Centrifugal blower assembly with a diffuser

A heat exchange system for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

• a heat exchanger disposed in a casing;
• a centrifugal blower disposed upstream from said heat exchanger for producing a flow of air directed to said heat exchanger, said centrifugal blower being disposed in a generally scroll-shaped housing including an air inlet side, a bottom side opposite said air inlet side and a generally cylindrical, curved wall extending between the air inlet side and the bottom side and thereby defining a volute chamber through which a volume of air passes, said chamber terminating in an exit end defining a cut-off edge;
• and
• a diffuser extending between said exit end of blower housing and said casing, said diffuser including a top wall, a bottom wall, a first side and a second side, said diffuser defining a chamber therebetween, said chamber including a height generally perpendicular to a transverse diameter thereof and defining a volume therein, and wherein;
• said first side includes a generally convex-shaped portion proximate said blower cut-off edge and a generally concave-shaped bulged section disposed a predetermined distance therefrom, the height between said top wall and said bottom wall of said diffuser increasing linearly from said bulged section to said casing;
• and
• said second side includes a generally concave-shaped portion proximate said cut-off edge and a generally convex-shaped portion a predetermined distance therefrom;
• whereby the centrifugal blower produces a stream of non-uniform air flow through the blower housing toward the casing and said diffuser minimizes separation of the air flow to said casing and substantially eliminates the impact of the air flowing in a non-linear motion to reduce noise.

A centrifugal blower assembly for an automotive vehicle for producing a flow of air directed to a heat exchanger core, comprising:

• a fan wheel having a plurality of fan blades disposed between a fan ring and a fan hub;
• a motor having a rotating shaft projecting therefrom and into engagement with said fan hub, said motor being operative to rotate said fan wheel about an axis coincident with the axis of said rotating shaft;
• a housing including an air inlet side, a bottom side opposite said air inlet side and a generally cylindrical, curved wall extending between the air inlet side and the bottom side and thereby defining a volute chamber through which a volume of air passes, said chamber terminating in an exit end defining a cut-off edge section;
• and
• a diffuser extending from said exit end of blower housing to said heat exchanger, said diffuser including a top wall, a bottom wall, a first side and a second side, said diffuser defining a chamber therebetween, said chamber including a height generally perpendicular to said transverse diameter and defining a volume therein, and wherein;
• said first side includes a generally convex-shaped portion proximate said blower cut-off and a generally concave-shaped bulged section disposed a predetermined distance therefrom, the height between said top wall and said bottom wall of said diffuser increasing linearly from said bulged section to said casing;
• and
• said second side includes a generally concave-shaped portion proximate said cut-off edge side wall and a generally convex-shaped portion a predetermined distance therefrom;
• whereby the centrifugal blower produces a stream of non-uniform air flow through the blower housing toward the heat exchanger and said diffuser minimizes separation of the air flow to said casing and substantially eliminates the impact of the air flowing in a non-linear motion to reduce noise.