# US 12,110,904 B2 · Fans > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,110,904 B2 - Document ID: US12110904B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/133,404 - Filed: 2023-04-11 - Published: 2023-08-03 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-23 - Assignees: Minetek Investments Pty Ltd - Applicants: Minetek Investments Pty Ltd - Inventors: Remy Marcel Sydney Bourcier - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110904B2 ## CPC - F04D 29/384: {characterised by form} - F04D 25/08: the working fluid being air, e.g. for ventilation - F04D 29/52: for axial pumps - F04D 29/547: {having a special shape in order to influence fluid flow} - F04D 29/563: {specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps} - F05D 2230/54: by sheet metal manufacturing - F05D 2250/51: Inlet - F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract In an aspect there is disclosed, a fan arrangement for a duct, the fan arrangement including a housing having an inlet and an outlet adapted to communicate air with the duct and an axially rotatably driven impeller supported within the housing between the inlet and the outlet. The impeller includes a hub carrying a plurality of blades that span in a radial direction outwardly of the hub, the plurality of blades being shaped to urge air between the inlet and the outlet. The plurality of blades may have a tip solidity ratio in the range of about 0.8 to 1.2, and each of the plurality of blades may have a twist angle between a root and a tip thereof in the range of about 15 to 30 degrees and a substantially constant thickness. An impellor, a blade, ventilation system and related methods are also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fan arrangement for a duct, the fan arrangement including a housing having an inlet and an outlet adapted to communicate air with the duct and an axially rotatably driven impeller supported within the housing between the inlet and the outlet, the impeller including a hub carrying a plurality of blades that span in a radial direction outwardly of the hub, the plurality of blades being shaped to urge air between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the plurality of blades have a tip solidity ratio in the range of about 0.8 to 1.55, and wherein each of the plurality of blades has a twist angle between a root and a tip thereof in the range of about 15 to 30 degrees and a substantially constant thickness across a chord thereof, and wherein, when viewed in front plan form, leading edges and trailing edges of adjacent ones of the plurality of blades are parallel in a radial direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fan arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the each of the plurality of blades has a substantially constant thickness along a length thereof between the root and the tip. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fan arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a leading edge and a trailing edge of each of the plurality of blades are rounded. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fan arrangement according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of the blades are formed from a metal plate twisted to provide the twist angle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fan arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the hub tapers outwardly in a direction between the inlet and outlet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fan arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes an inner housing supporting the impeller and an outer housing, the inner and outer housing defining a passageway therebetween through which air flows. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The fan arrangement according to claim 6, wherein a post-fan section of the passageway has a cross sectional area that is relatively smaller in comparison to a cross sectional area of a pre-fan section of the passageway. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The fan arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the hub is shaped to provide a tapered transition between the pre-fan and post-fan sections of the passageway. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The fan arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the inner housing includes a nose section, a trailing section with the hub located between the nose section and trailing section, wherein a diameter of the trailing section is greater than a diameter of the nose section. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The fan arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the inner housing includes a tail cone extending from and tapering inwardly from the trailing section. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The fan arrangement according to claim 9, wherein a leading tip of the nose section is shaped to be streamlined. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The fan arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the trailing section includes a flow straightener. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The fan arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the flow straightener is provided in the form a plurality of turning vanes arranged to provide a substantially axial flow. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The fan arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the nose section includes a flow conditioner shaped to guide air to the blades. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The fan arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the flow conditioner is provided in the form of at least one of static and adjustable pre-rotator blades. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The fan arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the outer housing includes an inlet cone arranged prior to the flow conditioner to direct air flow into the passageway and an outlet evasee after the flow straightener, the inlet cone and outlet evasee coupling to the duct. ### Claim 17 (depends on 6) The fan arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the inner and outer housings are each generally cylindrical in shape and concentrically arranged about an axis of rotation of the hub. ### Claim 18 (depends on 6) The fan arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the inner housing contains a motor arranged to drive the hub. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The fan arrangement according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of blades includes a chord toward the tip that is relatively longer than the chord toward the root. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The fan arrangement according to claim 1, wherein an angle of attack at the root of each of the plurality of blades is less than an angle of attack at the tip of each of the plurality of blades. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) A blade for a fan arrangement as defined in claim 1. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) An impeller for a fan arrangement as defined in claim 1. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) A ventilation system including one or more fan arrangements as defined in claim 1 fitted to a duct to drive air between an inlet and outlet of the duct. