Centrifugal fan assembly and methods of assembling the same

A fan blade for use with a centrifugal fan assembly having an axis of rotation, said blade comprising:

• a radially inner edge;
• a radially outer edge;
• at least one flow channel extending obliquely between said radially inner edge and said radially outer edge, wherein said flow channel includes an inlet defined on said radially inner edge that defines an inlet maximum camber and an outlet defined on said radially outer edge that defines an outlet maximum camber, said inlet and said outlet positioned at different axial locations along a length of said each blade, wherein said flow channel is configured to discharge an airflow from said outlet in an oblique direction with respect to the axis of rotation, and wherein a maximum camber of said fan blade is defined along said flow channel between said radially inner edge and said radially outer edge, a first maximum camber location is spaced a first radial distance from the axis of rotation and a first axial distance from said back plate, a second maximum camber location is spaced a second radial distance from the axis of rotation and a second axial distance from said back plate, wherein said second radial distance greater than said first radial distance and said first axial distance greater than said second axial distance;
• wherein said inlet is defined proximate said inlet ring and said outlet is defined proximate said back plate.

A method of forming a centrifugal fan assembly having an axis of rotation, said method comprising:

• forming an inlet ring including a first diameter, wherein the first diameter includes an outermost diameter of the inlet ring;
• forming a back plate including a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, wherein the second diameter includes an outermost diameter of the back plate;
• forming a plurality of blades, wherein at least one blade of the plurality of blades includes a radially inner edge, a radially outer edge, and at least one flow channel extending obliquely therebetween, wherein the flow channel defines a maximum camber extending obliquely between the radially inner edge and the radially outer edge, a first maximum camber location is spaced a first radial distance from the axis of rotation and a first axial distance from the back plate, a second maximum camber location is spaced a second radial distance from the axis of rotation and a second axial distance from the back plate, wherein the second radial distance greater than the first radial distance and the first axial distance greater than the second axial distance, wherein the flow channel includes an inlet defined on the radially inner edge that defines an inlet maximum camber and an outlet defined on the radially outer edge that defines an outlet maximum camber, the inlet and the outlet positioned at different axial locations along a length of the each blade;
• and
• coupling the plurality of blades between the inlet ring and the back plate;
• wherein said forming a plurality of blades further comprises forming the plurality of blades such that the inlet is defined proximate the inlet ring and the outlet is defined proximate the back plate.