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EP-4739920-A1 - FAN ARRANGEMENT, IMPELLER AND ASSOCIATED METHOD OF MANUFACTURE

EP4739920A1EP 4739920 A1EP4739920 A1EP 4739920A1EP-4739920-A1

Abstract

A fan arrangement (12) including a common hub (14) and a plurality of blades (16) arranged to radially extend from the hub (14). The fan arrangement (14) being configurable or convertible to provide: a first configuration in which a first set of the plurality of blades are shaped to provide an axial fan (13), and a second configuration in which a shroud arrangement (30) is fitted to the hub (14) to provide a tapered aerodynamic surface (33) extending about the hub (14) and a second set of the plurality of blades are shaped to provide a mixed flow fan (15). A system, method and shroud arrangement are also disclosed.

Inventors

  • EDWARDS, Sean Claude
  • WHITTAKER, Matthew Mark

Assignees

  • Minetek Investments Pty Ltd

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240705

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A fan arrangement including a common hub and a plurality of blades arranged to radially extend from the hub, the fan arrangement being configurable or convertible to provide: a. a first configuration in which a first set of the plurality of blades are shaped to provide an axial fan; and b. a second configuration in which a shroud arrangement is fitted to the hub to provide a tapered aerodynamic surface extending about the hub and a second set of the plurality of blades are shaped to provide a mixed flow fan.
  2. 2. The fan arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the shroud arrangement includes a forward shroud section and a rear shroud section which when coupled provide the tapered aerodynamic surface.
  3. 3. The fan arrangement according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the forward and rear shroud sections include recesses adapted to form apertures through which the plurality of blades extend.
  4. 4. The fan arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the forward and rear shroud sections each include recesses adapted to form apertures through which the plurality of blades extend.
  5. 5. The fan arrangement according to claim 4, wherein each recess includes a notch shaped to interlock with respective ones of the plurality of blades.
  6. 6. The fan arrangement according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein each of the forward shroud section and the rear shroud section include corresponding fingers adapted to locate the forward shroud section and the rear shroud section with one another.
  7. 7. The fan arrangement according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein each of the forward shroud section and the rear shroud section include corresponding fingers adapted to fit with one another.
  8. 8. The fan arrangement according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein each of the forward shroud section and the rear shroud section includes an inner skirt adapted to attach with the common hub.
  9. 9. The fan arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the hub includes a forward hub section and a rear hub section, and wherein the forward shroud section is coupled to the forward hub section via its inner skirt and the rear shroud section is coupled to the rear hub section via its inner skirt.
  10. 10. The fan arrangement according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the forward and rear shroud sections are removably coupled to the hub.
  11. 11. The fan arrangement according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the common hub is a cast hub.
  12. 12. The fan arrangement according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the common hub includes a forward hub section and a rear hub section.
  13. 13. The fan arrangement according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the common hub includes sockets and each the plurality of blades includes a spigot receivable by respective sockets.
  14. 14. A system to form an axial flow fan and a mixed flow fan from a common hub, the system including: a. a common hub arrangement; b. a plurality of blades arranged to radially extend from the hub; and c. a shroud arrangement fittable to the hub, wherein, in a first configuration, a first set of the plurality of blades are coupled to the common hub arrangement and the shroud arrangement is omitted, the first set of the plurality of blades being shaped to provide the axial flow fan; and, in a second configuration, the shroud arrangement is fitted to the hub to provide a tapered aerodynamic surface extending from the hub and a second set of the plurality of blades are coupled to the common hub arrangement, the second set of the plurality of blades being shaped to provide the mixed flow fan.
  15. 15. A method of forming an axial flow fan and a mixed flow fan from a common hub, wherein, to form the axial flow fan in a first configuration the common hub is fitted with a plurality of blades that are shaped to provide an axial flow fan, and, wherein to form the mixed flow fan in a second configuration the common hub is fitted with a different set of the plurality of blades that are shaped to provide the mixed flow fan and a shroud arrangement is fitted to the hub to provide a tapered aerodynamic surface extending from the hub.
  16. 16. A method of converting an axial flow fan to a mixed flow fan, the method including: a. Replacing a plurality of blades fitted to a hub of the axial flow fan with a new set of plurality of blades shaped to provide the mixed flow impeller; and b. Fitting a shroud arrangement to the hub to provide a tapered aerodynamic surface extending from the hub.
  17. 17. A shroud arrangement for converting an axial flow fan to a mixed flow fan, the shroud arrangement including a first shroud section and a second shroud section which are adapted to couple to a common hub and to one another to provide a tapered aerodynamic surface from which a plurality of blades radially extend.
  18. 18. The shroud arrangement according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the forward and rear shroud sections include recesses adapted to form apertures through which the plurality of blades extend.
  19. 19. The shroud arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the forward and rear shroud sections each include recesses adapted to form apertures through which the plurality of blades extend.
  20. 20. The shroud arrangement according to claim 19, wherein each recess includes a notch shaped to interlock with respective ones of the plurality of blades.

