Not Applicable
The present disclosure relates generally to ventilation and cooling fans, and more specifically, to a modular adaptive performance fan that may be selectively configured through the implementation of modular components to provide different performance and noise values.
Large-scale equipment, such as military aircraft, tanks, or the like, may require ventilation or cooling during operation thereof, which may be achieved by including one or more fans on the equipment. A fan typically has a characteristic performance curve (pressure gain vs. flow) with its best efficiency point (BEP) at a single combination of pressure and flow; any other operating point would likely be less efficient. In this regard, a specific fan may be most efficient when operating to achieve a specific performance objective.
However, the performance requirements for different pieces of equipment may vary. For instance, a tank may have one performance requirement as to ventilation and cooling, while a jet aircraft may include a different performance requirement. As such, a fan having a first aerodynamic geometry may be preferred to achieve a first performance requirement for a fan installed on a tank, while a different fan having a second aerodynamic geometry may be preferred for a fan installed on a jet airplane. For conventional fans, changing the geometry may require a completely new housing along with dedicated aerodynamic parts. Such an endeavor may be time consuming and costly.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a fan that is adaptable and allows for selective variation in the geometry thereof to achieve desired performance characteristics. Various aspects of the present disclosure address this particular need, as will be discussed in more detail below.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, there may be provided a fan and related method of use, wherein the performance characteristics of the fan may be varied through the use and implementation of one or more modular components. By swapping modular components with core components, the geometry of the fan may be changed, which may result in the desired performance characteristics.
According to one embodiment, there may be provided a modular adaptive performance fan for use in ventilation and cooling in military equipment, such as jet airplanes and tanks. The modular adaptive performance fan may include an outer shroud, an inlet shroud, an inner hub, an impeller, a plurality of stator vane inserts, a diffuser cone, and a drive system (e.g., electric motor, hydraulic, or shaft driven). The modular adaptive performance fan may be configured to provide different performance and noise values desirable for different applications. Different characteristic performance curves with different BEP (e.g., best efficiency point) may be obtained by changing the geometry of the fan.
The changing of the geometry of the fan may be done through only the swapping of interchangeable aerodynamics parts, which may include at least one of the impeller, the stator vanes, and the diffuser cone.
The modular stator inserts may be inserted into the outer shroud in any fashion.
One or more of the aerodynamic parts being modular and independent of the fan envelope may allow a new set of such aerodynamic part(s) to be developed and then tested by placement into the existing fan template. Fans generated using this method may have the BEP tuned specifically to the performance and noise requirements of the user. Furthermore, the tuning of the BEP to the user requirements may be faster and less costly than current techniques.
The modular adaptive performance fan may include a controller, which may allow for an increase in the range of attainable performance and noise requirements by additionally varying the speed.
The outer shroud may include windows cut into the diameter. The inner hub may include three structural struts that may be aerodynamically streamlined and attachable to the outer shroud. The stator vane inserts may include stator vanes integrally formed therein. The stator vane inserts may be attachable and removeable through the windows formed in the outer shroud. Swapping the impeller, the stator inserts, and/or the diffuser cone may allow for a completely different characteristic performance curve to be obtained.
According to one embodiment, there is provided a modular adaptive performance fan comprising a fan core including an outer shroud and an inner hub connectable to the outer shroud. The outer shroud includes an inner surface, an outer surface, and at least one opening extending between the inner surface and the outer surface. A first set of modular components includes a first impeller, a first stator vane insert, and a first diffuser cone. A second set of modular components includes a second impeller, a second stator vane insert, and a second diffuser cone. The first set of modular components are engageable with the fan core to produce a first fan geometry associated first performance characteristics, and the second set of modular components are engageable with the fan core to produce a second fan geometry associated with second performance characteristics.
The inner hub may be positionable within the outer shroud. The inner hub may include a main body and a plurality of vanes extending from the main body toward the outer shroud when the inner hub is positioned within the outer shroud. The inner hub may include a plurality of bores extending into respective ones of the plurality of vanes, and the outer shroud may include a plurality of holes formed therein, with the plurality of bores being alignable with the plurality of holes.
