The present disclosure relates to a cross flow fan blade, a cross flow fan, and an air conditioner indoor unit.
In, for example, air conditioner indoor units, in order to blow air; a cross flow fan is often used. In a cross-sectional shape of a cross flow fan blade, a pressure face and a negative pressure face on a side opposite to the pressure face are curved in a fan rotation direction toward an outer side of the blade from a fan rotary shaft. That is, the cross flow fan blade has a bow shape in which a central portion of the blade is disposed away from a straight line connecting an inner edge and an outer edge of the blade.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-124766 discloses a method of, in order to increase energy efficiency of a cross flow fan, reducing loss by suppressing separation of a flow at a negative pressure face as a result of setting a maximum thickness position of a blade closer to an inner edge than to an outer edge.
A first aspect of the present disclosure is a cross flow fan blade including an inner edge disposed on an inner circumferential side of a cross flow fan, an outer edge disposed on an outer circumferential side of the cross flow fan, and a base part formed between the inner edge and the outer edge. The base part has a pressure face and a negative pressure face. A thickness of the inner edge is larger than 1.5 times a thickness of the outer edge. An interval between the pressure face and the negative pressure face in a direction perpendicular to the pressure face is a thickness of the base part. A maximum thickness position of the base part is closer to the inner edge than to the outer edge. When a blade chord length is L and a maximum thickness of the base part is tmax, tmax/L≤0.094, and a range of tmax/L≤0.08 is excluded.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments below are essentially preferred exemplifications, and are not intended to limit the present invention, objects applicable thereto, and the range of use thereof.
A top surface of the body casing (2) has a suction port (2a). The air filter (3) facing the suction port (2a) is disposed on a downstream side of the suction port (2a). The indoor heat exchanger (4) is disposed further on a downstream side of the air filter (3). The indoor heat exchanger (4) is constituted by coupling a front-side heat exchanger (4a) and a rear-side heat exchanger (4b) so as to form an inverted V shape in side view. The front-side heat exchanger (4a) and the rear-side heat exchanger (4b) are each constituted by arranging a large number of plate fins side by side in parallel and mounting the plate fins on heat transfer tubes. Indoor air that passes through the suction port (2a) and that reaches the indoor heat exchanger (4) has dust therein removed when passing through the air filter (3). Heat is exchanged when indoor air that has been sucked from the suction port (2a) and that has passed through the air filter (3) passes through spaces between the plate fins of the front-side heat exchanger (4a) and the rear-side heat exchanger (4b).
The cross flow fan (10) having a substantially cylindrical shape and having a fan diameter D is provided on a downstream side of the indoor heat exchanger (4) so as to extend in a width direction of the air conditioner indoor unit (1) (direction perpendicular to the sheet plane of
A rear side of a blow-out passage that communicates with the blow-out port (2b) situated downstream from the cross flow fan (10) is constituted by a scroll member (2c). A lower end of the scroll member (2c) is connected to a rear edge of the blow-out port (2b). In order to smoothly and quietly guide air that is blown out from the cross flow fan (10) to the blow-out port (2b), a guide surface of the scroll member (2c) has a smooth curved shape having a curvature center on a side of the cross flow fan (10) in sectional view. A tongue part (2d) is provided on a front side of the cross flow fan (10), and an upper side of the blow-out passage that continues from the tongue part (2d) is coupled to a front edge of the blow-out port (2b). The direction of an airflow that is blown out from the blow-out port (2b) is adjusted by the vertical flap (5) and the horizontal flap (6).
Each fan block (30) includes a plurality of blades (40) and a ring-shaped supporting plate (50). The plurality of blades (40) are arranged around the rotary shaft (22) with the rotary shaft (22) being a center. Adjacent blades (40) are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval. Two ends of each blade (40) (two ends in a direction in which the rotary shaft (22) extends) are supported by two supporting plates (50), or by a supporting plate (50) and the end plate (21) or the end plate (24).
Structure of Blades of Cross Flow Fan
Each blade (40) includes an inner edge (42) disposed on the inner circumferential side of the cross flow fan (10), an outer edge (43) disposed on the outer circumferential side of the cross flow fan (10), and a base part (41) formed between the inner edge (42) and the outer edge (43). Each inner edge (42) is formed so as to have an arc shape that is convex toward the inner circumferential end (51), and contacts the inscribed circle (IL). Each outer edge (43) is formed so as to have an arc shape that is convex toward the outer circumferential end (52), and contacts the circumscribed circle (OL). Each base part (41) has a pressure face (41p) that generates positive pressure on a side in the direction of arrow A1 (hereunder referred to as a “fan rotation direction”), and a negative pressure face (41n) that generates a negative pressure on a side opposite to the side in the fan rotation direction.
