Claims
- 1. An apparatus for providing a flow of pressurized air to each of an alternator, a control group component and an electric drive motor of an electric-drive vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a housing having an inlet for receiving air; an impeller rotatable about an axis within the housing to accelerate the air in both a radial direction and an axial direction; a first outlet opening formed in a perimeter of the housing to receive a first radial airflow from the impeller for directing the first radial airflow to a first of the alternator, the control group component and the electric drive motor; a second outlet opening formed in the perimeter of the housing radially remote from the first outlet to receive a second radial airflow from the impeller for directing the second radial airflow to a second of the alternator, the control group component and the electric drive motor; and a third outlet opening formed in a side of the housing to receive an axial airflow from the impeller for directing the axial airflow to a third of the alternator, the control group component and the electric drive motor.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
the third outlet opening comprising a generally ring-shaped opening formed in the side of the housing proximate a perimeter of the impeller; and an air dam blocking a portion of the ring-shaped opening at a radial location proximate the first outlet opening.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a duct in fluid communication with the first outlet opening, the duct shaped to redirect the first radial airflow to flow in a generally axial direction.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first radial airflow is redirected to a forward direction to cool the alternator, the second radial airflow is directed upward to cool the control group component, and the axial airflow is directed rearward to cool the electric drive motor.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first radial airflow is directed to cool the alternator, the second radial airflow is directed to cool the control group component, and the axial airflow is directed to cool the electric drive motor.
- 6. A centrifugal blower comprising:
a housing having an inlet for receiving air; an impeller rotatable about an axis within the housing to accelerate the air in both a radial direction and an axial direction; a first outlet opening formed in a perimeter of the housing for receiving a radial airflow from the impeller; a second outlet opening formed in a side of the housing for receiving an axial airflow from the impeller; and a pressure barrier disposed between the first outlet opening and the second outlet opening to isolate the radial airflow from the axial airflow.
- 7. The centrifugal blower of claim 6, further comprising:
the second outlet opening being formed as a generally ring-shaped opening in the side of the housing; and the pressure barrier comprising an air dam blocking a portion of the ring-shaped opening at a radial location proximate the first outlet opening.
- 8. The centrifugal blower of claim 6, wherein the axial airflow is a first axial airflow, and further comprising a third outlet opening formed in the perimeter of the housing for receiving a second axial airflow, the third outlet opening being radially displaced from the first outlet opening and the second outlet opening.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a duct in fluid communication with the first outlet opening, the duct shaped to redirect the radial airflow to flow in a generally axial direction.
- 10. An electric-drive vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine, an alternator driven by the engine, a drive motor powered by the alternator for propelling the vehicle, and a heat-generating control group component, the electric-drive vehicle further comprising;
a blower driven by the engine for producing pressurized air for cooling the alternator, the drive motor and the control group component, the blower further comprising:
a housing; an impeller rotatable about an axis within the housing to accelerate air in both a radial direction and an axial direction; an opening formed in a perimeter portion of the housing for receiving a radial airflow from the impeller; and an opening formed in a side portion of the housing for receiving an axial airflow from the impeller.
- 11. The electric-drive vehicle of claim 10, further comprising an air dam disposed between the opening formed in a perimeter portion of the housing and the opening formed in a side portion of the housing.
- 12. The electric-drive vehicle of claim 11, further comprising a duct in fluid communication with the opening formed in the perimeter of the housing, the duct shaped to redirect the radial airflow to flow in a generally axial direction.
- 13. The electric-drive vehicle of claim 10, wherein the opening formed in a perimeter portion of the housing is a first opening formed in the perimeter portion of the housing to receive a first radial airflow from the impeller, and further comprising:
a second opening formed in the perimeter portion of the housing radially displaced from the first opening to receive a second radial airflow from the impeller.
- 14. The electric-drive vehicle of claim 13, further comprising:
a duct in fluid communication with the first opening formed in the perimeter portion of the housing and shaped to redirect the first radial airflow to flow in a generally axial direction; and a pressure barrier disposed between the first opening formed in the perimeter portion of the housing and the opening formed in the side portion of the housing.
- 15. The electric-drive vehicle of claim 14, wherein the first radial airflow is directed to cool the alternator, the second radial airflow is directed to cool the control group component, and the axial airflow is directed to cool the electric drive motor.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims benefit of the Sep. 29, 2000, filing date of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/676,009.
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09676009 |
Sep 2000 |
US |
Child |
10126701 |
Apr 2002 |
US |