WO2022263346A1

WO2022263346A1 - Fan unit having a radial fan wheel and an axial outlet and heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit for a motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2022263346A1
Application number: PCT/EP2022/065959
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stefan Gaertner
Original assignee: Valeo Klimasysteme Gmbh
Priority date: 2021-06-14
Filing date: 2022-06-13
Publication date: 2022-12-22
Also published as: DE102021115313A1

Abstract

A fan unit (40) for a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit (10) of a motor vehicle comprises a radial fan wheel (56) having a drive (58) which is disposed downstream of the radial fan wheel (56) and is specified to drive the radial fan wheel (56) about a rotation axis (R), and a housing (42) in which the radial fan wheel (56) is received, and which has an inlet (44) and an axial outlet (46). The housing (42) here is designed in such a manner that, in operation, air is inducted at the inlet (44) and axially discharged by way of the axial outlet (46). Furthermore provided is a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit (10) for a motor vehicle, having a fan unit (40) of this type.

Description

FAN UNIT HAVING A RADIAL FAN WHEEL AND AN AXIAL OUTLET AND HEATING, VENTILATION AND/OR AIR CONDITIONING UNIT FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

The invention relates to a fan unit for a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit of a motor vehicle. The invention furthermore relates to a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit for a motor vehicle, having such a fan unit.

Heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning units for motor vehicles, and fan units for heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning units of this type, are known.

Heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning units (HVACs) individually control the airflow as well as the air temperature to the various temperature zones in the cabin region, in particular to the foot and head regions, to the windscreen, to the driver or the passenger, as well as in the front or rear region of the vehicle, and are intended to reliably achieve a comfortable cabin climate.

Fan units which induct air at an inlet and deliver said air by way of an outlet are provided for driving the airflow. Most known fan units have the disadvantage that said fan units either are of a voluminous design or do not run silently when in operation and thus cause irritating noises.

It is an object of the invention to provide a fan unit for a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit of a motor vehicle which is of a particularly compact construction and can be operated with little noise. It is furthermore an object of the invention to provide a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit for a motor vehicle, having a fan unit of this type.

This object is achieved by a fan unit for a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit of a motor vehicle which comprises a radial fan wheel having a drive which is disposed downstream of the radial fan wheel and is specified to drive the radial fan wheel about a rotation axis, and a housing in which the radial fan wheel is received and which has an inlet and an axial outlet. The housing here is designed in such a manner that, in operation, air is inducted at the inlet and is axially discharged by way of the axial outlet, wherein the axial direction is determined in a plane in which the rotation axis (R) lies. Axially discharged in the context of the invention is understood to be an outflow direction which in relation to the axial direction runs at an angle of less than 45°, said axial direction being defined by the rotation axis. In other words, the primary movement component of the outflow direction is the axial direction.

The outflow direction lies in particular in a range which, when viewed in the aforementioned plane in which the rotation axis lies, is outwardly delimited by an angle of less than 5° and inwardly delimited by an angle of less than 45°, wherein “outwardly” means obliquely away from the rotation axis and “inwardly” means obliquely towards the rotation axis.

The angle between the outflow direction and the axial direction here is preferably less than 5°, i.e. the range is outwardly delimited by an angle of less than 5° and inwardly delimited by an angle of less than 5°.

In that the outflow direction is viewed in a plane in which the rotation axis lies, proportions of the flow in the circumferential direction, such as a swirl of the airflow, remain negligible in terms of the above directional indications.

However, the swirl in the circumferential direction should preferably be less than 30° in relation to a parallel to the rotation direction.

It has been recognized according to the invention that a radial fan wheel, or a radial ventilator, respectively, can be operated at a lower rotating speed in comparison to an axial fan wheel, or an axial ventilator, respectively, or a diagonal fan wheel, or a diagonal ventilator, respectively, in order to provide a specific airflow or air pressure. In this way, the fan unit can be operated at a low rotating speed and is comparatively silent. As opposed to fan units which have a radial fan wheel and which discharge the air by way of a radial outlet, the fan unit according to the invention, on account of the specially designed housing having the axial outlet, is furthermore particularly compact.

In one embodiment the housing has an outlet portion and a fan portion having a fan chamber in which the radial fan wheel is disposed. The outlet portion here has the axial outlet and an outlet chamber which fluidically connects the fan chamber to the axial outlet. The outlet chamber here extends radially outside, and in a circumferential direction about the rotation axis by a circumferential angle of at least 45°, in an annular manner about the fan chamber. As a result of this construction in the shape of a spiral, the installation space required for the fan unit can be kept small.