Each blade (40) is a forwardly facing vane that is curved in the fan rotation direction toward the outer circumferential end (52). Specifically, each blade (40) is inclined by an angle θ with respect to a line (RL) orthogonal to the axis (O) of the cross flow fan (10) and extending radially toward the outer circumference from the axis (O). Here, the inclination θ of each blade (40) is defined as an angle between the radially extending line (RL) and a tangential line (TL) that touches the inner edge (42) and the outer edge (43) of the corresponding blade (40).
The pressure face (41p) and the negative pressure face (41n) of each blade (40) are curved in an arc toward the side opposite to the fan rotation direction. In other words, even a curvature center of the arc of each pressure face (41p) and a curvature center of the arc of each negative pressure face (41n) are positioned on the side in the fan rotation direction.
A blade chord length L of each blade (40) is a length from an end of the inner edge (42) to an end of the outer edge (43). Specifically, when the tangential line (TL) of each blade (40) is extended toward each of the inner circumferential side and the outer circumferential side, and when a perpendicular line (PL1) that extends upright at the tangential line (TL) and that contacts the inner edge (42) and a perpendicular line (PL2) that extends upright at the tangential line (TL) and that contacts the outer edge (43) are drawn, the length from the perpendicular line (PL1) to the perpendicular line (PL2) is the blade chord length L. In other words, when an intersection of the tangential line (TL) and the perpendicular line (PL1) is an inner edge end (CLi) and when an intersection of the tangential line (TL) and the perpendicular line (PL2) is an outer edge end (CLo), the distance between the inner edge end (CLi) and the outer edge end (CLo) is the blade chord length L.
In each blade (40), the thickness (wall thickness) of the base part (41), that is, the distance between the pressure face (41p) and the negative pressure face (41n) changes gradually from the inner circumferential side toward the outer circumferential side, and a position where the thickness of the base part (41) becomes a maximum (hereunder referred to as a “maximum thickness position”) exists. Here, the maximum thickness of each base part (41) is tmax.
Note that, in the present description, the thickness of each base part (41) is defined as the interval between the pressure face (41p) and the negative pressure face (41n) in a direction perpendicular to the pressure face (41p). As shown in
In the present embodiment, as shown in
The relationship shown in
The blade shape (cross-sectional shape) of the cross flow fan (10) used in the evaluation in
As shown in
As shown in
Further, as shown in
As described above, in each blade (40) of the cross flow fan (10) of the present embodiment, it is desirable that tmax/L≤0.094 be satisfied, more desirable that 0.054≤tmax/L≤0.094 be satisfied, and most desirable that 0.074≤tmax/L≤0.086 be satisfied.
According to each blade (40) of the cross flow fan (10) of the present embodiment described above, when the ratio tmax/L of the maximum thickness tmax of each base part (41) to the blade chord length L is set to be less than or equal to 0.094, it is possible to provide a width of a flow path between blades and suppress an increase in flow velocity. By setting the maximum thickness position (Lt) of each base part (41) close to the inner edge (42), it is possible to suppress separation of a flow at the negative pressure face (41n). Therefore, since loss at each blade (40) can be suppressed, energy efficiency of the cross flow fan (10) is increased.
In each blade (40) of the cross flow fan (10) of the present embodiment, when tmax/L is set to be greater than or equal to 0.054, it is possible to avoid a situation in which, due to the maximum thickness tmax of each base part (41) being made too small, the effect of suppressing separation of a flow at the negative pressure face (41n) is reduced.
Further, in each blade (40) of the cross flow fan (10) of the present embodiment, when tmax/L is set to be greater than or equal to 0.074 and less than or equal to 0.086, it is possible to, while sufficiently providing a width of a flow path between blades and further suppressing an increase in flow velocity, obtain the effect of further suppressing separation of a flow at the negative pressure face (41n).
In each blade (40) of the cross flow fan (10) of the present embodiment, when the maximum thickness position (Lt) of each base part (41) is set in a range of 5% to 45% of the blade chord length L from the end of the inner edge (42) (inner edge end (CLi) in
In each blade (40) of the cross flow fan (10) of the present embodiment, the thickness “ti” of the inner edge (42) is set larger than the thickness “to” of the outer edge (43). Therefore, since up to the vicinity of the central portion of each blade (40) from the inner edge (42), the thickness of the base part (41) is reduced smoothly, the blade-face curvature of the negative pressure face (41n) is not increased. Consequently, even if a flow is about to be separated on the negative pressure face (41n), since the flow immediately re-adheres to the negative pressure face (41n), it is possible to suppress the separation of the flow up to the central portion of each blade (40) from the inner edge (42). On the other hand, since the thickness up to the outer edge (43) from the central portion of each blade (40) is largely reduced, the width of a flow path between blades up to the outer edge (43) from the central portion of each blade (40) can be maintained at a wide width. Therefore, it is possible to reduce blow-out air velocity between the blades by efficiently utilizing the wide width of the flow path between the blades.
