Axial fan and housing assembly and methods of use thereof

A method of using an axial fan assembly with an HVAC system, the method comprising:

• providing an axial fan comprising a hub and one or more blades extending radially from a center point of the hub about which the axial fan rotates, each of the one or more blades extending a blade length out to a blade tip, wherein the hub is configured to rotate the blade tip of each of the one or more blades along a rotational travel path;
• enclosing the axial fan within a housing comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner and outer surfaces radially outwards of the rotational travel path of the blade tip of the one or more blades, wherein the inner surface is an inner diameter from the center point of the hub of the axial fan and the outer surface is an outer diameter from the center point of the hub of the axial fan, and wherein the housing comprises a housing portion proximate the rotational travel path of the blade tip of the one or more blades within which the inner surface is an extended inner diameter from the center point of the hub of the axial fan and the outer surface is an extended outer diameter from the center point of the hub of the axial fan, the extended inner diameter being greater than the inner diameter and the extended outer diameter being greater than the outer diameter wherein the housing inner surface transitions from the inner surface having the inner diameter to the extended inner surface having the extended inner diameter back to the inner surface having the inner diameter;
• and
• rotating the axial fan within the housing, wherein the blade length of the one or more blades is accommodated by the extended inner diameter within the housing portion to facilitate reducing a flow of air bypassing the one or more blades.