Blower assembly for minimizing pressure loss in an appliance

An airflow system for a laundry appliance having a cabinet for receiving one or more articles for washing or drying, the airflow system comprising:

• a duct assembly defining an airflow path between an air inlet for receiving air from the cabinet and an air outlet for returning air into the cabinet;
• a heat exchanger disposed between the air inlet and the air outlet;
• and
• a blower assembly for directing airflow along the airflow path, the blower assembly comprising a housing defining a housing inlet and a housing outlet, a motor, and a centrifugal impeller arranged within the housing and mechanically coupled to the motor for rotating the impeller in a circumferential direction, the centrifugal impeller comprising a plurality of backwardly curved prismatic blades spaced apart along the circumferential direction and having an outlet blade angle of at least 100 degrees,
• wherein, during operation of the laundry appliance, the blower assembly directs the airflow through the air outlet, across the heat exchanger, through the air inlet, and back into the cabinet,
• wherein the blower assembly provides a drying air flow rate of at least about 200 cubic feet per minute (cfm) and a pressure difference ranging from of at least about 600 Pa to less than about 1000 Pa.

A laundry appliance, comprising:

• a cabinet defining an interior volume for receiving one or more articles for washing or drying, the cabinet having a cabinet inlet and a cabinet outlet;
• a laundry basket rotatably mounted within the cabinet, the laundry basket defining a chamber for receipt of articles for treatment;
• an airflow path defined between the cabinet inlet and the cabinet outlet;
• a blower assembly defining a radial direction, a circumferential direction, and an axial direction, the blower assembly being configured for directing airflow through the cabinet and along the airflow path, the blower assembly comprising:
• a housing defining a housing inlet and a housing outlet, the housing comprising a front wall spaced apart from a rear wall along the axial direction to define a rectangular volute, the rear wall defining an annular receptacle;
• a motor positioned within the annular receptacle;
• a centrifugal impeller being mechanically coupled to the motor for rotating the centrifugal impeller about an axis of rotation in the circumferential direction to urge an airflow from the cabinet outlet to the cabinet inlet along the airflow path, the impeller being positioned within the rectangular volute, the centrifugal impeller comprising a plurality of backwardly curved prismatic blades spaced apart along the circumferential direction and having an outlet blade angle of at least 100 degrees;
• and
• a heat exchanger configured to heat and remove moisture from the airflow passing therethrough;
• and
• a duct system comprising an intake duct and a return duct, the duct system providing fluid communication between the cabinet outlet and the housing inlet via the intake duct and between the housing outlet and the cabinet inlet via the return duct,
• wherein the duct system, the blower assembly, and the chamber define the airflow path, and
• wherein, during operation of the laundry appliance, the blower assembly directs the airflow through the cabinet outlet, across the heat exchanger, through the cabinet inlet and back into the cabinet,
• wherein the blower assembly provides a drying air flow rate of at least about 200 cubic feet per minute (cfm) and a pressure difference ranging from of at least about 600 Pa to less than about 1000 Pa.