It can be provided here that the outlet chamber by a circumferential angle of at least 90°, preferably at least 180°, in particular at least 270°, extends in an annular manner about the fan chamber, in particular wherein a transition region between the fan chamber and the outlet chamber is provided, said transition region being positioned in a region between spaced-apart circumferential ends of the annular outlet chamber. In this way, the outlet chamber in the circumferential direction extends about the fan chamber in particular so far that air can flow axially out of the fan unit across a large circumferential angle.

In one further embodiment, the axial outlet by an angle of at least 45°, preferably at least 90°, furthermore preferably at least 180°, in particular at least 270°, extends about the rotation axis. As a result, in the operation of the fan unit the air flows axially out of the housing by way of a particularly large circumferential angle so that a homogeneous incident flow on a component disposed downstream, such as a heat exchanger, can be reliably ensured.

Furthermore, the axial outlet can be formed by a single contiguous outlet opening so as to provide an outlet with a particularly large opening cross section, the latter facilitating a uniform airflow.

Additionally or alternatively, it can be provided that the axial outlet in the axial direction is disposed upstream of a downstream axial end of the drive. As a result, the fan unit in the axial direction is of a particularly compact design. Moreover, the drive, at least in portions, can protrude into a connection duct of the HVAC, said connection duct being connected to the axial outlet, in order to save installation space of the HVAC.

According to one embodiment, the maximum spacing of the axial outlet from the radial fan wheel is at most 100%, in particular at most 50%, of the external diameter of the radial fan wheel. The maximum spacing here refers to the spacing between the radial fan wheel and the portion of the outlet that is the most remote from said radial fan wheel. As a result of this design the fan unit has a particularly small volume and is thus of a compact design, in particular in the radial direction. According to one further embodiment the housing is designed in such a manner that, in operation, air in the axial direction flows past a first location and a second location on the drive. The first location here is spaced apart from the second location by an angle about the rotation axis of 45° to 180°, preferably 90° to 180°, in particular 180°. In this way, air in the axial direction flows past the drive on a plurality of sides of the drive, i.e. at least two sides, when in operation. This has the advantage that the air flows out so as to be distributed in the circumferential direction, this facilitating a component disposed downstream, for example a heat exchanger, to have a homogeneous incident flow.

In order for the above-mentioned object to be achieved, a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit for a motor vehicle, having a fan unit according to the invention, is also provided according to the invention, this having the aforementioned advantages.

The heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit here can have a heat exchanger and a connection duct which fluidically connects the fan unit to the heat exchanger. When in operation, air is directed axially into the connection duct by way of the axial outlet in the process. This design has the advantage that the HVAC is of a particularly compact design, in particular in comparison to a HVAC having a fan unit which is connected to a corresponding connection duct by way of a radial outlet.

Further advantages and features will become apparent from the following description and from the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 in a schematic sectional illustration shows a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit according to the invention, having a fan unit according to the invention;

Figure 2 in a perspective illustration shows the fan unit from Figure 1 , having a rotation axis;

Figure 3 in an axial sectional illustration shows the fan unit from Figure

2; and

Figure 4 shows the fan unit from Figure 2 in a sectional illustration perpendicular to the rotation axis. Shown in Figure 1 is a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit (hereunder “HVAC”) 10 for a motor vehicle, which has a fan unit 40.

The HVAC 10 furthermore has a manifold portion 12 having a heat exchanger 14, an inlet portion 16 and a connection duct 18.

The manifold portion 12 in the exemplary embodiment illustrated has a heating element 20 and a plurality of flaps 22 by means of which, in the operation of the HVAC 10, an airflow can be directed in different ways through the manifold portion 12 and into different regions in the interior of the vehicle.

The inlet portion 16 here has an external air inlet 24 having an external air flap 26, a recirculating air inlet 28 having a recirculating air flap 30, and an inlet chamber 32. In the operation of the HVAC 10, the proportion of air that in the form of external air by way of the external air inlet 24, or in the form of recirculating air by way of the recirculating air inlet 28, respectively, flows into the inlet chamber 32 can be controlled by way of the external air flap 26 and the recirculating air flap 30, respectively.

The fan unit 40 has a housing 42 having an axial inlet 44 and an axial outlet 46 which in the axial direction A are disposed so as to be mutually opposite.

The inlet portion 16 by way of the fan unit 40 and the connection duct 18 is fluidically connected to the manifold portion 12. Here, the inlet chamber 32 is fluidically connected to the axial inlet 44, and the axial outlet 46 by way of the connection duct 18 is fluidically connected to the heat exchanger 14.

In an alternative embodiment, the manifold portion 12 and the inlet portion 16 each can of course be of an arbitrary design.

Furthermore, the fan unit 40 can have an inlet 44 which is aligned in an arbitrary manner and/or disposed in an arbitrary manner in relation to the axial outlet 46.

