Devices and methods for reducing noise in a blower housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9765796-B2
Application number	US-201214357369-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2012
Priority date	Nov 15, 2011
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

Devices and methods for reducing noise of a blower reduce and/or substantially block the exchange of gas within the blower housing from an area of a generally high-velocity flow of gas to an area of a comparatively lower-velocity flow of gas, for example near the outlet of the blower housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for blowing gas from an inlet to an outlet, the device including:
an impeller, having a first side and a second side, the first side being configured to impart energy to the gas responsive to the impeller being rotated, the second side being opposite the first side and having a generally circular shape, wherein the impeller has a circumference;
a blower housing configured to house the impeller;
an impeller mount disposed within the blower housing, the impeller mount being configured to rotatably mount the impeller within the blower housing,
wherein the blower housing is configured to form a first chamber and a second chamber,
wherein the impeller is disposed within the first chamber such that the first chamber is divided from the second chamber at or near the second side of the impeller, and such that as the impeller rotates within the first chamber, the gas imparted with energy from the impeller is expelled from the impeller,
wherein the second chamber is in fluid communication with the first chamber through an opening between the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein the opening is formed radially outward from an axis of rotation of the impeller to an outer edge of the impeller such that the gas that has been expelled from the impeller in the first chamber flows around the outer edge of the impeller and into the second chamber through the opening,
wherein the second chamber includes an outlet such that the gas that flows into the second chamber is discharged from the blower housing through the outlet, the outlet being formed in the second chamber in an outlet area of the second chamber corresponding to an arc portion of the circumference of the impeller, and
wherein the blower housing further includes an obstruction provided adjacent to the outlet, the obstruction being positioned radially outward from the axis of rotation of the impeller and comprising an arc-shaped surface spanning at least a fraction of the arc portion of the circumference of the impeller such that the opening between the first chamber and the second chamber is substantially blocked at or near the outlet area such that substantially no gas is exchanged between the first chamber and the second chamber through the opening at or near the outlet area.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the obstruction spans an arc length ranging between 30 and 120 degrees of the circumference of the impeller at or near the outlet area.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the obstruction spans at least half of the arc portion corresponding to the outlet area of the second chamber.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the obstruction is configured to substantially block the opening such that vortices caused by a collision of a high-velocity flow of the gas with a low-velocity flow of the gas are reduced.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the obstruction is configured to substantially block the opening such that one or both of tonal noise and/or broadband noise in a range of high human auditory sensitivity is reduced.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the outlet comprises a gas outlet channel that extends circumferentially around the impeller and that is separated from the opening by a ledge.

7. A method for reducing noise of a device for blowing gas from an inlet to an outlet, the method including:
receiving the gas through an inlet of a blower housing that is formed to include a first chamber and a second chamber;
rotating an impeller on an impeller mount disposed within the blower housing;
imparting energy to the received gas in the first chamber, responsive to the impeller rotating;
fluidly communicating the gas expelled from the impeller, responsive to the impeller rotating, such that expelled gas flows around the outer edge of the impeller, from the first chamber to the second chamber via an opening;
discharging the expelled gas from the second chamber, responsive to the impeller rotating, through an outlet of the second chamber that is formed in an outlet area, wherein the outlet corresponds to an arc portion of a circumference of the impeller; and
substantially blocking the opening between the first chamber and the second chamber via an obstruction such that substantially no gas is exchanged through the opening at or near the outlet area,
wherein the obstruction is provided adjacent to the outlet and positioned radially outward from an axis of rotation of the impeller, and wherein the obstruction comprises an arc-shaped surface spanning at least a fraction of the arc portion of the circumference of the impeller.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of substantially blocking part of the opening between the first chamber and the second chamber is accomplished by the obstruction spanning an arc length ranging between 30 and 120 degrees of the circumference of the impeller at or near the outlet area.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of substantially blocking part of the opening between the first chamber and the second chamber is accomplished by the obstruction spanning at least half of the arc portion corresponding to the outlet area of the second chamber.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of substantially blocking part of the opening between the first chamber and the second chamber is performed by the obstruction such that vortices caused by a collision of a high-velocity flow of the gas with a low-velocity flow of the gas are reduced.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of substantially blocking part of the opening between the first chamber and the second chamber is performed by the obstruction such that one or both of tonal noise and/or broadband noise in a range of high human auditory sensitivity is reduced.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the outlet comprises a gas outlet channel that extends circumferentially around the impeller and is separated from the opening by a ledge, and wherein the discharging the expelled gas from the second chamber through the outlet includes discharging through the gas outlet channel.

13. A system configured to reduce noise of a device for blowing gas from an inlet to an outlet, the system including:
means for receiving the gas into a blower housing that is formed to include a first chamber and a second chamber;
rotating means for imparting energy to the received gas in the first chamber;
mounting means for rotating the rotating means, wherein the mounting means is disposed within the blower housing;
communicating means for fluidly communicating the gas expelled from the rotating means, such that expelled gas flows around the outer edge of the rotating means, from the first chamber to the second chamber;
discharging means for discharging the expelled gas from the second chamber, that is formed in a discharge area of the second chamber, wherein the discharging means corresponds to an arc portion of a circumference of the rotating means; and
blocking means for substantially blocking the communicating means between the first chamber and the second chamber such that substantially no gas is exchanged through the communicating means at or near the discharge area,
wherein the blocking means is provided adjacent to the discharging means and positioned radially outward from an axis of rotation of the rotating means, and wherein the blocking means comprises an arc-shaped surface spanning at least a fraction of the arc portion of the circumference of the rotating means.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the blocking means spans an arc length ranging between 30 and 120 degrees of the circumference of the rotating means at or near the discharge area.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv
• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Norris Russell Hughes

Classifications

• F04D29/667

  by influencing the flow pattern, e.g. suppression of turbulence · CPC title

• F04D29/422

  Discharge tongues (F04D17/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F04D29/665 Primary

  by means of resonance chambers or interference · CPC title

• F04D29/441

  especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F04D29/4226

  Fan casings · CPC title