected to a cooling element, integrated within a soundproofing layer, allows for efficient heat dissipation while maintaining low noise emissions by separating heat transfer from the ventilation gas, using a thermally conductive housing material and a separate cooling element outside the soundproofing layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If sound-insulating and sound-absorbing layers are used to reduce noise emissions, then noise is reduced, but heat dissipation is impeded and heat generation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into two distinct walls: a first housing wall made of thermally conductive material (metal) for heat dissipation, and a second housing wall made of thermally insulating material for soundproofing. This segmentation allows each wall to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between noise reduction and heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
A heat pipe is introduced as an intermediary thermal management component between the electric motor and the environment. The heat pipe efficiently conducts heat away from the motor through its evaporator and condenser sections, enabling effective heat dissipation even while sound-insulating layers are present, thus resolving the heat accumulation problem.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the blower is sealed off with soundproofing layer, then noise emissions are reduced, but heat from the motor cannot be dissipated
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into two distinct walls: a first housing wall made of thermally conductive material (metal) for heat dissipation, and a second housing wall made of thermally insulating material for soundproofing. This segmentation allows each wall to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between noise reduction and heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
A heat pipe is introduced as an intermediary thermal management component between the electric motor and the environment. The heat pipe efficiently conducts heat away from the motor through its evaporator and condenser sections, enabling effective heat dissipation even while sound-insulating layers are present, thus resolving the heat accumulation problem.
3Reliability
If ventilation gas is used to cool the motor, then motor temperature is reduced, but the ventilation gas becomes heated and requires additional cooling
Solution Approach 1:
A heat pipe is introduced as an intermediary thermal management component between the electric motor and the environment. The heat pipe efficiently conducts heat away from the motor through its evaporator and condenser sections, enabling effective heat dissipation even while sound-insulating layers are present, thus resolving the heat accumulation problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat dissipation function is extracted from the ventilation gas cooling path and transferred to a dedicated heat pipe system. This separates the motor cooling function from the ventilation gas delivery function, allowing the ventilation gas to remain cool for patient use while the heat pipe handles motor thermal management independently.
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 ensures the ventilation gas remains uncooled, prolongs the electric motor's service life, reduces noise emissions, and allows for effective heat management without trapping heat inside the blower, enhancing the blower's operational efficiency and longevity.
Implementation Method 1
The first housing wall of the fan housing (13) is connected to at least one heat pipe (47), which heat pipe is connected to a cooling element (55)
Implementation Method 2
The electric motor (19) is in contact with a first housing wall (21) of the fan housing (13), which is made of a material with good thermal conductivity, in particular metal, preferably aluminum
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4
AI summary
The invention relates to a medical ventilator or anaesthetic machine comprising a blower (11), which is provided with an electric motor (19) and at least one compressor wheel (15), driven by the electric motor, in a blower housing (13) for the compression of ventilating gas. In the case of the blower, the electric motor (19) lies against a first housing wall (21) of the blower housing (13), which is produced from a material with good thermal conduction, in particular metal, preferably aluminium. An air duct for the compressed ventilating gas is formed directly adjacent to the first housing wall (21), between this first housing wall (21) and a second housing wall (25). According to the invention, the first housing wall (21) of the blower housing is connected to at least one heat pipe (47), which is connected to a cooling element (55). In this way, the heat from the blower can be removed to a location of the ventilator which can be cooled in a controlled manner. At this location, a cooling element is arranged in an actively ventilated ventilation duct. This achieves acoustic encapsulation of the blower.