HVAC system with noise reducing tube

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10087954-B2
Application number	US-201414170196-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2014
Priority date	Feb 8, 2013
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system has a fan component defining a radially interior space and a radially exterior space and a tube disposed in the radially exterior space, the tube being in fluid communication with the radially interior space at a first angular location and a second angular location different from the first angular location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a fan, comprising:
a blade assembly;
a cover;
a fan component defining a radially interior space disposed radially inside and bounded by the fan component and a radially exterior space located radially beyond the fan component and within a footprint of the cover; and
a tube disposed in the radially exterior space, the tube being connected in exclusive fluid communication with the radially interior space at a first angular location and a second angular location different from the first angular location with respect to an axis of rotation of a shaft of the blade assembly, wherein the first angular location and the second angular location comprise substantially similar longitudinal locations.

2. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the tube is variable in length.

3. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the tube is further in communication with the radially interior space at a third angular location.

4. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid communication between the tube and the radially interior space is provided through an aperture in the fan component.

5. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the tube comprises an undulating shape.

6. The HVAC system of claim 1 , further comprising an additional tube in fluid communication with the radially interior space at two angular locations.

7. The HVAC system of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the two angular locations at which the additional tube is connected in fluid communication with the radially interior space is one of the first angular location and the second angular location.

8. The HVAC system of claim 7 , wherein the tubes comprise different effective lengths.

9. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the tube comprises an enlarged section.

10. A fan component, comprising:
a cover defining an internal space;
a shroud defining a radially interior space disposed radially inside the shroud and a radially exterior space located radially beyond the shroud and within the internal space defined by the cover;
wherein the radially interior space is joined in exclusive fluid communication via a tube disposed in the radially exterior space between a first angularly located aperture and a second angularly located aperture that is angularly offset from the first angularly located aperture with respect to an axis of rotation of a shaft of a blade assembly, wherein the first angularly located aperture and the second angularly located aperture comprise substantially similar longitudinal locations.

11. The fan component of claim 10 , further comprising a pressure wave attenuation material disposed within the radially exterior space.

12. A method of altering a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system noise characteristic, comprising:
providing a fan comprising a fan component defining a radially interior space disposed radially inside and bounded by the fan component and a radially exterior space located radially beyond the fan component and within a footprint of a cover of the fan;
providing a blade assembly at least partially within the radially interior space;
rotating the blade assembly about a longitudinal axis; and
joining at least two angularly offset locations of the interior space in exclusive fluid communication with each other via a tube disposed in the radially exterior space, wherein the at least two angularly offset locations comprise a substantially similar longitudinal location with respect to the longitudinal axis.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
adjusting a length of the tube in response to a change in blade pass frequency.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the joining the tube with the interior space comprises providing an aperture through a wall of the fan component.

15. A method of altering a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system noise characteristic, comprising:
providing a fan comprising a fan component defining a radially interior space disposed radially inside and bounded by the fan component and a radially exterior space located radially beyond the fan component and within a footprint of a cover of the fan;
providing a blade assembly at least partially within the radially interior space;
rotating the blade assembly about a longitudinal axis;
joining at least two angularly offset locations of the interior space in exclusive fluid communication with each other via a tube disposed in the radially exterior space, wherein the at least two angularly offset locations comprise a substantially similar longitudinal location with respect to the longitudinal axis; and

disposing a noise attenuating material patch between the blade assembly and the fan component at an angular location selected to at least one of disrupt, reduce, and prevent a pressure wave.

Assignees

• Trane Int Inc

Inventors

• Wang Percy F

Classifications

• F04D25/08 Primary

  the working fluid being air, e.g. for ventilation · CPC title

• F04D29/664 Primary

  by means of sound absorbing material · CPC title

• F04D29/665

  by means of resonance chambers or interference · CPC title

• Y10T29/49318

  Repairing or disassembling · CPC title