Back to results
US 7,478,993 B2Granted
Cooling fan using Coanda effect to reduce recirculation
AssigneeValeo
InventorsTao Hong, John R Savage
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cooling fan for an engine in a vehicle. Ordinarily, a fan rotates within a shroud, which surrounds the fan. Leakage can occur between the tips of the fan blades and the shroud, wherein fan exhaust moves forward, and then passes through the fan again. The invention reduces leakage by placing a surface downstream of the fan. The surface employs the Coanda Effect, to urge fan exhaust to continue in the downstream direction, and not move forward as leakage air.
Claims36
A cooling system for a vehicle, comprising:
- a) a shroud;
- b) a fan in operative relationship with said shroud and having a plurality of fan blades that produce exhaust which enters a plurality of stator vanes axially downstream of said fan, said fan and said plurality of stator vanes being located upstream of an engine in the vehicle;
- and
- c) means, located entirely between said fan and said plurality of stator vanes, which increases fan efficiency by directing more airflow downstream of said fan and said plurality of stator vanes and toward or about said engine,
- wherein said means comprises at least one Coanda ring axially downstream of said fan and upstream of said plurality of stator vanes and wherein said plurality of stator vanes are axially downstream of said fan;
- said fan, said shroud and said at least one Coanda ring cooperating to define a passageway wherein said at least one Coanda ring and said fan cooperate to define an inlet to said passageway and said fan and said shroud cooperate to define an outlet to said passageway.
3 more elements
A cooling system for a vehicle, comprising:
- a) a shroud;
- b) a fan in operative relationship with said shroud and having a plurality of fan blades that produce exhaust which includes a leakage flow, which leaks upstream of said fan, past said plurality of fan blades, said fan being located upstream of an engine in the vehicle;
- and
- c) means entirely downstream of said fan which reduces the leakage flow, said fan being located upstream of said engine;
- wherein said means comprises at least one Coanda ring axially downstream of said fan and upstream of a plurality of stator vanes and wherein said plurality of stator vanes are axially downstream of said fan;
- said fan, said shroud and said at least one Coanda ring cooperating to define a passageway wherein said at least one Coanda ring and said fan cooperate to define an inlet to said passageway and said fan and said shroud cooperate to define an outlet to said passageway.
3 more elements
A cooling system for a vehicle, comprising:
- a shroud;
- a fan upstream of an engine in the vehicle having an exit diameter D;
- a Coanda ring axially downstream of said fan surrounding fan exhaust which has an entrance diameter equal to D, a cross-sectional curvature diverting said fan exhaust radially outward by a mechanism which includes the Coanda Effect;
- and
- a stator, entirely downstream of said Coanda ring, past which said fan exhaust travels;
- said fan, said shroud and said Coanda ring cooperating to define a passageway wherein said Coanda ring and said fan cooperate to define an inlet to said passageway and said fan and said shroud cooperate to define an outlet to said passageway.
3 more elements
A cooling system for a vehicle, comprising:
- a) a shroud;
- b) a fan having an exit diameter D;
- c) a duct immediately and generally axially downstream of said fan and upstream of an engine in the vehicle, said duct having an inlet diameter equal to D, and
- d) an exit diameter greater than D, which duct reduces torque required to power said fan;
- said fan, said shroud and said duct cooperating to define a passageway wherein said duct and said fan cooperate to define an inlet to said passageway and said fan and said shroud cooperate to define an outlet to said passageway;
- wherein said duct causes exhaust near a surface of the duct to adhere to the surface, and to not reverse direction and leak upstream of the fan.
3 more elements
A cooling system apparatus for a vehicle having an engine, comprising:
- a) a Coanda ring having a central axis defined therein, and
- b) a radial array of stator vanes, adjacent, but not within, said Coanda ring, said Coanda ring being situated generally axially between said radial array of stator vanes, a shroud and a fan that is upstream of said engine, said fan directing air toward or around said engine;
- said fan, said shroud and said Coanda ring cooperating to define a passageway wherein said Coanda ring and said fan cooperate to define an inlet to said passageway and said fan and said shroud cooperate to define an outlet to said passageway.
A cooling system apparatus for a vehicle having an engine and a fan and a shroud surrounding said fan, comprising:
- a) a Coanda ring having a central axis defined therein,
- b) a radial array of stator vanes, adjacent, but not within, said Coanda ring, and
- c) a vehicle having a heat exchanger which is cooled by said fan, wherein said Coanda ring is positioned axially downstream of said fan, and some exhaust of said fan attaches to said Coanda ring by the Coanda Effect,
- wherein an engine is located downstream of said Coanda ring, and said Coanda ring diverts some fan exhaust around the engine;
- said fan, said shroud and said Coanda ring cooperating to define a passageway wherein said Coanda ring and said fan cooperate to define an inlet to said passageway and said fan and said shroud cooperate to define an outlet to said passageway.
2 more elements
A cooling apparatus for a vehicle having an engine and a fan and a shroud surrounding said fan comprising:
- a) a cylindrical ring concentric about an axis;
- b) a Coanda ring which
- i) is concentric about said axis;
- ii) is adjacent said cylindrical ring;
- iii) comprises a surface (S1) of revolution about said axis, which surface (S1) has
- A) an inner diameter D1 near said cylindrical ring;
- B) an inner diameter (R1, R2) which increases as axial distance from said cylindrical ring toward said engine increases;
- and
- c) a radial array of stator vanes which is
- i) concentric about said axis;
- and
- ii) adjacent to and generally axial with respect to said Coanda ring;
- said fan, said shroud and said Coanda ring cooperating to define a passageway wherein said Coanda ring and said fan cooperate to define an inlet to said passageway and said fan and said shroud cooperate to define an outlet to said passageway.