The first stator vane insert may include a first arcuate base and a plurality of first vanes extending from the first arcuate base and the second stator vane insert may include a second arcuate base and plurality of second vanes extending from the second arcuate base. The first vanes may be of a first configuration and the second vanes may be of a second configuration different from the first configuration.
The at least one opening in the outer shroud may include a pair of openings positioned in spaced relation to each other and centered along a common circumference. The first set of modular components may include a pair of first stator vane inserts at least partially insertable into respective ones of the pair of openings to produce the first fan geometry, and the second set of modular components may include a pair of second state vane inserts at least partially insertable into respective ones of the pair of openings to produce the second fan geometry. The modular adaptive performance fan may additionally include a clamping band having an adjustable diameter and positionable around the outer shroud to secure the pair of first stator vane inserts or the pair of second stator vane inserts to the outer shroud.
The first impeller may include a tapered outer wall defining a variable diameter and the second impeller may include a cylindrical outer wall defining a uniform diameter. The first impeller may include first vanes and the second impeller may include second vanes having a different configuration from the first vanes.
The first diffuser cone may be of a first configuration and the second diffuser cone may be of a second configuration different from the first diffuser cone. The first diffuser cone may include a first main body defining a generally uniform diameter between opposed ends thereof, and the second diffuser cone may include a second main body defining a first diameter adjacent a first end thereof and a second diameter adjacent a second end thereof, with the second diameter being different from the first diameter.
According to another embodiment, there is provided a fan core for use with modular interchangeable aerodynamics parts including a modular impeller, a pair of modular stator vane inserts, and a modular diffuser. The fan core includes an outer shroud having an inner surface, an outer surface, and a pair of openings extending between the inner surface and the outer surface and positioned in spaced relation to each other and centered along a common circumference. The fan core further includes an inner hub positionable within the outer shroud. The inner hub comprises a main body and a plurality of vanes extending from the main body toward the outer shroud when the inner hub is positioned within the outer shroud. The outer shroud is configured to receive the pair of modular stator vane inserts within respective ones of the pair of openings. The fan core is engageable with the modular impeller and the modular diffuser such that the inner hub residing between the modular impeller and the modular diffuser.
The plurality of vanes of the inner hub may include a first vane, a second vane, and a third vane. The first vane may be circumferentially spaced from the second vane and the third vane by 135-175 degrees. The second vane may be circumferentially spaced from the third vane by 10-90 degrees.
According to yet another embodiment, there is provided a modular adaptive performance fan comprising a fan core including an outer shroud and an inner hub connectable to the outer shroud. The outer shroud includes an inner surface, an outer surface, and at least one opening extending between the inner surface and the outer surface. The modular adaptive performance fan additionally includes a first set of modular aerodynamics components, and a second set of modular aerodynamics components. The first set of modular aerodynamics components are engageable with the fan core to produce a first fan geometry associated first performance characteristics, and the second set of modular aerodynamics components are engageable with the fan core to produce a second fan geometry associated with second performance characteristics.
The present disclosure will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which:
Common reference numerals are used throughout the drawings and the detailed description to indicate the same elements.
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of certain embodiments of a modular adaptive performance fan and is not intended to represent the only forms that may be developed or utilized. The description sets forth the various structure and/or functions in connection with the illustrated embodiments, but it is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent structure and/or functions may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure. It is further understood that the use of relational terms such as first and second, and the like are used solely to distinguish one entity from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities.
Referring now to
The fan 10 may generally include an outer shroud 12, an inlet shroud (not shown), an inner hub 14 (see
Referring now to
The outer shroud 12 may be specifically sized and structured to facilitate engagement with the inner hub 14 as well as the stator vane inserts 18. To that end, the outer shroud 12 may include a plurality of openings 38 formed in the sidewall 32 to accommodate the respective ones of the stator vane inserts 18. The openings 38 may be centered along a common circumference of the sidewall 32, and spaced from each other along the common circumference. Furthermore, the outer shroud 12 may include a plurality of holes 40 (see
The inner hub 14 includes a main body 42 and a plurality of vanes 44 extending outward from the main body 42. The main body 42 may include a first face 46, an opposing second face 48, and a sidewall 50 extending between the first face 46 and the second face 48. A boss 52 may protrude outwardly from the first face 46 to facilitate engagement with the impeller 16, as will be described in more detail below. The main body 42, as shown, also includes a plurality of bores 54 formed in the first face 46.