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) A method of conveying air using a fan arrangement as defined in claim 1 including fitting the fan arrangement with a duct and operating the fan arrangement to drive air between an inlet and outlet of the duct. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The fan arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the tip solidity ratio in the range of about 0.8 to 1.2. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The fan arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the tip solidity ratio in the range of about 1.25 to 1.55. ### Claim 27 A fan arrangement for a duct, the fan arrangement including a housing having an inlet and an outlet adapted to communicate air with the duct and an axially rotatably driven impeller supported within the housing between the inlet and the outlet, the impeller including a hub carrying a plurality of blades that span in a radial direction outwardly of the hub, the plurality of blades being shaped to urge air between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the plurality of blades have a tip solidity ratio in the range of about 0.8 to 1.55, and wherein each of the plurality of blades has a substantially constant thickness across a chord thereof and a chord length toward the tip is relatively longer than a chord length toward the root, and wherein, when viewed in front plan form, leading edges and trailing edges of adjacent ones of the plurality of blades are parallel in a radial direction. ### Claim 28 A fan arrangement for a duct, the fan arrangement including a housing having an inlet and an outlet adapted to communicate air with the duct and an axially rotatably driven impeller supported within the housing between the inlet and the outlet, the impeller including a hub carrying a plurality of blades that span in a radial direction outwardly of the hub, the plurality of blades being shaped to urge air between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the plurality of blades have a tip solidity ratio in the range of about 0.8 to 1.55, wherein each of the plurality of blades has-a twist angle between a root and a tip thereof in the range of about 15 to 30 degrees, and a length of the chord toward the tip that is relatively longer than the chord toward the root, wherein, when viewed in front plan form, leading edges and trailing edges of adjacent ones of the plurality of blades are parallel in a radial direction. ### Claim 29 An impeller for a ducted fan arrangement having an inlet and an outlet, the impeller including a hub carrying a plurality of blades that span in a radial direction outwardly of the hub, the plurality of blades being shaped to urge air between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the plurality of blades have a tip solidity ratio in the range of about 0.8 to 1.55, wherein each of the plurality of blades has a twist angle between a root and a tip thereof in the range of about 15 to 30 degrees and a substantially constant thickness across a chord thereof, and wherein, when viewed in front plan form, leading edges and trailing edges of adjacent ones of the plurality of blades are parallel in a radial direction. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The impeller according to claim 29, wherein the hub is shaped so as to compress flow as it passes through the plurality of blades. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The impeller according to claim 30, wherein the hub is tapered. ### Claim 32 (depends on 29) The impeller according to claim 29, wherein the each of the plurality of the blades are formed from a metal plate twisted to provide the twist angle. ### Claim 33 (depends on 29) The impeller according to claim 29, wherein each of the plurality of blades includes a chord toward the tip that is relatively longer than the chord toward the root. ### Claim 34 (depends on 29) The impeller according to claim 29, wherein an angle of attack at the root of each of the plurality of blades is less than an angle of attack at the tip of each of the plurality of blades. ### Claim 35 (depends on 29) The impeller according to claim 29, wherein at least one of leading and trailing edges of each of the plurality of blades are rounded. ### Claim 36 A method of forming a fan arrangement for a duct, the method including the steps of: forming a housing having an outer housing and an inner housing so as to form a passageway therebetween, the inner housing supporting a rotatable axially arranged impeller and the housing being shaped such that a pre-impeller section of the passageway is relatively larger in cross section to a post impeller section of the passageway; forming the impeller so as to have a tapered hub between the pre and post impeller sections with the tapered hub carrying a plurality of blades that substantially span in a radial direction between the hub and an internal surface of the outer housing, the plurality of blades being shaped to urge air between an inlet and an outlet of the housing and, forming the plurality of blades so as to have a tip solidity ratio in the range of about 0.8 to 1.55, and so that each of the plurality of blades has a twist angle between a root and a tip thereof in the range of about 15 to 30 degrees and a substantially constant thickness across a chord thereof, and that when viewed in front plan form, leading edges and trailing edges of adjacent ones of the plurality of blades are parallel in a radial direction. ### Claim 37 A method of forming an impeller for a ducted fan arrangement having an inlet and an outlet, the method including: forming a hub arranged to taper outwardly in a direction between the inlet and outlet; forming a plurality of blades to fit with the hub from a material having a substantially constant thickness across a chord thereof and having a twist angle between a root and a tip thereof in the range of about 15 to 30 degrees; forming the impellor by coupling the plurality of blades to the hub such that the plurality of blades span in a radial direction outwardly of the hub to urge air between the inlet and the outlet and have a tip solidity ratio in the range of about 0.8 to 1.55, and that when viewed in front plan form, leading edges and trailing edges of adjacent ones of the plurality of blades are parallel in a radial direction. ### Claim 38 A fan arrangement for a duct, the fan arrangement including a housing having an inlet and an outlet adapted to communicate air with the duct and an axially rotatably driven impeller supported within the housing between the inlet and the outlet, the impeller including a hub carrying a plurality of blades that span in a radial direction outwardly of the hub, the plurality of blades being shaped to urge air between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the plurality of blades have a tip solidity ratio in the range of about 0.8 to 1.55, and wherein each of the plurality of blades has a twist angle between a root and a tip thereof in the range of about 15 to 30 degrees and a substantially constant thickness thereby being non-aerofoil shaped, and wherein, when viewed in front plan form, leading edges and trailing edges of adjacent ones of the plurality of blades are parallel in a radial direction.