10 more elements
A cooling system apparatus for a vehicle having an engine and a fan and a shroud surrounding said fan, comprising:
- a) a Coanda ring having a central axis defined therein, and
- b) a radial array of stator vanes, adjacent to and generally axial with respect to, but not within, said Coanda ring,
- wherein no stator ring connects tips (T) of said radial array of stator vanes;
- said fan, said shroud and said Coanda ring cooperating to define a passageway wherein said Coanda ring and said fan cooperate to define an inlet to said passageway and said fan and said shroud cooperate to define an outlet to said passageway.
1 more element
A cooling system apparatus for a vehicle having an engine, comprising:
- a) a Coanda ring having a central axis defined therein, and
- b) a radial array of stator vanes, adjacent, but not within, said Coanda ring,
- wherein no barrier is present between outer tips (T) of adjacent said radial array of stator vanes to block radially outward flow between the tips.
A cooling apparatus for a vehicle having an engine and a fan and a shroud surrounding said fan comprising:
- a) a cylindrical ring concentric about an axis;
- b) a Coanda ring which
- i) is concentric about said axis;
- ii) is adjacent said cylindrical ring;
- iii) comprises a surface (S1) of revolution about said axis, which surface (S1) has
- A) an inner diameter D1 near said cylindrical ring;
- B) an inner diameter (R1, R2) which increases as axial distance from said cylindrical ring increases;
- and
- c) a radial array of stator vanes which is
- i) concentric about said axis;
- and
- ii) adjacent to and generally axial with respect to said Coanda ring
- wherein no stator ring connects tips (T) of said radial array of stator vanes;
- said fan, said shroud and said Coanda ring cooperating to define a passageway wherein said Coanda ring and said fan cooperate to define an inlet to said passageway and said fan and said shroud cooperate to define an outlet to said passageway.
11 more elements
A cooling apparatus for a vehicle having an engine and a fan and a shroud surrounding said fan comprising:
- a) a cylindrical ring concentric about an axis;
- b) a Coanda ring which
- i) is concentric about said axis;
- ii) is adjacent said cylindrical ring;
- iii) comprises a surface (S1) of revolution about said axis, which surface (S1) has
- A) an inner diameter D1 near said cylindrical ring;
- B) an inner diameter (R1, R2) which increases as axial distance from said cylindrical ring increases;
- and
- c) a radial array of stator vanes which is
- i) concentric about said axis;
- and
- ii) adjacent to and generally axial with respect to said Coanda ring
- wherein no barrier is present between outer tips (T) of adjacent said radial array of stator vanes to block radially outward flow between the tips;
- said fan, said shroud and said Coanda ring cooperating to define a passageway wherein said Coanda ring and said fan cooperate to define an inlet to said passageway and said fan and said shroud cooperate to define an outlet to said passageway.
11 more elements
The cooling apparatus for a vehicle having an engine and a fan and a shroud surrounding said fan, comprising:
- a) said fan having a central axis and rotatable blades which connect to a fan ring at their tips, the fan ring having an inner diameter D2;
- b) a stationary cylindrical ring concentric about the central axis, and surrounding the fan ring;
- c) a Coanda ring (30) which
- i) is generally concentric about the central axis;
- ii) is adjacent said stationary cylindrical ring;
- iii) comprises an inner surface (S1) which has
- A) an entrance, near said fan ring (9), of diameter D1 which equals D2;
- B) an inner diameter (R1, R2) which increases as axial distance from said entrance increases;
- and
- d) a radial array of stator vanes which is
- i) generally concentric about the axis (36);
- and
- ii) generally axial and downstream of the Coanda ring;
- said fan, said shroud and said Coanda ring cooperating to define a passageway wherein said Coanda ring and said fan cooperate to define an inlet to said passageway and said fan and said shroud cooperate to define an outlet to said passageway.
11 more elements
The cooling apparatus, comprising:
- a) a fan having a central axis and rotatable blades which connect to a fan ring at their tips, the fan ring having an inner diameter D2;
- b) a stationary cylindrical ring concentric about the central axis, and surrounding the fan ring;
- c) a Coanda ring (30) which
- i) is generally concentric about the central axis;
- ii) is adjacent said stationary cylindrical ring;
- iii) comprises an inner surface (S1) which has
- A) an entrance, near said fan ring (9), of diameter D1 which equals D2;
- B) an inner diameter (R1, R2) which increases as axial distance from said entrance increases;
- and
- d) a radial array of stator vanes which is
- i) generally concentric about the axis (36);
- and
- ii) downstream of the Coanda ring
- wherein no stator ring connects tips (T) of said radial array of stator vanes.
11 more elements
The cooling apparatus, comprising:
- a) a fan having a central axis and rotatable blades which connect to a fan ring at their tips, the fan ring having an inner diameter D2;
- b) a stationary cylindrical ring concentric about the central axis, and surrounding the fan ring;
- c) a Coanda ring (30) which
- i) is generally concentric about the central axis;
- ii) is adjacent said stationary cylindrical ring;
- iii) comprises an inner surface (S1) which has
- A) an entrance, near said fan ring (9), of diameter D1 which equals D2;
- B) an inner diameter (R1, R2) which increases as axial distance from said entrance increases;
- and
- d) a radial array of stator vanes which is
- i) generally concentric about the axis (36);
- and
- ii) downstream of the Coanda ring
- wherein no barrier is present between outer tips (T) of adjacent said radial array of stator vanes to block radially outward flow between said tips;
- said fan, a shroud surrounding said fan and said Coanda ring cooperating to define a passageway wherein said Coanda ring and said fan cooperate to define an inlet to said passageway and said fan and said shroud cooperate to define an outlet to said passageway.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.