The plurality of vanes 44 extend radially outward from the main body 42. Each vane 44 may be aerodynamically optimized to work with all possible configurations of the fan 12. In the exemplary embodiment, each vane 44 includes a first end positioned adjacent the first face 46 of the main body 42, and a second end positioned adjacent the second face 48 of the main body 42. Each vane 44 additionally includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall, with the first and second sidewalls converging at the first and second ends, with the distance between the first and second sidewalls defining a thickness of the vane 44. The vane 44 may be configured such that the thickness varies from the first end to the second end. In the exemplary embodiment, the maximum thickness is at a middle portion of the vane 44, while the ends define smaller thicknesses. The first and second sidewalls may include rounded or arcuate segments to achieve desired aerodynamic performance. In the exemplary embodiment, the inner hub 14 includes three vanes 44, namely, a first vane 44a, a second vane 44b, and a third vane 44c. From the perspective shown in
Each vane 44 may include a bore 56 formed therein, which may be aligned with a corresponding hole 40 formed on the sidewall 32 of the outer shroud 12. A screw, bolt, or other mechanical fastener may be advanced through the aligned bore 56 and hole 40 to facilitate engagement between the inner hub 14 and the outer shroud 12. In this regard, when the inner hub 14 is coupled to the outer shroud 12, each vane 44 may extend from the main body 42 toward the inner surface 34 of the sidewall 32 of the outer shroud 12. The distance which each vane 44 extends from the main body 42 may be substantially equal to the size of an annular gap extending between the sidewall 32 of the outer shroud 12 and the main body 42.
Referring now to
Referring first to
It is contemplated that the stator vane inserts 18 may be modular, and thus, different stator vane inserts 18 may have different structural characteristics to modify the overall geometry of the fan so as to contribute to desired aerodynamic performance characteristics. For instance, the degree of curvature of the vanes 62 may vary, the size of the vanes 62 may vary, or the number of vanes 62 may vary.
Referring now to
Before discussing the unique features of the rising hub impeller 16a and the axial impeller 16b, the common features of the impellers will be discussed. Along these lines, referring back to
Referring now specifically to
Another unique feature of the rising hub impeller 16a may relate to the vanes 88a. As an initial matter, the number of vanes 88a may be unique, as well as the size and configuration of the vanes 88a. With regard to size, each vane 88a may define a vane height as the distance the vane 88a extends away from the outer surface 82a along an axis that is perpendicular to the central axis 24. The rising hub impeller 16a depicted in
Referring now to
Another unique feature of the axial impeller 16b may be in relation to the vanes 88b. The number of vanes 88b may be unique, as well as the size and configuration of the vanes 88b. As to the number of vanes 88b, the axial impeller 16b may include fewer vanes 88b than the rising hub impeller 16a. With regard to size, the axial impeller 16b depicted in
Referring now to
Referring back to
One version of the diffuser cone 20 may include a generally uniform main body 90, wherein the forward diameter is substantially equal to the rearward diameter. Another version of the diffuser cone 20 may include a forward diameter that differs from the rearward diameter. For instance, the forward diameter may be larger than the rearward diameter. The different versions of the diffuser cones may be associated with different operational characteristics, and thus, may be interchanged with each other as desired based on the desired operational characteristics of the fan 10. In this regard, different versions of the diffuser cone 20 may include different geometries to derive different performance characteristics when implemented in the fan.
The modular components, namely, the impeller 16, the stator vane inserts 18, and the diffuser cone 20 may be interchanged with the fan core 22 to produce different performance characteristics of the modular adaptive performance fan 10. Different versions of the impeller 16, stator vane inserts 18 and diffuser cone 20 may include unique and distinctive geometries to produce the desired performance characteristics.
The particulars shown herein are by way of example only for purposes of illustrative discussion, and are not presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, no attempt is made to show any more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the different features of the various embodiments, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how these may be implemented in practice.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/676,182, filed May 24, 2018, the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62676182 | May 2018 | US |