Description

Fan Arrangement., Impeller and associated Method of Manufacture Related Applications [001] This application claims priority from Australian provisional patent application no. AU 2023902173 filed on 6 July 2023 the contents of which are incorporated by reference. Technical Field [002] The invention relates to a fan arrangement, an impeller for a fan arrangement and an associated method of manufacture. Background [003] Fan arrangements typically have an impeller to generate fluid flow. The impeller may include a hub and a series of blades extending radially from the hub. The impeller may be used within a housing such as duct or the like to drive fluid flow through the duct. The hub may be cast and include sockets into which a spigot at the end of each of the blades are inserted and secured thereto. [004] In some cases, when configured as an axial fan, such fan arrangements may be configured with blades to generate fluid flow by virtue of a pressure differential across the blades thereby having axial fan characteristics. In another cases, such as when the impeller is used within a duct, such fan arrangements may be configured as mixed flow or impulse fans in which may include blades configured to generate fluid flow at least in part by impulse or momentum imparted to the fluid by the blades thereby having mixed flow fan characteristics. [005] When being configured as a mixed flow fan it is desirable to have a tapered hub, and in such mixed flow fans, the hub may be formed with a permanent tapered section which may be integrally formed with the hub. [006] A problem with such fan arrangements and impellers is that the entire arrangement is configured to be for an axial fan with a non-taper hub or a mixed flow fan with a taper hub - not both, and this requires two separate hub configurations which is costly and inefficient. [007] The invention disclosed herein seeks to overcome one or more of the above identified problems or at least provide a useful alternative. Summary [008] In accordance with a first broad aspect there is provided, a fan arrangement including a common hub and a plurality of blades arranged to radially extend from the hub, the fan arrangement being configurable or convertible to provide: a first configuration in which a first set of the plurality of blades are shaped to provide an axial fan; and a second configuration in which a shroud arrangement is fitted to the hub to provide a tapered aerodynamic surface extending about the hub and a second set of the plurality of blades are shaped to provide a mixed flow fan. [009] In an aspect, the shroud arrangement includes a forward shroud section and a rear shroud section which when coupled provide the tapered aerodynamic surface. [0010] In another aspect, at least one of the forward and rear shroud sections include recesses adapted to form apertures through which the plurality of blades extend. [0011] In yet another aspect, the forward and rear shroud sections each include recesses adapted to form apertures through which the plurality of blades extend. [0012] In yet another aspect, each recess includes a notch shaped to interlock with respective ones of the plurality of blades. [0013] In yet another aspect, each of the forward shroud section and the rear shroud section include corresponding fingers adapted to locate the forward shroud section and the rear shroud section with one another. [0014] In yet another aspect, each of the forward shroud section and the rear shroud section include corresponding fingers adapted to fit with one another. [0015] In yet another aspect, each of the forward shroud section and the rear shroud section includes an inner skirt adapted to attach with the common hub. [0016] In yet another aspect, the hub includes a forward hub section and a rear hub section, and wherein the forward shroud section is coupled to the forward hub section via its inner skirt and the rear shroud section is coupled to the rear hub section via its inner skirt. [0017] In yet another aspect, the forward and rear shroud sections are removably coupled to the hub. [0018] In yet another aspect, the common hub is a cast hub. [0019] In yet another aspect, the common hub includes a forward hub section and a rear hub section. [0020] In yet another aspect, the common hub includes sockets, and each the plurality of blades includes a spigot receivable by respective sockets. [0021] In accordance with a second broad aspect there is provided, a system to form an axial flow fan and a mixed flow fan from a common hub, the system including: a common hub arrangement; a plurality of blades arranged to radially extend from the hub; and a shroud arrangement fittable to the hub, wherein, in a first configuration, a first set of the plurality of blades are coupled to the common hub arrangement and the shroud arrangement is omitted, the first set of the plurality of blades being shaped to provide the axial flow fan; and, in a second configuration, the shroud arrangement