The present invention relates to a ventilation device, in particular for heating, cooling and/or humidifying air in residential buildings, comprising a duct-shaped housing having an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening and a fan impeller arranged in the housing, with a fan impeller driven by an electric motor, as well as a filter unit, heat exchange unit and/or heating coil unit arranged in the main flow direction of an air flow generated by the fan impeller from the air inlet opening toward the air outlet opening.
Such ventilation devices are, for example, also known from EP 1 924 772 B1, GB 1 256 625, DE 30 10 071 A1 and DE 32 41 860 C3. Such ventilation devices are used as so-called air handling units (AHUs) for air treatment, for example, to heat, cool and/or humidify air in residential buildings. They consist of, among other things, a fan which blows or suctions air through the filter, the heat exchanger and/or the heating coil. Such units suction air from one or several ducts that are connected to different rooms in a residential building and, at the outlet of the device, blow the air into a duct system which directs the treated air to different living areas. From the fluidic perspective, these known ventilation devices are characterized in that they consist of a fully closed duct through which the air is directed in the axial direction from the air inlet opening to the air outlet opening. The fan provided in the duct, consisting of the electric motor and the fan impeller, is used to overcome the pressure drops that occur in the duct system. The fan driven by the electric motor represents a substantial electrical load because it requires a considerable electrical input capacity. Furthermore, the heating, cooling and/or air humidifying units generate high flow drops. Furthermore, the known ventilation devices generate a quite significant running noise. Double flow fans with forward curved radial impellers are in particular used in the known devices. An asynchronous internal rotor motor is normally used as an electric motor. Due to their construction, the known fans in use, with forward curved blades at their fan impellers, have a relatively low degree of efficiency.
On the basis of the ventilation devices described above, it is the underlying object of the present invention to provide a ventilation device which makes a compact and cost-effective design possible, and where an improved degree of efficiency with the capacity is achieved by reducing the input power. In addition, the emitted noise should be as low as possible.
Furthermore, it is the underlying object of the invention to minimize the air inflow turbulence, and in consequence the low-frequency noise, especially the blade passing noise, as well as the pressure drop of the commutator.
According to one aspect of the present invention, this object is attained in that the electric motor is configured as a permanently excited electronically commutated synchronous motor, and the fan impeller as a single flow, free running diagonal impeller or single flow, free running radial impeller with blades bent backward relative to the direction of movement of the impeller. In this case, it is in particular advantageous, if the electric motor is manufactured as an external rotor motor. As the fan impeller according to the present invention is configured as a free running fan impeller, the fan impeller as such is not enclosed by a housing. The permanently excited electronically commutated synchronous motor is characterized by a substantially reduced input power compared to the known asynchronous motors, without thereby resulting in a reduction in the air flow capacity. In addition, the noise emission is reduced by the configuration according to the present invention, and the complexity of the complete fan is simplified, resulting in a reduction in the weight of the components.
It is furthermore advantageous, if the bar structure is formed by a grid structure consisting of intersecting grid bars having a plurality of grid openings enclosed by the grid bars.
The invention is based on the knowledge that the embodiment of the grid structure according to the present invention homogenizes the inflow by reducing turbulence. Velocity fluctuations perpendicular to the main flow direction are prevented by the walls formed by the grid bars. This influence can be controlled via the distance between the walls, whereby it is important that the pressure drop caused by the grid structure according to the present invention is minimized. According to the present invention, it is in particular advantageous that the inlet opening does not have any bars because pressure drops are thus prevented in this area.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention will be described in more detail by means of the exemplary embodiments shown in the attached drawings. The drawings are provided for purely illustrated purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
In the drawings,
In
As is apparent from
The electric motor 4 is manufactured as a permanently excited commutated synchronous motor, in particular as an external rotor motor. Such a permanently excited commutated synchronous motor is characterized by a low electric input power, the use of such a motor resulting in significant energy efficiency.
The fan impellers 6 according to
In the shown exemplary embodiment, a filter unit, a heat exchange unit and/or a heating coil unit 14 is arranged between the ventilator unit composed of the electric motor 4 and the fan impeller 6 and the air outlet opening 3, through which the air flow passes in the main flow direction Z. It is likewise within the scope of the invention, if the fan arrangement composed of the electric motor 4 and the fan impeller 6 is arranged between the unit 14 and the outlet opening 3.
