Nozzle assembly for exhaust fan unit of HVAC system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12163676-B2
Application number	US-202217735039-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2022
Priority date	Sep 19, 2018
Publication date	Dec 10, 2024
Grant date	Dec 10, 2024

Abstract

A nozzle assembly for a fan unit includes an inner nozzle having a tapered outer diameter and a flow path radially inward from the tapered outer diameter with respect to a longitudinal axis of the nozzle assembly. The flow path is configured to guide a fluid flow and to expel the fluid flow through an inner outlet of the inner nozzle to a surrounding environment. The nozzle assembly also includes an outer nozzle disposed radially outward from the inner nozzle with respect to the longitudinal axis. The outer nozzle and the tapered outer diameter of the inner nozzle define an annular flow path therebetween. The annular flow path is configured to guide the fluid flow and to expel the fluid flow to the surrounding environment through an outer outlet of the outer nozzle. A cross-sectional area of the outer outlet is adjustable via movement of the inner nozzle, the outer nozzle, or both along the longitudinal axis of the nozzle assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fan unit, comprising:
an inner nozzle having an inner nozzle outlet configured to expel, toward an environment and from a base of the fan unit, a first fluid exhaust flow via an inner nozzle flow path defined by the inner nozzle;
an outer nozzle disposed about the inner nozzle and having an outer nozzle outlet configured to expel, toward the environment and from the base of the fan unit, a second fluid exhaust flow via an outer nozzle annular flow path defined between an interior of the outer nozzle and an exterior of the inner nozzle, wherein the inner nozzle fluidly separates at least a portion of the inner nozzle flow path from at least a portion of the outer nozzle annular flow path; and
a controller configured to control a longitudinal movement of the inner nozzle, the outer nozzle, or both based on an operating condition associated with the fan unit.

2. The fan unit of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to receive data indicative of the operating condition associated with the fan unit from a sensor configured to detect the operating condition associated with the fan unit.

3. The fan unit of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the longitudinal movement of the inner nozzle, the outer nozzle, or both based on an exhaust demand corresponding to the operating condition.

4. The fan unit of claim 1 , wherein the exterior of the inner nozzle comprises a tapered outer surface and the outer nozzle annular flow path is defined between the interior of the outer nozzle and the tapered outer surface.

5. The fan unit of claim 4 , wherein the interior of the outer nozzle comprises a tapered inner surface and the outer nozzle annular flow path is defined between the tapered inner surface of the outer nozzle and the tapered outer surface of the inner nozzle.

6. The fan unit of claim 5 , wherein the tapered outer surface of the inner nozzle is tapered at a first angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the fan unit, the tapered inner surface of the outer nozzle is tapered at a second angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the fan unit, and the second angle is greater than the first angle.

7. The fan unit of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the longitudinal movement of the inner nozzle, the outer nozzle, or both such that a cross-sectional area of the outer nozzle outlet changes in response to the longitudinal movement of the inner nozzle, the outer nozzle, or both.

8. The fan unit of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the longitudinal movement of the inner nozzle relative to the outer nozzle and based on the operating condition associated with the fan unit.

9. The fan unit of claim 1 , comprising at least one fan configured to:
bias the first fluid exhaust flow through the inner nozzle flow path, through the inner nozzle outlet, and toward the environment; and
bias the second fluid exhaust flow through the outer nozzle annular flow path, through the outer nozzle outlet, and toward the environment.

10. One or more tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media storing instructions thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to:
receive data indicative of an operating condition of a fan unit; and
control, based on the data indicative of the operating condition, longitudinal movement of an inner nozzle of the fan unit or an outer nozzle of the fan unit, wherein:
the inner nozzle includes an inner nozzle outlet configured to expel, toward an environment and from a base of the fan unit, a first fluid exhaust flow via an inner nozzle flow path defined by and inwards from a frusto-conical shape of the inner nozzle;
the outer nozzle includes an outer nozzle outlet configured to expel, toward the environment and from the base of the fan unit, a second fluid exhaust flow via an outer nozzle annular flow path defined between the outer nozzle and the frusto-conical shape of the inner nozzle; and
the longitudinal movement of the inner nozzle of the fan unit or the outer nozzle of the fan unit causes a change to a cross-sectional area of the outer nozzle annular flow path, the outer nozzle outlet, or both.

11. The one or more tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to receive the data indicative of the operating condition of the fan unit from a sensor configured to detect the operating condition of the fan unit.

12. The one or more tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to receive the data indicative of an exhaust demand corresponding to the operating condition of the fan unit.

Assignees

• Air Distribution Tech Ip Llc

Inventors

• Kole Anup T
• Patil Vikas A
• Manian A K S
• Vyas Rajesh D
• Patil Parmeshwar G
• Warake Ravindra R
• Vargas Luis L
• Shitkande Atul A
• Sahu Kapil D

Classifications

• F24F2007/001

  with exhausting air ducts · CPC title

• F24F7/025

  with forced air circulation by means of a built-in ventilator · CPC title

• F23L17/14

  Draining devices · CPC title

• F23L17/005

  using fans · CPC title

• F04D29/441

  especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title