According to the cross flow fan (10) of the present embodiment in which a plurality of blades (40) are arranged around the rotary shaft (22), since it is possible to provide a width of a flow path between blades and suppress an increase in flow velocity, it is possible to suppress loss at each blade (40) and to thus increase energy efficiency.
In the cross flow fan (10) of the present embodiment, when the fan diameter D is greater than or equal to 126 mm, it is possible to obtain the following effects. For example, when a large-diameter cross flow fan (10) having a fan diameter that is greater than or equal to 126 mm is to be manufactured by, for example, proportionally enlarging a small-diameter cross flow fan having a fan diameter that is less than 126 mm, the blade chord length L is large compared with that of the small-diameter cross flow fan. However, regarding the maximum thickness tmax of each base part (41), tmax/L≤0.094 is satisfied, as a result of which, compared with the small-diameter cross flow fan, it is possible to considerably reduce the thickness of each blade, and thus the effect of reducing weight and material costs is also increased.
According to the air conditioner indoor unit (1) of the present embodiment including the cross flow fan (10), since energy efficiency of the cross flow fan (10) is increased, it is possible to reduce power consumption.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
A feature of the blade (40) of the modification shown in
According to the present modification described above, in addition to the effects that are the same as those of the embodiments above being obtained, since the inlet angle α of the inner edge (42) is set to be greater than or equal to 80° and less than or equal to 90°, the curve of the blade (40) is small, and thus an airflow moves easily along the negative pressure face (41n) of the blade (40). Therefore, since it is possible to further suppress separation of a flow at the negative pressure face (41n), it is possible to further suppress loss at the blade (40), and to thus further increase energy efficiency of the cross flow fan (10).
One feature of the blade (40) of the present modification shown in
Another feature of the blade (40) of the present modification is that the curved surface (ws) is connected to a pressure face (41p) at an angle that is greater than or equal to 85° and less than or equal to 90°. In other words, at an intersection of the pressure face (41p) and the curved surface (ws), when an angle formed by a perpendicular line with respect to the pressure face (41p) and a tangential line to the curved surface (ws) is an angle β, the angle β is greater than or equal to 0° and less than or equal to 5°.
According to the present modification described above, in addition to the same effects as those of the embodiments above being obtained, the following effects are obtained. That is, the surface of the outer edge (43) on the side of the negative pressure face (41n) is the curved surface (ws) that is convex on the outer side, and the curved surface (ws) is smoothly connected to the negative pressure face (41n) and is connected to the pressure face (41p) at an angle that is greater than or equal to 85° and less than or equal to 90°. Therefore, an airflow that has reached the vicinity of the outer edge (43) of the blade (40) easily moves along the negative pressure face (41n). Therefore, since it is possible to further suppress separation of a flow at the negative pressure face (41n), it is possible to further suppress loss at the blade (40), and to thus further increase energy efficiency of the cross flow fan (10).
Note that, in place of or in addition to the structure of the present modification, the following structure may be provided. That is, a surface of an inner edge (42) on a side of the negative pressure face (41n) is a curved surface that is convex on an outer side, and the curved surface is smoothly connected to the negative pressure face (41n) and is connected to the pressure face (41p) at an angle that is greater than or equal to 85° and less than or equal to 90°. Due to this structure, even in the blow-out region R2 (see
Although, in the embodiments and the modifications above, a wall-mounted indoor unit has been described as the air conditioner indoor unit (1) including the cross flow fan (10), it is not limited thereto, and the cross flow fan (10) may be used in other types of indoor units, such as a floor-mounted type or a ceiling-mounted type.
Although, in the embodiments and modifications above, the impeller (20) of the cross flow fan (10) is disposed on the downstream side of the indoor heat exchanger (4) in the direction in which air flows, the impeller (20) may be disposed on an upstream side of the indoor heat exchanger (4) instead.
Although the embodiments and modifications have been described above, it will be understood that various changes in form and detail can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. The embodiments and modifications above may be combined or replaced as appropriate as long as the object functions of the present disclosure are not impaired.
As described above, the present disclosure is useful for a cross flow fan blade, a cross flow fan, and an air conditioner indoor unit.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2019-179027 | Sep 2019 | JP | national |
This is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/JP2020/021573 filed on Jun. 1, 2020, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-179027, filed on Sep. 30, 2019. The entire disclosures of these applications are incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/JP2020/021573 | Jun 2020 | US |
Child | 17701491 | US |