The assembly plate 12 has a flow inlet opening 15 arranged coaxially to the air suction opening 10, whose diameter is preferentially greater than that of the air suction opening 10 of the impeller 6, and a suction nozzle 16 is arranged between the flow inlet opening 15 and the air suction opening 10 which causes the air flow entering the fan arrangement to be smoothed. The fan impeller 6 configured as a diagonal impeller or radial impeller can be provided with blades 9 which have angular divisions uniformly or irregularly distributed over the periphery of the fan impeller 6. The number of blades 9 preferentially is five to thirteen, and in particular, there is an uneven number of blades 9. The fan impeller 6 preferentially is configured as a plastic injection molded part. According to the present invention, it is likewise possible to manufacture the fan impeller 6 of metal. For fire protection reasons, materials which comply with the respective fire protection policies, which can be country-specific, are used for manufacturing the fan impeller 6.
In the case of the fan impeller 6 configured as a diagonal impeller shown in
In
It is furthermore advantageous if a guiding device 17 is arranged in the direction of the air flow Z in front of the inflow opening 15, for example, underneath the assembly plate 12. This guiding device 17, which forms a flow conditioner according to
The impeller 103 is peripherally enclosed by a preferentially circular cylindrical housing ring 107, on which an annular suction nozzle 108 is provided on the suction side at a flow inlet opening 110 of the housing ring 107 that can preferentially be configured in one piece with the housing ring 107. An assembly plate 109 is arranged in the suction direction Y in front of the suction nozzle 108 that encloses the flow inlet opening 110. A flow conditioner 111 according to the present invention is fastened in the direction Y in front of the flow inlet opening 110. This flow conditioner 111 has a grid structure 112 consisting of intersecting bars, namely in particular axial bars 114 which extend in the direction of the longitudinal axis X-X and consist of annular peripheral bars 115 extending concentrically to the longitudinal axis X-X. This grid structure 112 has grid openings 115a between the axial bars 114 and the peripheral bars 115. The grid structure 112 according to the present invention forms a geometrical body, which, in the shown exemplary embodiment, has the shape of a truncated cone, whose base encloses the inflow opening 110 and whose end face opposite the base comprises or has an inlet opening 116. The geometrical body may alternatively the shape of an n-sided truncated pyramid, whose base has the flow inlet opening 110 and whose end face opposite the base has the guide inlet opening 116, n being a whole number greater/equal to 3. It is advantageous, if the axial bars 114 enclose an angle α of 90°±10% deviation with the peripheral bars at their intersections. In the shown exemplary embodiment, the grid openings 115a are rectangular, namely in particular with curved peripheral sides which are formed in sections by the peripheral bars 115. The grid openings 115a can, however, also have a different polygonal or oval shape. In the shown exemplary embodiment, the lateral surface of the truncated cone-shaped body, which is formed by the grid structure 112, is convexed outward viewed longitudinally across its longitudinal axis X-X.
According to the present invention, it can likewise be advantageous if the lateral surface of the truncated cone-shaped body of the grid structure 112 is concaved inward or also has a rectilinear course. In the shown exemplary embodiment, an inlet opening 116 is configured centrally and centered relative to the longitudinal axis X-X in the grid structure 112. This inlet opening 116 has no bars. In the assembled state, the grid structure 112 preferentially lies flat against the assembly plate 109 with a peripheral annular rim 116a, so that the rim 116a is integrally molded such that it is parallel to the assembly plate 109 in the assembled state, that is, it is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X-X. The axial bars 114 extend from the rim 116a against the suction direction Y in the direction of the inlet opening 116. The axial bars 114 preferentially have extensions 117 with which they encompass the flow inlet opening 110 in its rim area 118 in the assembled state, see
Advantageously, the axial bars 114 always have the same peripheral angular distance to one another, and the peripheral bars 115 advantageously always have the same axial distance to one another. It is likewise within the scope of the invention, if the diagonal opening width Ld and/or the ratio Lu/Lr varies over the radius and/or the periphery of the grid structure 112. Areas of the grid structure 112 can also be configured open so that there are no bars. It is furthermore within the scope of the invention, if the axial bars 114 and/or the peripheral bars 115 are not uniformly but irregularly distributed inside the grid structure 112 according to the present invention.
The inlet opening 116 of the flow conditioner 111 is advantageously enclosed by a peripheral bar 115, so that the axial bars 114 end at this peripheral bar 115. Fastening lugs 119 with openings are integrally molded on the external rim 116a, the flow conditioner 111 being fastened on the assembly plate 109 by means of fastening means, which are not shown, and the fastening lugs 118 [sic, 119].
