Impeller for Transverse Fan

This invention relates generally to the field of air moving apparatus such as fans and blowers. More specifically, the invention relates to an impeller for use in fans of the transverse type. Transverse fans are also known as cross-flow or tangential fans.

The operating characteristics and physical configuration of transverse fans make them particularly suitable for use in a variety of air moving applications. Their use is widespread in air conditioning and ventilation apparatus. Because such apparatus almost always operates in or near occupied areas, a significant design and manufacturing objective is quiet operation.

FIG. 1 shows schematically the general arrangement and air flow path in a typical transverse fan installation. FIG. 2 shows the main features of a typical transverse fan impeller. Fan assembly 10 comprises enclosure 11 in which is located impeller 30. Impeller 30 is generally cylindrical and has a plurality of blades 31 disposed axially along its outer surface. Impeller 30 comprises several modules 32, each defined by an adjacent pair of partition disks 34 or by one end disk 33 and one partition disk 34. Between each adjacent pair of disks longitudinally extend a plurality of blades 31. Each blade is attached at one of its longitudinal ends to one disk and at the other end to the other disk of the pair. A given impeller may comprise multiple modules as depicted in FIG. 2 or but a single module, where the blades attach at either end to an end disk. The choice of a single or multiple module configuration depends upon such factors as fan size, construction material strength and weight and the like. As impeller 30 rotates, it causes air to flow from enclosure inlet 21 through inlet plenum 22, through impeller 30, through outlet plenum 23 and out via enclosure outlet 24. Rear or guide wall 15 and vortex wall 14 each form parts of both inlet and outlet plena 22 and 23. The general principles of operation of a transverse fan need not be elaborated upon except as necessary to an understanding of the present invention.

When a transverse fan is operating, it generates a certain amount of noise. One significant component of the total noise output of the fan is a tone having a frequency related to the rotational speed of the fan multiplied by the number of fan blades (the blade rate tone). The passage of the blades past the vortex wall produces this blade rate tone. Discrete frequency noise is in general more irritating to a listener than broad band noise of the same intensity. The blade rate tone produced by the typical prior art transverse fan has limited the use of such fans in applications where quiet operation is required.

At least one prior art disclosure has proposed a means of reducing the blade rate tonal noise produced by a transverse fan. U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,963 (issued 3 Sep. 1985 to Sugio et al.) discloses a transverse fan impeller in which the circumferential blade spacing (called pitch angle in the patent) is random.

Another patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,007 (issued 30 Nov. 1993 to Bushnell et al.), one inventor of which is also an inventor of the present invention and the assignee of which is the same as the assignee of the present invention, discloses a transverse fan impeller that is effective in reducing the blade rate tonal noise in a transverse impeller by varying the angular spacing of the impeller blades in a nonuniform but also nonrandom manner.

It is the interaction between air flow, rather than the fan blades themselves, and the vortex wall that produces the blade rate tone in a transverse fan. Therefore one can reduce the blade rate tone by any means that reduces the regularity of the air flow interaction at the vortex wall.

The present invention is a transverse fan impeller having a configuration that reduces the noise associated with the blade rate tone compared to that produced by a conventional transverse fan impeller. We have achieved this reduction by randomly varying certain blade parameters among the blades of the impeller. This results in a random variation in the air flow that interacts with the vortex wall thus reducing the blade rate tone.

The blades of the impeller have an airfoil cross section. The airfoil has a chord and a camber. The chord of each blade is set at an angle with respect to a radius passing through the axis of rotation of the impeller and the intersection of the chord and camber lines at the inside edge of the blade. The outermost edge of each blade is at some radial distance from the axis of rotation of the impeller. It is at least one of the parameters, that is, length of chord, maximum deviation of camber line from chord, setting angle and distance of outermost edge from rotational axis, that varies randomly, within limits, among the blades. In one embodiment, only the length of chord varies, in another only the maximum deviation, in another only the setting angle and still another on the distance of leading edge. Random variation in all of the parameters is possible. Any of the various embodiments is effective in reducing radiated noise from the fan. The random variation in configuration, if held within the specified limits, will not adversely affect fan performance.

The accompanying drawings form a part of the specification. Throughout the drawings, like reference numbers identify like elements.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a typical transverse fan arrangement.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a transverse fan impeller.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a section of a typical blade of a transverse fan impeller.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an arrangement of fan blades on a transverse fan impeller.

The BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION section above, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, provides information concerning the basic construction and operation of a transverse fan.

FIG. 3 depicts schematically a section of a typical blade of an impeller for a transverse fan. The figure shows blade camber line Ca and chord Ch. The maximum amount of deviation of camber line Ca from chord Ch is Dmax. Lines tangent to camber line Ca at its intersections with chord Ch intersect to form camber angle .theta.. The angle between chord Ch and a radius R that passes through impeller axis of rotation Ar and the inner intersection of camber line Ca and chord Ch is setting angle .GAMMA.. In the same figure, A' is the impeller axis of rotation if blade setting angle .GAMMA. is zero and Rmax is the radial distance, along radius R', from axis of rotation Ar' to outermost edge Eo of the blade.

FIG. 4 shows, in lateral cross section, an arrangement of blades B on a transverse fan impeller. Blades B have equal angular spacing .SIGMA. between radii R, R' from impeller axis of rotation Ar and similar points on each blade. Blade Bref is a blade having reference values of distance from axis of rotation to blade outermost edge, blade chord, maximum deviation of camber from chord and setting angle. Blade B.increment.Ch has a chord that deviates from the reference value. Blade B.increment.Rmax has a distance from axis of rotation to blade outermost edge that deviates from the reference value. Blade B.increment.Dmax has a camber line that has a maximum deviation of camber from chord that deviates from the reference value. Blade B.increment.F has a setting angle that deviates from the reference value.

In a transverse fan impeller embodying the present invention: the reference value for distance from axis of rotation to blade outermost edge is the longest such distance for any of the blades in the impeller; the reference value for blade chord is the length of the chord of the blade having the longest chord of any of the blades in the impeller; the reference value for camber is the average of the values of the maximum deviation between chord and camber line of all the blades in the impeller; and the reference value for setting angle is zero degrees.

It is known in the art that minor variations in the geometry of the blades of a transverse fan have little influence on the performance of the fan. There are, however, limits on the values of distance from rotational axis to blade outermost edge, chord length, camber and setting angle that, if exceeded, will adversely affect fan performance.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the distance from the impeller axis of rotation to blade outermost edge varies randomly among the blades from the reference value (Rmaxref). In this embodiment, the limits are from 0.9 to 1.0 times the reference value, or

In another embodiment of the present invention, the length of chord of the various blades varies randomly from the reference value (Chref). In this embodiment, the limits are from 0.5 to 1.0 times the reference chord length, or

In another embodiment of the present invention, the maximum deviation from chord to camber of the various blades varies randomly from the reference value (Dmaxref). In this embodiment, the limits are from 0.5 to 1.0 times the reference value of maximum distance from chord to camber line or

In still another embodiment, it is the setting angle that varies, within limits, from the reference value (.GAMMA.ref). In this embodiment, the limits are from 15 degrees less to 15 degrees more than the reference setting angle or

A transverse fan impeller having blades among which the values of more than one, or all, of the various physical parameters discussed above would also be within the scope of the present invention.

It is possible that configuring the blades of a transverse fan impeller as described above will result in a small static imbalance. Any such imbalance can easily be overcome by adding appropriate compensating weights at appropriate positions on one or more of the fan disks.