US 7,662,035 B1Granted

High efficiency solar powered fan

AssigneeUniversity of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.

InventorsDanny S Parker, Bart Hibbs

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Abstract

Highly efficient ventilation fans for exhausting air out from underneath roofs, and for being portable in use and application. The fan can include optimized airflow blades having a twisted configuration that can move at a rotational speed operation of up to approximately 500 rpm. The approximately 15 inch diameter twisted blades can be premolded on a hub that together form a single molded unit of plastic. They can also be fabricated using metal. The unit can be mounted in an exhaust outlet having a conical diffuser on or adjacent to a roof. Alternatively, the fan can be portable for use most anywhere there is a need for ventilation and moving of air. The blades can rotate by a solar powered motor, where the blades and motor can generate up to approximately 1040 cfm while using no more than approximately 16 Watts.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method of operating a portable ventilation fan comprising the steps of:

providing aerodynamic twisted blades attached to a fan motor in a housing, the housing having a left portion and a top portion and a right portion and a bottom portion;
providing a telescoping pole with an upper pole member and a lower pole member;
mounting an upper end of the upper pole member to a middle of the bottom portion of the housing;
supporting a bottom end of the telescoping pole with a base member having a pair of wheels;
mounting a handle on the upper pole member underneath and separate from the fan housing;
moving the fan by tilting the telescoping pole with the portable fan housing onto the wheels by pulling back on the handle;
adjusting height of the fan housing with the telescoping pole by sliding the upper pole member and the lower pole member relative to one another;
providing a handtruck with a lower front extending ledge and upright vertical supports;
providing a fixed handle attached directly to the vertical supports of the handtruck, the fixed handle protruding rearwardly at a fixed tilted angle relative to the upright vertical supports;
attaching, a photovoltaic panel onto the fixed handle, so that the photovoltaic panel is supported at a fixed angle on the handtruck;
supporting a battery on the lower ledge of the handtruck and attaching the battery to the photovoltaic panel;
charging the battery by solar energy through the photovoltaic panel;
running the motor in the portable fan housing by electrical power through an electrical cord attached to both the battery and the portable fan motor;
rotating the aerodynamic twisted blades by the running motor.

11 more elements

A portable solar powered fan comprising in combination:

a housing for supporting fan blades and a motor, the housing having vented openings for allowing air to enter and exit the housing, the housing having an upper portion and a left portion and a right portion and a bottom portion the fan blades being non-planar;
a single telescoping height adjustable pole having an upper pole member with an upper end mounted to a middle of the bottom portion of the fan housing in an upright position, and a lower pole member with a lower end, the telescoping pole being adjustable between different heights by sliding the upper pole member and the lower pole member relative to one another;
a base member attached to the lower end of the lower pole member, the base member having at least two wheels;
a handle attached to the upper pole member of the single telescoping pole underneath and separate from the fan housing;
a solar power source having a photovoltaic panel, for providing electrical power to operate the fan;
a wheeled cart for supporting the solar power source;
and
a flexible elongated power cord having one end attached to the motor of the fan, and another end attached to the solar power source.

5 more elements

A portable solar powered fan comprising in combination:

a housing for supporting fan blades and a motor, the housing having vented openings for allowing air to enter and exit the housing, the housing having an upper portion and a left portion and a right portion and a bottom portion;
an elongated stand having a base with a pair of wheels and an upper end attached to the fan housing;
a handle attached to an upper portion of the stand underneath and separate from the fan housing;
a photovoltaic panel for converting solar power to electrical power in order to operate the fan motor;
a handtruck with a pair of wheels at a lower rear end and a lower front extending ledge, the handtruck having upright vertical supports and a fixed handle attached directly to the vertical supports of the handtruck, the fixed handle protruding rearwardly at a fixed tilted angle relative to the upright vertical supports;
and
a mount for attaching, the photovoltaic panel onto the fixed handle, so that the photovoltaic panel is supported at a fixed angle on the handtruck;
and
a flexible elongated power cord having one end attached to the motor of the fan, and another end attached to the photovoltaic panel.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.