The blade impeller 121 consists of, among other things, a cover plate 124. An annular suction nozzle 108 is arranged on it on the suction side at the flow inlet opening 110, which is enclosed by the cover plate 124. This suction nozzle 108 is, as well as in
As is apparent from
The flow conditioner 111 according to the present invention can be made in one or several parts by injection molding or die casting. These individual parts can be riveted, stuck or screwed together. A snap connection would also be possible within the scope of the invention. If the parts in the flow conditioner according to the present invention are made of metal, they can also be manufactured by blanking. As is, in particular, described in relation to
The grid bars, in particular the axial bars 114 and the peripheral bars 115 of the grid structure 112 according to the present invention, are advantageously configured and arranged such that the flow from the flow conditioner 111 is swirl-free, or that no swirl is conveyed to the flow by the grid structure 112. It is likewise within the scope of the invention if the internal diameter Di of the inlet opening 110 varies over the periphery of the opening. In order to provide protection against accidental contact it can likewise be advantageous if the inlet opening 110 is closed by a protection grid. As far as advantageous, in particular for assembly reasons, the flow conditioner 111 according to the present invention can also be fastened on the suction side directly on a supporting or protection grid of a fan arrangement. The inlet opening 116 can also receive further elements, provided their total flow surface is not larger than 15% of the surface of the inlet opening 116. It is thus possible, by way of example, that a mount for the assembly of the fan is provided inside the inlet opening 116.
Compared to the prior art described above, a significant reduction in the rotational noise of the fan results, namely in the non-installed state as well as in the installed state. In addition, there is a significant reduction in the assessed noise power level in the installed state, with no, or only a minimum decrease in efficiency.
As is apparent from
A typical schematic installation situation of the same fan 102 is a client's device, where the fan suctions air via a heat exchanger 26, and where there is a free space 127 between the heat exchanger 126 and the fan 102, as shown in
By means of this installation, the flow in the fan is disturbed by an irregular velocity field in terms of time and space. In addition, the inflow turbulence is significantly increased. Curve B displays this case, from which it is apparent that the noise from the fan is strongly increased, namely in particular at low frequencies. By using a flow conditioner according to the present invention with the following dimensions: external diameter 795 mm, internal diameter 464 mm, height 130 mm; Ld/Dlf=4.3%; 15 peripheral struts and 120 axial struts 114, strut depth 17 mm and strut thickness 1.5 mm, the noise level is again adapted to the noise level of the undisturbed flow (curve A), wherefore reference is made to curve C. By using a flow conditioner according to the present invention, a disturbed inflow in terms of time and space is again homogenized and the turbulence is significantly reduced. This clearly causes a reduction in noise, so that by using a flow conditioner according to the present invention the flow can again be made substantially approximate to the undisturbed flow. A flow conditioner according to the present invention thus has important advantages in terms of noise.
By means of the embodiment of the ventilation device according to the present invention, the electric power input can be strongly reduced and likewise the noise emission; in particular, the emission of rotational noise is reduced by the guiding device used. In addition, the complexity of the fan composed of the electric motor 4 and the fan impeller 6 is strongly simplified and the weight of the components reduced compared to the prior art described above. In this case, it is in particular advantageous if, according to the present invention, the fan arrangement consisting of the electric motor 4 and the fan impeller 6 as well as the suction nozzle 16 and the bracket 11 form a subassembly unit, which can be inserted preassembled into the housing 1 without any auxiliary devices.
The foregoing description of various embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise embodiments disclosed. Numerous modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. In particular, elements or features of one embodiment may be may be combined with or replace elements or features of a different embodiment. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
13159536 | Mar 2013 | EP | regional |
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/757,417 and to European Application No. 13159536.5, filed on Mar. 15, 2013, 2012. These applications are herewith incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
6534946 | Lelkes | Mar 2003 | B2 |
7744342 | Kamoshita et al. | Jun 2010 | B2 |
8849463 | Hopkins | Sep 2014 | B2 |
20080247868 | Lan | Oct 2008 | A1 |
20110150632 | Heli | Jun 2011 | A1 |
20110211963 | Bohl | Sep 2011 | A1 |
20130216407 | Rasmussen | Aug 2013 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
1052624 | Mar 1959 | DE |
30 10 071 | Mar 1980 | DE |
32 41 860 | Nov 1982 | DE |
0547253 | Jun 1993 | EP |
1 924 772 | Sep 2006 | EP |
1895166 | Mar 2008 | EP |
2123917 | Nov 2009 | EP |
2196739 | Jun 2010 | EP |
2763367 | Nov 1998 | FR |
1 256 625 | Jan 1969 | GB |
2088953 | Jun 1982 | GB |
57088292 | Jun 1982 | JP |
60130114 | Aug 1985 | JP |
2003130396 | May 2003 | JP |
2004251151 | Sep 2004 | JP |
2006194102 | Jul 2006 | JP |
Entry |
---|
Author: Google Title: Google translation of document EP0547253 Date Accessed (mm/dd/yyyy): Apr. 14, 2017 Link: https://www.google.com/patents/EP0547253A1?cl=de. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20140209275 A1 | Jul 2014 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
61757417 | Jan 2013 | US |