The construction of the fan unit 40 will be explained in more detail hereunder by means of Figures 2 to 4.

The housing 42 has a central fan portion 48 which has the axial inlet 44 and a fan chamber 50, as well as an outer outlet portion 52 which has the axial outlet 46 and an outlet chamber 54. The fan unit 40 furthermore has a radial fan wheel 56 which is disposed in the fan chamber 50, and a drive 58 which by way of a drive shaft 60 is coupled in a torque-transmitting manner to the radial fan wheel 56 and is specified to drive the radial fan wheel 56 about a rotation axis R.

The radial fan wheel 56 here has an external diameter D.

The rotation axis R here extends in the axial direction A.

The drive 58 is an electric motor, for example.

In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the drive 58 is disposed outside the housing 42 as well as downstream of the radial fan wheel 56.

In principle however, the drive 58, at least in portions, can be disposed in the housing 42, or be received within the housing 42, respectively.

Additionally or alternatively, the drive 58 can be coupled in a torque-transmitting manner to the radial fan wheel 56 in an arbitrary manner.

The housing 42 is designed in the shape of a spiral, wherein the outlet portion 52 and the outlet chamber 54 in the interior of the outlet portion 52 in the form of a spiral arm extend in the circumferential direction U from a first circumferential end 61 about the rotation axis R, as well as radially outside about the central fan portion 48, up to a second circumferential end 62.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the outlet portion 52, as well as the outlet chamber 54 in the interior of the outlet portion 52, by a circumferential angle a of approximately 300° extend from the first circumferential end 61 up to the second circumferential end 62 in an annular manner about the fan portion 48 and the fan chamber 50 in the interior of the fan portion 48.

In an alternative embodiment, the outlet portion 52 and/or the outlet chamber 54 can of course extend about the fan chamber 50 by an arbitrary circumferential angle a, in particular by a circumferential angle a of at least 45°, at least 90°, at least 180°, or at least 270°.

In this context, the housing 42 has a transition portion 64 having an inside transition region 66 in the form of a duct which in the exemplary embodiment illustrated is disposed in the region 68 between the first and the second circumferential end 61 , 62.

The transition region 66 here fluidically connects the fan chamber 50 to the outlet chamber 54, in particular at the first circumferential end 61.

The axial outlet 46, from a first circumferential end 71 to a second circumferential end 72, in the circumferential direction U extends by an angle b of 270° about the rotation axis R, and here is a single contiguous outlet opening 74.

In principle, the axial outlet 46 can extend about the rotation axis R by an angle b of arbitrary size, in particular by an angle b of at least 45°, at least 90°, at least 180°, or at least 270°.

Additionally or alternatively, the axial outlet 46 can be formed by more than one outlet opening 74, for example by a plurality of outlet openings disposed successively in the circumferential direction U.

In one embodiment, in which the axial outlet 46 is formed by a plurality of outlet openings 74, the opening cross section of the outlet openings 74 can increase in the circumferential direction U so that, despite the pressure gradient in the circumferential direction U in the outlet chamber 54, an identical airflow flows through all outlet openings 74 when in operation. In this way, the air by way of the axial outlet 46 can be directed into the connection duct 18 in a particularly homogeneous manner.

Furthermore, the axial outlet 46 in the axial direction A is disposed between the axial inlet 44 and a downstream axial end 76 of the drive 58. As a result, the axial end 76 of the drive 58 projects in the axial direction A beyond the axial outlet 46 and protrudes into the connection duct 18.

Furthermore, the housing 42 is designed in such a manner that the maximum spacing d between the axial outlet 46 and the radial fan wheel 56 is approximately 45% of the external diameter D of the radial fan wheel 56.

In an alternative embodiment, the maximum spacing d can in principle be of an arbitrary size. Flowever, the maximum spacing d is preferably at most 100%, in particular at most 50%, of the external diameter D of the radial fan wheel 56. The flow profile in the operation of the HVAC 10 will be explained hereunder by means of Figure 2 in which the airflow is illustrated in the form of block arrows.

In the operation of the HVAC 10, air from the inlet chamber 32 by way of the axial inlet 44 is suctioned into the fan chamber 50 by the fan unit 40, and is directed radially onward to the outside by the radial fan wheel 56. The air from the fan chamber 50 flows into the outlet chamber 54 and from there, by way of the axial outlet 46, is discharged axially from the housing 42 and directed axially into the connection duct 18.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the air flows out of the axial outlet 46 so as to be substantially parallel to the axial direction A, see Figure 1 .

This outflow direction here is viewed in the section shown in Figure 1 , i.e. in a plane in which the rotation axis R extends. As a result, directional components of the airflow perpendicular to this plane are neglected with a view to considering the direction of the discharged airflow.

