US 8,897,009 B2Granted

Air cooling of medium voltage drive components

AssigneeRockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.

InventorsPeter Janes, Eric J. Hartsell, Gabriel Gheorghe Cioara

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Abstract

A parallel redundant fan system includes at least first and second fans located adjacent each other. Each fan includes: (i) a fan housing defining a fan chamber in which an impeller is supported for rotation about an axis of rotation; (ii) a first chamber outlet in communication with the fan chamber and defined by an opening in a first wall of the fan housing; (iii) a second chamber outlet in communication with the fan chamber and defined by an opening in a second wall of the fan housing; and, (iii) first and second backflow prevention dampers respectively associated with the first and second chamber outlets. The first and second dampers respectively include first and second damper plates that selectively pivot from their closed positions toward their opened positions against the closing force of respective first and second counterweights in response to exhaust air flow pressure exerted thereon.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A fan system for an electrical equipment enclosure, said fan system comprising:

a housing defining a chamber;
a first outlet in communication with said chamber and defined by an opening in a first wall of said housing;
a first backflow prevention damper associated with said first outlet, said first backflow prevention damper comprising:
(i) a first damper plate movable relative to said housing between a closed position where it is positioned in covering relation with said first outlet and an opened position where it is moved away from said first outlet to allow exhaust air flow through said first outlet from said chamber;
and, (ii) a first counterweight connected to said first damper plate that exerts a closing force on said first damper plate that urges said first damper plate toward its closed position, wherein said first counterweight is connected to first damper plate at a location spaced from an inside face of said first damper plate that is oriented toward said chamber when said first damper plate is located in its closed position;
wherein said first damper plate selectively pivots about a first pivot axis from its closed position toward its opened position against the closing force of the first counterweight in response to exhaust air flow pressure exerted on the first damper plate by exhaust air flowing from said chamber through said first outlet;
said first counterweight comprising
a first ballast
connected to said first damper plate and located below said first pivot axis when said first damper plate is located in its closed position.

6 more elements

A fan system for an electrical equipment enclosure, said fan system comprising:

a housing defining a chamber;
a first outlet in communication with said chamber and defined by an opening in a first wall of said housing;
a first backflow prevention damper associated with said first outlet, said first backflow prevention damper comprising:
(i) a first damper plate movable relative to said housing between a closed position where it is positioned in covering relation with said first outlet and an opened position where it is moved away from said first outlet to allow exhaust air flow through said first outlet from said chamber;
and, (ii) a first counterweight connected to said first damper plate that exerts a closing force on said first damper plate that urges said first damper plate toward its closed position;
wherein said first damper plate selectively pivots about a first pivot axis from its closed position toward its opened position against the closing force of the first counterweight in response to exhaust air flow pressure exerted on the first damper plate by exhaust air flowing from said chamber through said first outlet;
and
a first stop connected to said first damper plate, wherein said first stop abuts said housing and prevents pivoting movement of said first damper plate away from its closed position beyond its opened position when said first damper plate is located in its opened position.

5 more elements

A fan system for an electrical equipment enclosure, said fan system comprising:

a housing defining a chamber;
a first outlet in communication with said chamber and defined by an opening in a first wall of said housing;
a second outlet in communication with said chamber and defined by an opening in a second wall of said housing;
a first backflow prevention damper associated with said first outlet, said first backflow prevention damper comprising:
(i) a first damper plate movable relative to said housing between a closed position where it is positioned in covering relation with said first outlet and an opened position where it is moved away from said first outlet to allow exhaust air flow through said first outlet from said chamber;
and, (ii) a first counterweight connected to said first damper plate that exerts a closing force on said first damper plate that urges said first damper plate toward its closed position, wherein said first damper plate selectively pivots about a first pivot axis from its closed position toward its opened position against the closing force of the first counterweight in response to exhaust air flow pressure exerted on the first damper plate by exhaust air flowing from said chamber through said first outlet, said first counterweight connected to first damper plate at a location spaced from an inside face of said first damper plate that is oriented toward said chamber when said first damper plate is located in its closed position such that said first backflow prevention damper comprises a center of gravity located vertically above said first pivot axis and on an inner side of a first vertical plane that includes said first pivot axis, said inner side of said first vertical plane being oriented toward said chamber;
a second backflow prevention damper associated with said second outlet, said second backflow prevention damper comprising:
(i) a second damper plate movable between a closed position where it is positioned in covering relation with said second outlet and an opened position where it is moved away from said second outlet to allow exhaust air flow through said second outlet from said chamber;
and, (ii) a second counterweight connected to said second damper plate that exerts a closing force on said second damper plate that urges said second damper plate toward its closed position, wherein said second damper plate selectively pivots about a second pivot axis that is parallel to said first pivot axis from its closed position toward its opened position against the closing force of the second counterweight in response to exhaust air flow pressure exerted on the second damper plate by exhaust air flowing from said chamber through said second outlet, said second counterweight connected to second damper plate at a location spaced from an inside face of said second damper plate that is oriented toward said chamber when said second damper plate is located in its closed position such that said second backflow prevention damper comprises a center of gravity located vertically above said second pivot axis and on an inner side of a second vertical plane that includes said second pivot axis, said inner side of said second vertical plane being oriented toward said chamber;
said first counterweight comprising a first ballast connected to said first damper plate and located below said first pivot axis when said first damper plate is located in its closed position;
said second counterweight comprising a second ballast
connected to said second damper plate and located below said second pivot axis when said second damper plate is located in its closed position.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/311,111Filed 5 Dec 2011 · continuation
Priority: 28 May 2010
Published: US 2012/0077428 A129 Mar 2012
Granted: 25 Nov 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

H05K 7/20909
For power electronics, e.g. for inverters for controlling motor: forced ventilation, e.g. on heat dissipaters coupled to components
H05K 7/20136
Using a gaseous coolant in electronic enclosures: forced ventilation, e.g. by fans
H05K
Printed circuits

Family

Application12/789,912Parent of this continuation · filed 28 May 2010
US 2012/0077428 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Mar 2012
US 8,072,756 B1Parent of this continuation
US 2011/0292604 A1Published application
US 8,897,009 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.