In an alternative embodiment, the air can flow out of the axial outlet 46 at an angle of less than 45°, or at an angle of less than 5° in relation to the axial direction A, in particular so as to be inclined in the direction of the rotation axis R. The corresponding limits of these angles are plotted in Figure 1. The angle obliquely towards the outside and away from the rotation axis R is identified as the angle g1 which as the outer limit must be less than 45°. The angle obliquely towards the inside and towards the rotation axis R is identified as the angle j2 which as the inner limit must be less than 45°.

According to one embodiment, the air should in particular be within an angle in which the angle g1 is less than 5° and the angle j2 is less than 45°, preferably even less than 5°.

Furthermore, the air here in the axial direction A flows past the drive 58 across the entire extent in the circumferential direction U, or the entire angle b.

In particular, the air flows past a first location 81 (see Figure 2) and a second location 82 on opposite radial sides on the drive 58. In other words, the first location 81 and the second location 82 are mutually spaced apart by an angle b of 180° about the rotation axis R. In an alternative embodiment, the first location 81 and the second location 82 can be mutually spaced apart by an angle b of 45° to 180°, or 90° to 180°.

Provided in this way are a fan unit 40 and a HVAC 10 which by virtue of the radial fan wheel 56 are particularly silent when in operation. The housing 42 is shaped in such a manner that the air that is directed radially onward by the radial fan wheel 56 is discharged axially from the housing 42 by way of the axial outlet 46, as a result of which the fan unit 40 as well as the HVAC 10 are particularly compact.

Furthermore, the design of the outlet portion 52 in the shape of a spiral guarantees that the housing 42 requires little installation space.

Furthermore, the design of the axial outlet 46 ensures that the heat exchanger 14 has a particularly homogeneous incident flow.

The invention is not restricted to the embodiment shown. In particular, individual features of one embodiment can be combined as desired with features of other embodiments, in particular independently of the other features of the corresponding embodiments.

Claims

Patent claims

1 . Fan unit (40) for a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit (10) of a motor vehicle, comprising: a radial fan wheel (56) having a drive (58) which is disposed downstream of the radial fan wheel (56) and is specified to drive the radial fan wheel (56) about a rotation axis (R); a housing (42) in which the radial fan wheel (56) is received and which has an inlet (44) and an axial outlet (46); wherein the housing (42) is designed in such a manner that, in operation, air is inducted at the inlet (44) and, when viewed in a plane in which the rotation axis (R) lies, is axially discharged by way of the axial outlet (46).

2. Fan unit (40) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the housing (42) has an outlet portion (52) and a fan portion (48) having a fan chamber (50) in which the radial fan wheel (56) is disposed, wherein the outlet portion (52) has the axial outlet (46) and an outlet chamber (54) which fluidically connects the fan chamber (50) to the axial outlet (46), wherein the outlet chamber (54) extends radially outside, and in a circumferential direction (U) by a circumferential angle (a) of at least 45°, in an annular manner about the fan chamber (50).

3. Fan unit (40) according to Claim 2, characterized in that the outlet chamber (54) by a circumferential angle (a) of at least 90°, preferably at least 180°, in particular at least 270°, extends in an annular manner about the fan chamber (50), in particular wherein a transition region (66) between the fan chamber (50) and the outlet chamber (54) is provided, said transition region (66) being positioned in a region (68) between spaced-apart circumferential ends (61 , 62) of the annular outlet chamber (54).

4. Fan unit (40) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the axial outlet (46) by an angle (b) of at least 45°, preferably at least 90°, furthermore preferably at least 180°, in particular at least 270°, extends about the rotation axis (R).

5. Fan unit (40) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the axial outlet (46) is formed by a single contiguous outlet opening (74).

6. Fan unit (40) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the axial outlet (46) in the axial direction (A) is disposed upstream of a downstream axial end (76) of the drive (58).

7. Fan unit (40) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the maximum spacing (d) of the axial outlet (46) from the radial fan wheel (56) is at most 100%, in particular at most 50%, of the external diameter (D) of the radial fan wheel (56).

8. Fan unit (40) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (42) is designed in such a manner that, in operation, air in the axial direction (A) flows past a first location (81) and a second location (82) on the drive (58), wherein the first location (81) is spaced apart from the second location (82) by an angle (b) about the rotation axis (R) of 45° to 180°, preferably 90° to 180°, in particular 180°.

9. Fleating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit (10) for a motor vehicle, having a fan unit (40) according to one of the preceding claims.

10. Fleating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit (10) according to Claim 9, characterized in that the heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit (10) has a heat exchanger (14) and a connection duct (18) which fluidically connects the fan unit (40) to the heat exchanger (14), wherein, in operation, air is directed axially into the connection duct (18) by way of the axial outlet (46).